The Beef is ON

James Byrne and Chad Mader
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The Beef is ON brings practical beef industry insights and updates from your hosts, James Byrne and Chad Mader - Beef Cattle Specialists at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness.  Join us for discussions on management, nutrition, production practices and the latest trends across Ontario's beef sector.  Reach out with questions or suggestions for future episodes at thebeefison@ontario.ca

Episodes

  1. 6D AGO

    Bonus Episode - Recording 2 from Beef Symposium 2026

    Welcome to another bonus episode!  This episode includes the recordings of two presentations from our recent Beef Symposium - a joint venture between OMAFA, Beef Farmers of Ontario and the University of Guelph.  Video recordings can be found through the Beef@Guelph website: beefguelph.ca. This episode begins with Hannah McCarthy, PhD candidate in the Department of Animal BioSciences, University of Guelph.  Hannah reviews the use of alternative feeds in a commercial calf facility. This is followed by Kristin Thompson from the Beef Cattle Research Council, discussing recordkeeping and tracking genetic improvement.

    35 min

  2. MAR 5

    Herd Sire Value - Considerations when shopping for a bull

    As bull sale season is ramping up in Ontario, James and Chad talk about what to consider when buying a bull - primarily around how much you can afford to pay.  An excellent calculator tool that is referred to in the podcast can be found here: Bull Valuation Calculator - BeefResearch.ca

    31 min

  3. FEB 19

    Preparing for Calving

    Today, James and Chad review considerations in preparation for calving season.  Listen for some reminders and maybe some new ideas to keep in mind as you approach calving season - or for whenever your next calving season starts!   BCRC Calving Resources:  Calving & Calf Management - BeefResearch.ca Calving Decision Tree: calving-decision-tree-and-presentations.pdf OMAFA Forage Testing Resources: Soil, leaf and petiole tissue, and forages and feed testing labs | ontario.ca

    37 min

  4. FEB 12

    Bonus Episode - Recording from Beef Symposium 2026

    Welcome to our first bonus episode!  This episode includes the recordings of two presentations from our recent Beef Symposium - a joint venture between OMAFA, Beef Farmers of Ontario and the University of Guelph.  Video recordings can be found through the Beef@Guelph website: beefguelph.ca. This episode begins with Dr. Heather Murphy, Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph.  Dr. Murphy reviews her recent research on Beef Farm Management and Pathogens. Following Dr. Murphy, Mariah Crevier, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine student at the Ontario Veterinary College will review her MSc research on Pain Control Strategies for the Castration of Newborn bull calves.

    27 min

  5. FEB 5

    Selecting Replacement Heifers

    James and Chad discuss what to look for in replacement heifer candidates and considerations for purchasing heifers vs raising your own.  Regardless of the type of heifer you’re looking for, there are some basic criteria that can help maximize the chances of those heifers staying in your herd long enough to be profitable.  This podcast walks through the decision-making process all the way to the next generation of your cow herd being ready to calve.   Additional resources: Cost of production for crops and livestock | ontario.ca Replacement Heifer Calculator - BeefResearch.ca Jordan Thomas (links to YouTube channel and other resources) Selecting Heifers for Breeding – Dairy and Beef Cattle Production

    32 min

  6. JAN 22

    Managing Cattle in Cold Weather

    James and Chad review considerations for maintaining your cattle in cold weather.  This includes nutrition, water sources, and shelter options.   Look here for information on windbreaks: o   Whither the wind: How to decide on windbreaks - Canadian Cattlemen o   Portable Windbreak Fences.pmd

    34 min

  7. JAN 8

    Importance of Body Condition

    Join James and Chad as they discuss the importance of maintaining appropriate body condition in your cow herd, and how you can use Body Condition Scoring to monitor the condition of your cows.

    34 min

  8. 12/25/2025

    Marketing your calves

    Join James and Chad as they discuss what producers can do to increase the value of the calves they market.

    36 min

  9. 12/18/2025

    Weaning Considerations

    In this episode, James and Chad discuss the value of low-stress weaning, and the pros and cons of various weaning options.

    37 min

  10. 12/11/2025

    Creep Feeding

    Join hosts James Byrne and Chad Mader as they discuss the value of creep feeding calves.  They cover options for what, when and how to feed, and provide considerations to help producers decide what creep feeding options fit their operation best.

    34 min

  11. 12/06/2025

    Welcome to the Beef is ON

    Introducing a new podcast for the Ontario Beef industry. Subscribe now so you don't miss our first episode.  New pods drop every other Thursday.

    1 min
  • 11 Episodes

About

The Beef is ON brings practical beef industry insights and updates from your hosts, James Byrne and Chad Mader - Beef Cattle Specialists at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness.  Join us for discussions on management, nutrition, production practices and the latest trends across Ontario's beef sector.  Reach out with questions or suggestions for future episodes at thebeefison@ontario.ca

Information

  • Creator
    James Byrne and Chad Mader
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    11
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Beef is ON
  • Show Website
    The Beef is ON

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