Livestock Management
An American bumper crop and Canadian drought combine to increase imports to three million tonnes with more expected
Feed corn is proving to be a lifeline to western Canadian ranchers. Millions of tonnes are being imported into Canada from the United States following a bumper crop there, shoring up Canadian farmers’ low supplies. It is desperately needed following the 2021 prairie drought. Endiang, Alta., rancher Stuart Somerville said the imported feed corn will […] Read more
Livestock Management
Precision grazing seeks to show cattle the way
A three-year tracking trial uses GPS and pedometers to find ways to encourage consumption of better quality forages
Free-ranging cattle on native pastures can sometimes have too much freedom and roam into places where forage is not the best quality. New research on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border is focusing on how technology can be used to guide animals to the best feed available. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently published a […] Read more
Animal health information must come from reliable sources
When it comes to cattle health, welfare and productivity, producers must make sure they are getting accurate information from reliable sources and be open to new ideas. Animal health professionals and progressive producers are great places to start. The internet contains a lot of information, but producers must be selective. In Western Canada, there are […] Read more
Livestock briefs
Feds fund verified beef program The federal government plans to contribute about $200,000 to the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association’s Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) program and remote auditing. The funding will go toward a web portal and an app for remote audits, which will make it easier for cattle producers to access the voluntary certification program. […] Read more
Trucker restrictions hit Manitoba hog industry
As soon as vaccine requirements were imposed on truckers crossing the border, shipments of Manitoba pigs and soymeal got cancelled. “We’re already hearing reports that shipments of weanlings have been cancelled because of a lack of trucks and drivers,” Cam Dahl, general manager of Manitoba Pork Council, said in an interview. “I’ve had reports of […] Read more
South Korea lifts temporary suspension of Canadian beef
WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Jan 19 (Reuters) – South Korea is lifting its temporary suspension of Canadian beef imports that it imposed after Canada detected a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in December, Canadian Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said on Wednesday. South Korea halted the shipments after Canada last month reported its first BSE case in […] Read more
China 2021 pork output leaps 29 percent, recoups most of production lost to swine fever
BEIJING, Jan 17 (Reuters) – China’s 2021 pork output jumped 29 percent from the previous year, official data showed on Monday, recouping most of the production lost during a devastating outbreak of African swine fever two years before. Annual output reached 52.96 million tonnes last year, just below the 53.4 million tonnes produced in 2017, […] Read more
Biden targets packer power; labour woes worry industry
U.S. efforts to build more regional plants mirror similar calls made in Canada, but analysts shrug off their effectiveness
Many headlines and skeptical shrugs followed U.S. president Joe Biden’s calls to reduce concentration in the meat-packing sector. While many U.S. cattle producer representatives cheered the White House initiatives to investigate anti-competitive practices, subsidize the creation of new regional packers and toughen the rules around market collusion, most North American industry analysts found little constructive […] Read more
Necropsies help with disease control
Livestock producers sometimes balk at the expense, but a veterinarian says it can be good to know what’s behind a death
If an animal dies from an unknown cause, discovery of that cause can help avoid further deaths. Samples and photos sent to a veterinarian are a first step. The vet might determine whether the animal died from hardware, pneumonia, plant poisoning, liver flukes or some other problem that might be preventable. Findings of disease, parasites […] Read more
Alta. producer puts the word out on Haflingers
Breed originated in Italy and was bred to handle cold weather and mountainous terrain while having a gentle disposition
Haflinger horses are known for their hardiness, strength and calm demeanour, traits Ranier, Alta., based breeder Pascalle Van Der Kraan says are perfect for western Canadian riders looking for a mountain adventure. Originally from the Netherlands, Van Der Kraan moved to Alberta a decade ago and established Alberta Family Horses a few years following the […] Read more
