KAMLOOPS, B.C. – A pilot project to compensate cattle producers may expand to include other livestock killed by predators on British Columbia ranges. The B.C. predator loss control and compensation program started in 2002 and groups like the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association are developing a new business plan and budget to continue the program to cover […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Canadian beef heads to Colombia
KAMLOOPS, B.C. – Colombia is the first South American country to accept Canadian beef and cattle since a Canadian BSE discovery closed trade borders in 2003. The $7 million deal is part of the Canada-Colombia free trade agreement and eliminates an 80 percent tariff on Canadian beef over a 12 year period. Colombia will immediately […] Read more
Alta. animal care group takes bull by horns
Doug Sawyer’s first calf of 2009 was born on the first day of spring, one of the few March days that was warm enough to make calving easy this year. The chair of the Alberta Farm Animal Care Association said he didn’t need government legislation to ensure he took proper care of that calf, especially […] Read more
Genetics, diet curb methane
Discoveries in cattle genetics and changes to feeding programs could help reduce greenhouse gases. Cattle belch methane during digestion, but studies at the universities of Alberta and Guelph showed changes in diet and identifying which cattle digest more efficiently can reduce methane charged belches. “The whole methane issue in cattle is becoming a big issue […] Read more
Where asparagus takes root
INNISFAIL, Alta. – The temperature dipped to below freezing on May 13 so Elna Edgar worried her asparagus crop might not survive the cold Alberta morning. The little green spears poking out of the ground were intact when she checked the 17 acres at her Innisfail farm where she has raised the delicate crop since […] Read more
Human to pig transmission ‘novel’
The H1N1 virus found in pigs is raising alarm around the world because it appears to be moving back and forth between animals and humans, said a professor of virology at the University of Calgary veterinary school. “That is an alarming sign and it seems from what we have experienced here in Alberta, this virus […] Read more
Youth cattle show pays benefits
OLDS, Alta. – For the second year in a row, young people jammed into Olds Cow Palace in Olds for a chance to learn more about the beef business and win big money for top quality steers and heifers. Kim Lamb, who helped organize the show, saw an even greater benefit. She said the participants, […] Read more
Sheep, goat disease assessment sought
The Canadian sheep and goat industry continues to seek long-term funding to support a national scrapie surveillance program. Jennifer McTavish of the Canadian Sheep Federation said trade in breeding stock with the United States and Mexico remains blocked without an effective program assessing disease prevalence. Sheep and goat exports were halted in 2003 when BSE […] Read more
EU opens door to U.S. beef
The United States and the European Union have reached a tentative agreement to end a 25 year dispute over beef trade, but Canada is expected to see little benefit. The EU has refused for decades to accept beef from Canada or the U.S. because of the use of six growth promoting hormones, saying the products […] Read more
Hard work price of horse ownership
Neophyte horse owners may harbour dreams of joining Canada’s equestrian team, but they have a lot to learn to reach that level. A team of seasoned horse professionals recently explained how horse owners can enjoy their animals rather than viewing them as walking hay burners. Becoming a happy horse owner requires research that must start […] Read more
