Here are what's being worked on:

     The University of Manitoba is part of a new western Canadian initiative that is starting this fall looking at residual feed intake (RFI) values in cow-calf production systems. The intent is to determine if RFI can be used as a selection tool for improved productivity when cattle are fed forage-based diets and are exposed to extreme conditions in both the summer and winter grazing periods. The research team spans the University of Manitoba, AAFC-Research Branch (Lacombe and Brandon), Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development and the University of Alberta. Being able to use RFI as a tool to select and breed for replacement animals with low RFI indices will serve to improve the economic sustainability of the beef cattle industry through reduced feed costs.

     Since 2010, the university has been comparing the immune response following vaccination with needle free injection systems compared to traditional vaccination using a needle. The research will examine the impact of injection site, temperature during injection and type of vaccine in both needle-free and conventional injection systems.

     Beef cow overwintering research in Manitoba continues to look at the impact of management on productivity and environmental sustainability. The trial last winter compared overwintering in a confinement system with a pasture-based system, focusing on nitrogen cycling and losses, as well as greenhouse gas emissions from both the cattle and the overwintering site. Although pasture overwintering beef cows is increasing in popularity in Manitoba, there is limited information available on animal performance and the environmental implications of these more extensive systems. Investigations will continue over this winter to shed more light on the opportunities and challenges of overwintering cows in extensive systems. 
      For a current listing and description of projects in the cattle-forage research program, download the handout.