The following are sample course agendas for CLS training programs.

Beef Seminar Course Topics

1. Introduction to Beef Industry
2. Beef Breeds
3. Breeding Programs
4. Heritability and Heterosis
5. Bull Selection and Management
6. Replacement Heifer Selection and Management
7. Basic Cow and Calf Herd Management
8. Feedstuffs and Nutrition
9. Winter Feeding and Management
10. Body Condition Scoring
11. Cow-Calf Records
12. Cattle Handling Facilities
13. Establishing and Managing Forage Stands for Hay and Pasture
14. Forage (grass and legume) Varieties for Hay and Pasture
15. Pasture and Grazing Management
16. Fences – Conventional and Electric
17. Hay and Silage Production and Storage
18. Successful AI Programs on Pasture
19. Parasites and Disease Control
20. The "Ten-Year" Cattle Price Cycle
21. Marketing Cattle
22. Marketing Beef Products
23. Role of Government in the Beef Industry
24. Role of National Cattlemen’s Associations
25. Establishing a Viable Purebred Industry

Goals for Beef Cattle Study Tour

1) To provide an overview of the Canadian beef industry, including:

a) Production specialization
b) Production and marketing of animals,
c) Processing and marketing of beef products
d) Producer organizations
e) Farm supplies and services

2) To provide practical information on beef production

a) Production and management on western Canadian farms, including

i) Handling and housing facilities
ii) Organization of work
b) Farm Business Management
i) Financial records
ii) Using financial and production records to make management decisions
iii) Financing and ownership structure options

c) Nutrition and feeding principles and practices, including

i) Feed preservation
ii) Winter feeding programs
iii) Vitamins and mineral supplementation

d) Pasture and grazing management, including

i) Native range vs. seeded pasture and hayland
ii) Controlled grazing for sustainable grasslands
iii) Water and fencing technology

e) Breeding programs and principles, including

i) AI, Embryo Transfer
ii) Measuring and selecting based on performance
iii) Breed Associations, pedigree registrations and promotion

f) Finishing (Fattening) of Cattle for High Quality Beef

i) Facilities and Equipment
ii) Nutrition and Feedstuffs
iii) Management
iv) Buying and Selling

g) Animal health and disease prevention and control, including

i) Private veterinarians
ii) Animal health products

h) Marketing institutions and systems

i) How beef is marketed
ii) Retail marketing
iii) Promotion and consumer information

3) The role of government(s), universities and research institutions

a) Government policies and programs
b) Regulating the market place – protecting buyers and sellers
c) Research, development, technology transfer and training
d) Disease control
e) Meat hygiene and Meat quality grading

Example Feedlot Seminar Course Outline
"The Basics Of Producing USDA Choice Or Canada AAA Cattle"

Facilities

• Basic design – logic behind various layouts
• Physical considerations - Material availability, labour availability, security considerations
• Soil and topography considerations
• Regulation considerations
• Equipment / capital

Animal Health

• Climactic considerations (daily/seasonal temperature variations, humidity, dust)
• Local diseases
• Sourcing cattle (i.e. private treaty/farm direct, auction, marketing conditions)
• Induction of cattle into feedlot – treatmernt on arrival at feedlot
• Pen checking and treatment of sick cattle, hospital pens, treatment protocols
• Health records – keeping and analyzing adequate record

Management

• Human resources, organizational structure, working with people
• Financial and physical records – analysis of pen closeouts
• Commodities and consumables (i.e. feedstuffs, bedding, medications, storage, fuel, power, water) - brief coverage of benchmark requirements, forward buying, formula buying of silage, etc.
• Basic principles of handling cattle in confinement
• Characteristics of animals being fed - calves (veal) versus steers versus intact bulls (age dependant, i.e. <8 months versus >18 month), heifers versus steers

Nutrition

• Thumb rules of ration formulation (energy:fibre ratio, fibre length)
• Low energy ration considerations
• Bringing animals onto high-grain rations
• Backgrounding versus feeding to finish
• Feed bunk management
• Feed additives, growth promotants
• Growing and fattening cattle on pasture

Marketing

• Risk management – custom feeding, strategic alliances, contract feeding
• Transportation and shrink
• Meat quality - fat content, fat cover, dark cutters
• International Quality Assurance Considerations
• Consumer demands
• Carcass quality defects
• Individual animals identification and traceback of diseases and quality problem

Field Days (will vary, depending on availability)

• Hands-on nutrition lab
• Pastures - native and tame
• Feedlots (large, medium and small)
• Cereal and forage research trials
• Meat research lab
• Slaughter plant and meat retail store
• Livestock sales auction yard