A physical examination includes scrotal circumference measurement, semen quality test and checking sperm appearance
Semen quality, conformation, soundness and a desire to breed cows all play a role in bull fertility and breeding ability. A breeding soundness examination can ensure all is well before breeding season begins. Such exams include physical and reproductive tract soundness, scrotal circumference, percentage of normal sperm cells and sperm motility. Dr. Colin Palmer of […] Read moreStories by Freelance writer
Scrotal frostbite may have lasting impact
Any injury to the testicles that damages stored sperm may put a bull out of action until it heals and produces new sperm
Scrotal frostbite in bulls is a risk to fertility and ranch profitability. Cold weather and wind chill can damage bulls’ testicles and deteriorate semen but it is hard to gauge without a test. Dr. Colin Palmer, associate director at the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence at the University of Saskatchewan, says scrotal frostbite commonly […] Read more
Dignity Barn addresses rural poverty
Small-town resident says homelessness in her community differs from the urban experience and requires different ideas
FAIRVIEW, Alta. — Seeing a replica of an old red barn on a street corner is not an unusual site in prairie towns. Michelle Dacyk hopes the small red barn in front of her business will provide people in need with dignity, respect and needed supplies. “I believe in community. I believe in health and […] Read more
Waterhemp’s built-in detox system complicates control
Recent discovery means weed could theoretically be resistant to new herbicides even before they are commercialized
Waterhemp, a troublesome, hard-to-kill weed, is relatively new to Canada and a major concern for corn and soybean farmers. It first appeared in Ontario in 2002, spread to Quebec and, in 2016, showed up in a soybean field southeast of Winnipeg. Waterhemp resists multiple herbicides, adapted aggressively to modern farming, can adapt to different environmental […] Read more
Potato harvest turned into an act of giving
An acre of freshly manured soil produced an abundance of spuds, which prompted a practical lesson in sharing the bounty
What would you do with a 30-year old massive manure pile at the edge of a field? Most of us would only give it a passing glance, but Mom and Dad had an idea. It was spring 1967, and my parents had just bought a three-quarter section farm at Basswood, Man. We had moved out […] Read more
Racehorses given chance for second careers
Retired Thoroughbreds are retrained for competitions such as obstacle challenges, dressage, freestyle and hunter-jumper
Thoroughbreds have a reputation for one skill — going fast. Last month at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon, the OTTB (Off-Track Thoroughbred) Challenge aimed to dispel this reputation and show the versatility of retired racehorses. While the 2021 Equine Expo was cancelled due to COVID-19, the standalone OTTB Challenge was still held in front of about […] Read more
Particular petal patterns please pollinators
There’s a lot of competition for attention in the natural world and flowers have become resourceful and clever when attracting pollinators. Without them, a flower’s next generation of offspring doesn’t stand a chance, so they pulled a page from the construction manual and took a look at buckling. In structural engineering, buckling is a term […] Read more
New 3D technology helps unlock plants’ root trait secrets
System measures distance between whorls and the number, angles and diameters of nodal roots for 12 corn genotypes
The University of Georgia has developed a unique image-based, three-dimensional root phenotyping platform to help better understand plant root systems. The system can measure 18 physical traits of field-grown corn root crowns to analyze and understand root growth and root responses in field environments. Until recently, farmers and plant breeders did not have an efficient […] Read more
Science breaks through corn’s genetic barrier
Cracking the code in 26 lines of the genetically diverse crop is expected to improve how scientists conduct their research
Few crops are as genetically diverse as corn and that has made it somewhat complicated for plant breeders to achieve desired results. Now, a new study from Iowa State University details the genomes of 26 different lines of corn, which is hoped to make research quicker and more predictable. The genomes will help breeders better […] Read more
Vaccine reactions rare but deadly
Occasionally cattle have a reaction to vaccine. Most commonly, the reaction is mild, with local swelling and soreness at the injection site, but sometimes a reaction is serious and can be fatal if the animal goes into anaphylactic shock. Dr. Andrew Niehaus of Ohio State University says anaphylaxis is a systemic reaction that affects the […] Read more
