Good stockmanship is an important and highly skilled job that does not get enough credit. Animal behaviourist Temple Grandin has been advocating kindness and patience with livestock throughout her 40-year career. She said she finds she must continue to stress good stockmanship because improvements for the simplest things are still needed. “When I started my […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
B.C. couple keeps heritage farm thriving
Vegetable farm in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland grows produce in fields and greenhouses on eight acres of land
SURREY, B.C. — Hidden among the stylish cul de sacs in suburban Surrey, a thriving vegetable farm sits that has been in the Zaklan family for 90 years. For the last six years, Doug Zaklan and Gemma McNeill have been farming eight acres of land growing a variety of vegetables in fields and greenhouses within […] Read more
Alberta man wins world livestock auctioneering crown
A southern Albertan who has been selling cattle since he was 16 years old is the international livestock auctioneer champion at the Calgary Stampede. At 21, Ryan Konynenbelt of Nobleford, Alta., is the youngest to win this contest that drew 36 competitors from Canada, United States, South Africa and Australia. The win earned him $10,000 […] Read more
Providing poor quality water can end in disaster
Cattle can adapt to water with high sulfate levels, but there is a limit on how much they can tolerate
All animals need water, but in addition to lack of water, poor water quality can also cause disasters. Cattle need about 30 kilograms of water per day but requirements can vary according to the animal’s age, life stage and the weather. They need more water as temperatures rise past 27 C. Cattle on grass that […] Read moreHigh-risk calves pose big problem for feedlots
Calves often arrive at the feedlot unvaccinated, with horns and unaccustomed to using a feed bunk or water tank
Every fall, millions of calves end up in sale barns where they can be exposed to diseases, transportation stresses and other injuries. Feedlots commonly buy calves that have not been vaccinated, dehorned and are not accustomed to eating from a feed bunk or drinking from a water tank, said Dan Thomson, a veterinarian at Kansas […] Read moreLonger travel times can affect slaughter cattle’s mobility
A major beef packer announced in 2013 it would no longer accept cattle treated with the beta agonist Zilmax because it appeared to be connected to lame slaughter cattle. Since then, researchers have worked to assess the extent of the mobility problems. Jacob Hagenmaier of Elanco participated in research to assess the extent of lameness […] Read more
CAP to fund Alta. ag businesses
More than $90 million through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership has been announced to help Alberta businesses expand food exports and promote agriculture through five different programs. In Alberta, the partnership commits a federal-provincial investment of $406 million over five years toward strategic programs and services that are aligned to national objectives and tailored to priorities […] Read more
Sask. entry claims biggest prize at Calgary Stampede youth show
Each year the prizes get bigger and better for young people entering their livestock at the Calgary Stampede. Four young people showing cattle and sheep walked away with thousands of dollars in cash and scholarships as part of the Stampede livestock youth program. In total, $160,000 was on offer. Cody LaFrentz of Bienfait, Sask., took […] Read more
New Canada food guide aims for healthier choices
Canada’s revised food guide has morphed into a healthy eating strategy. It is intended to provide better nutrition information, improve food quality and protect vulnerable groups like children. “The healthy eating strategy is part of a larger strategy to develop a food policy for Canada,” said Hasan Hutchinson, director of the office of nutrition policy […] Read more
Pain control still not common
Most livestock producers agree castration, branding, dehorning and difficult calving cause animals pain, but most producers do not use pain treatments to take the edge off. Recent survey results show about a third of producers use pain control for dehorning. However, many say they dehorn when the calves are very young or use a polled […] Read more
