REGINA — A new abattoir and retail meat store northwest of Regina is seeing strong demand just weeks after opening. Babco Meats is located along Highway 11 between Lumsden and Bethune. Owner Darryl Babey said many producers who slaughter just a few animals a year have already stopped in to see the facility and book […] Read more
Canfax report
This cattle market information is selected from the weekly report from Canfax, a division of the Canadian Cattle Association. More market information, analysis and statistics are available by becoming a Canfax subscriber by calling 403-275-5110 or at www.canfax.ca. Fed price sets record Weighted average steer prices closed slightly more than $260 per hundredweight last week, […] Read more
VIDEO: Myths swirl around livestock sector
If animal nutritionists don’t want to see their industry ravaged by misperceptions and misinformation, they might need to embrace what is an uncomfortable place for most of them, says a leading British nutritionist. If they can’t engage with the public on issues about feed’s and livestock’s effects on climate change and environmental degradation, then the […] Read more
When to butcher a downer animal not an easy decision
There are many decisions in either feedlot, cow-calf or backgrounder situations where timely decisions have to be made regarding whether to treat, harvest or euthanize. I am hoping this article, by citing a few examples, may make this clearer. Producers don’t need to make these decisions alone. Modern communications such as cellphone cameras, videos in […] Read more
Sustainability demands pressure livestock feed industry
Those attending recent conference were challenged to take micro-nutrient impact, efficiency and waste more seriously
Farmers and the animal nutrition industry need to understand that feeding livestock today requires thinking about what comes out of an animal as much as what goes in, according to many at the Animal Nutrition Conference of Canada. Demands around the world to restrict greenhouse gas and nutrient emissions from all forms of livestock mean […] Read more
Canada-U.K. free trade talks remain comatose
Upcoming election in the United Kingdom may explain why little short-term hope remains on the trade agreement front
WINNIPEG — One year ago, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak published an open letter to farmers in his country. The letter, released May 16, 2023, focused on agricultural trade and British government priorities for future free trade deals. Sunak listed six principles, which he says will protect and assist British farmers. Principle No. 4 was […] Read more
Pasture outlook seen as ‘cautiously optimistic’
Agronomists urge cattle producers to practise patience when they are tempted to graze immature pastures this spring
The grazing season has had some memorably bad starts in recent years, but 2024 won’t likely be one of them. Producers had a better feed buffer last fall. In 2022, for example, turnout was hindered by the double whammy of a cold, wet spring and the lingering impacts of the 2021 drought on feed supplies […] Read more
Canfax report
This cattle market information is selected from the weekly report from Canfax, a division of the Canadian Cattle Association. More market information, analysis and statistics are available by becoming a Canfax subscriber by calling 403-275-5110 or at www.canfax.ca. Fed market strengthens The Alberta fed market was active, and for the first time this year sold […] Read more
Antibiotic resistance rare in weaned calves
Western Canadian research study finds resistance in only two per cent of the weaned calves that were sampled
Glacier FarmMedia – If a new piece of western Canadian research is any indication, few weaned calves ready for the feedlot are carrying medication-resistant passengers. The project was focused on bacteria and viruses that can contribute to bovine respiratory disease (BRD). It found antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in just two per cent of sampled calves from […] Read more
Cattle sector aims to break the cycle
Open rates were horrendous in Western Canada last fall: what can producers do to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself?
Glacier FarmMedia – Many beef producers got an unpleasant shock at last fall’s preg check, and experts are weighing in on what can be done to avoid a similar problem this year. According to a report from the Western Canadian Animal Health Network (WeCAHN), more than 40 per cent of some herds were found open. […] Read more
