Livestock Management
Grass takes root after trees are thinned between forests and urban municipalities, which is then managed with cattle
The British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association said its pilot program to graze near urban areas to help reduce fire risks there is proving successful. “Any fire is really all about what the fuel load is,” Kevin Boon, general manager of the association, said about the Wildfire Risk Reduction Project. “The more fuel we reduce, the less […] Read more
Livestock Management
Sask. livestock aid covers more RMs
The list of Saskatchewan rural municipalities in which cattle producers will be eligible for disaster assistance is growing. As of May 4, producers in the RMs of Antler, Argyle, Browning, Coalfields, Enniskillen, Golden West, Happy Valley, Kingsley, Moose Creek, Moose Mountain, Moosomin, Mount Pleasant and Silverwood are all eligible to apply through the Provincial Disaster […] Read more
Swine fever discussions continue
African swine fever doesn’t mind whether it infects farms in small outdoor herds or big barns. The virus thrives in any type of pig, so producers with operations of any size need to work together to head off the threat before it gets into the province, the Manitoba Pork Council annual meeting heard. Cam Dahl, […] Read more
Sask. farm delivers enormous lamb
The 24.6 pound lamb was born during a difficult birth, but there were no injuries and mother and baby are thriving
The owners of Big Betty believe she is one of the world’s largest lambs. Weighing 24.6 pounds at birth on April 11, she measured 16 inches tall and 42.5 inches long from front to back hoof. “There’s a little monster we have out here,” said Bobbie Torrie, who owns Bochdacaty Farm with husband Chas near […] Read more
Ulcers’ sporadic nature can present challenges
An interruption of blood supply to the stomach lining in calves is a common cause, but there are other factors as well
What causes ulcers in young calves? Dr. Murray Jelinski of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine says the four stomachs in young calves, particularly the rumen, don’t fully function until they are more developed. Calves depend on the abomasum to digest milk in the first weeks of life. “Just as in the human stomach, the […] Read more
Play may be important part of animal welfare
We’ve all seen exuberant play behaviours in various animal species. Puppies roughhousing, fighting, gnawing and gnashing their teeth. Dogs bowing to initiate play. Kid goats leaping off structures and butting heads. Kittens chasing anything that moves. Foals bucking, nipping and kicking at their herd mates. You get the idea. There is growing recognition of the […] Read more
Agribition posts loss
Canadian Western Agribition reported a loss of $321,000 in operations last year on revenue of more than $4 million. Outgoing president Chris Lees said a financial loss is difficult but seeing everyone back at the show for 2021 was worthwhile after the pandemic prevented a live event in 2020. “We are proud to be back […] Read more
Device builds fences out of thin air
Researchers at Alberta’s Olds College study the effectiveness of building virtual fences by placing special collars on cattle
OLDS, Alta. — The time, effort and money put into creating temporary livestock fencing is one of the main reasons farmers don’t rotational graze, despite its proven benefits. But would more farmers rotational graze if setting the boundaries of a fence took two or three minutes and a click of a button from their cellphone, […] Read more
Pain control offers calves some relief following branding
Hopefully the rains will come for your area this spring and it won’t be long until we are turning cow-calf pairs out to green pastures. In many herds, as part of spring turn-out, calves will get processed and vaccinated for clostridial disease and some respiratory diseases as well. As part of processing, sometimes painful procedures […] Read more
USDA big funder of Canadian wild pig research
A leading wild pig researcher from the U of S says the United States is worried about the invasive species spreading south
Ryan Brook’s wild pigs slide show contains a surprising logo, that of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It also contains the logos of other funders, including Canadian ones, for the University of Saskatchewan professor’s research. But, as Brook noted recently in a presentation to the Manitoba Pork Council annual meeting, the USDA isn’t just one […] Read more
