A federal court judge from one of the least populated states in the United States has stopped the U.S. government from implementing a much debated and analyzed trade rule. On March 2, judge Richard Cebull issued an injunction preventing the U.S. Department of Agriculture from implementing a rule that was to allow the importation of […] Read more
Stories by Michael Raine
Rodeo stock growers thrown off by border ban
Not all cattle producers dependent on American markets have been eligible for government support programs. Robert Popoff has been left out of the loop and he’s not alone. He is a small rodeo contractor from Cache Creek, B.C., who had big dreams at the wrong time. Popoff was breeding and promoting a line of bulls […] Read more
Sask. rural co-op proposes seed lab
Delegates to Federated Co-operatives Ltd. annual meeting last week passed a number of resolutions on behalf of rural members. Members from southwestern Saskatchewan told their management to investigate the creation of a central, agricultural seed quality lab. Delegates from Swift Current proposed the resolution, explaining that growth in the seed and crop protection areas of […] Read more
Needles can be sterilized in microwave oven
Microwaves aren’t just for warming coffee any more. Researchers have proven them to be an effective way to sterilize needles and plastic syringes. Avoiding infection is critical to any vaccination program. Infections causing lesions can result in poor gains, increased likelihood of secondary infections and animal losses. Hugh Townsend of the Western College of Veterinary […] Read more
Winter wheat has advantage over barley as feed option
Winter wheat may provide producers with a cereal for their rotations that has profitable regional markets in the pig and poultry industries. While barley is often seen as a cereal with local cash crop advantages, it doesn’t meet the energy requirements of monogastric animals such as pigs. “Pigs need protein, energy and fibre in a […] Read more
Auction buyers have rights
Auction sales have changed over time and reduced risks for the buyer. Rural auctions are no longer a dumping ground for a shaky tractor with some sawdust slipped in to quiet a noisy differential. In recent years, due to aging farmers and the decline of the agricultural economy, more farm auction bills list nearly new […] Read more
Farmer buys baler, gets nightmare
Warranties for new and nearly new equipment sold at auction can be confusing for producers. Just ask Brian Vigar. The producer from Eston, Sask., bid $33,000 in the summer of 2003 for a new baler that had been consigned to a retirement auction. Vigar won the baler and with it “enough headaches to make me […] Read more
Bottle-feeding can be dangerous
Bottle-fed, young male livestock can be dangerous to humans once the animals reach sexual maturity. Every year North American producers are killed as a result of bottle-raised deer attacks during the rut, said Murray Woodbury, research chair for specialized livestock at the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Joe Stookey, a specialist in […] Read more
Poor start can set calves back for life
Calves born under stress are more likely to become ill or die. Calving difficulty, known as dystocia, may cause problems that last beyond those first days in the corral. John Campbell of the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine said calves that experience dystocia are more likely to have health problems before weaning. […] Read more
New tags will add cost, boost markets
Most of this year’s calf crop will be seen later this year sporting the latest in radio frequency tags, in six designs, with some breed-defining designer colours. New regulations about radio frequency tagging and voluntary birth date registrations, while not popular, are being accepted by producers. They can continue to use their remaining bar code […] Read more
