QUEBEC CITY – The fatal sheep disease Maedi visna is under attack across Canada. Also known as ovine progressive pneumonia in Western Canada and the United States, provincial projects have started to measure disease prevalence. “It is 100 percent fatal. Animals do not recover from this disease,” said Paula Menzies of the Ontario Veterinarian College […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Fibre festival shows skills
GLEICHEN, Alta. – When Cara Sheppard went to her first fibre festival in Ontario last year, she knew she wanted a similar event on her southern Alberta farm. “I had such a good time, I decided I’m going to do this in Alberta,” she said. She and her husband Bill own a small flock of […] Read more
Canadian packers see business opportunity
Windfall profits for meat packers have prompted some operations to plow that money into slaughterhouse expansion. It is probably easier for existing slaughterhouses to increase their kill and processing capacity than wait for new operations to be built next year, said Brian Nilsson, co-owner of XL Foods in Moose Jaw, Sask., and Calgary. If the […] Read more
B.C. plant ready to begin slaughter
The finishing touches are being applied to a refurbished beef slaughter plant near Salmon Arm, B.C. Rangeland Beef Processing plans to handle as many as 300 cows and bulls per day once the federally inspected facility is fully operational, said shareholder Judy Fenton of Irma, Alta. The plant was closed several years ago and needed […] Read more
Alberta trail ride marks centennial
Cowboys are invited to return to the range for a special trail ride marking Alberta’s centennial. The five-day ride from July 17-23 next year covers a 100-kilometre loop on Canadian Forces Base Suffield in southeastern Alberta. The ride is limited to 1,200 people, who will get a chance to see unbroken prairie that has remained […] Read more
New light shed on sheep breeding
QUEBEC CITY – One of the biggest challenges facing the Canadian sheep industry is providing lamb to consumers on a year-round basis. One small group of Quebec producers has been experimenting since 2001 with how to get sheep breeding out of season without using hormones. Sheep are seasonal breeders and it has been known for […] Read more
Off-season breeding makes marketing easier
PRINCEVILLE, Que. – In the middle of a sunny July day, Dorset ewes sit quietly in the dim twilight of their pens. Owned by Michel Thibodeau and his wife Mireille Lemelin, they are part of a massive operation that includes about 900 ewes raised indoors under controlled light conditions. The plan is to adjust the […] Read more
Alta. invites suggestionson animal protection law
Alberta is reviewing its 30-year-old animal protection act. The public and provincial humane societies have been invited to comment on the legislation by Sept. 15. Once the comments are reviewed, a further consultation may be needed in October with a final act expected to be in place in 2005. The revised legislation may take some […] Read more
Total BSE testing won’t open markets: vet
OKOTOKS, Alta. – There are many reasons to test cattle for BSE, but most have little to do with food safety. “Testing for surveillance to determine what the health status of the herd is, is entirely different than testing for food safety,” said veterinarian Kee Jim of Feedlot Health Services. Universal testing to improve entry […] Read more
Producers find difficulty disposing of dead stock
QUEBEC CITY – Getting rid of dead animals takes planning that could include checking local regulations to prevent environmental hazards and scavenger problems. “It is becoming more and more difficult to properly dispose of them. There’s more rules and less options,” said Kim Stanford of Alberta Agriculture. “Some of the options cost more than the […] Read more
