Glacier FarmMedia – Use of artificial intelligence tools in farming is expected to grow quickly in the next five years, automating and enhancing farmer decisions. Most artificial intelligence (AI) uses are at the edges of technologies farmers already use, and may deliver inaccurate answers to queries. In the dairy sector, there are three main areas […] Read more
John Greig
Stories by John Greig
Calcium, ketosis big issues in cows post-calving
Glacier FarmMedia – New research on transition cows shows that dairy farmers should adjust some traditional ways of handling post-calving calcium levels and ketosis. More than half of dairy cows in highly managed herds go through the transition period to milking with at least one health problem. Recent research shows those problems reduce the cow’s […] Read more
Digester would manage feedlot manure volume
Alberta has been slow to implement biogas digester technology, says feedlot manager who is building a large system
A biogas digester to be built in Alberta is getting a rougher ride from opponents than expected, especially given the digester would reduce odours from the High River feedlot and produce renewable energy from methane gas now released into the environment. Rimrock Feeders is about six kilometres from High River, south of Calgary, where about […] Read more
System allows convenient data entry
When Bill Leask and Mark Olson met at a Lion’s Club meeting about four years ago, Leask was a cow-calf operator with a need and Olson was an information technology expert who could build him a solution. That meeting resulted in the development of Flokk Systems, a durable hardware and software solution useful for people […] Read more
Mobile data in sow barns can lead to better decisions
Glacier FarmMedia – When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Erin White and her swine barn staff were sending data to an office, usually by fax, where it was put into a computer by staff there. The information flowed back and forth somewhat slowly, but the system worked. When the country went into lockdown, no one was […] Read more
Batch milking can save dairies time and labour
Glacier FarmMedia – A new concept in dairy equipment management brings the automation and data of robotic milking to a milking parlour orientation. DeLaval has several installations around the world where cows are herded into a holding area from which they access a group of automated milkers. “It really comes down to you and how […] Read more
B.C. farmers wait for lessons learned from flood
Farmers in the British Columbia area hit hard by flooding in late 2021 are still waiting to learn how another such flood will be prevented. The flood happened after southern B.C. and northern Washington State were deluged by 154 millimetres of rainfall in 24 hours on Nov. 14, 2021. Rivers overflowed and eventually broke dikes […] Read more
Disease prevention requires diligence
Western Canada is dealing with emerging livestock diseases, which emphasizes the need to monitor and to continually focus on biosecurity. Glen Duizer, animal health surveillance veterinarian with Manitoba Agriculture, says emerging diseases require different resources and systems than a regulatory disease response. He listed several diseases that have appeared in the past decade: Salmonella Dublin, […] Read more
VIDEO: Dairy farm’s family plans required a new barn
Glacier FarmMedia – Four family members were interested in continuing the dairy farm, so the Gordon family had a decision to make. Some dairy farm families work to establish each child with their own farm, and others, like the Gordons, decide to work together in one large facility. The family started milking 280 cows in […] Read more
Loose housing options vary
There are many options when choosing a loose sow housing system and the decision mostly depends on hog farmers’ confidence in husbandry and technology. Canadian hog farmers are gradually moving toward loose housing for gestating sows, but debate continues over which system is best. Check out our Hog Hub for more hog-specific stories Matt Davis […] Read more
