Livestock Management
Producers promote their animals by expanding personal connection networks through conferences and trade shows
Marketing and promoting a ranch isn’t like it used to be. Hand-painted plywood signs at the end of a driveway won’t likely entice potential livestock customers. Soderglen Ranches Ltd., one of the largest seedstock cattle operations in Canada, has improved its sign to help market its three southern Alberta facilities. Elan Lees, business manager and […] Read more
Livestock Management
Veterinary shortage appears to be a long-term problem
When I graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 2010, there were only a handful of advertised jobs. I was hired by a rural practice near Calgary through a lucky word-of-mouth connection—vet positions in this area were in short supply. Times have changed. Now veterinary professional publications feature pages of vet wanted ads, […] Read more
China, Philippines suspend beef imports from Canada after BSE case
WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Jan 10 (Reuters) – China and the Philippines have suspended imports of Canadian beef due to Canada’s detection in December of a cow infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a spokesperson for Canada’s agriculture department said on Monday. The moves follow an import suspension by South Korea last month, after Canada reported its […] Read more
Canada resists pressure to drop vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers
OTTAWA, Jan 9 (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is pushing ahead with a vaccine mandate for international truckers despite increasing pressure from critics who say it will exacerbate driver shortages and drive up the price of goods imported from the United States. Canada will require all truckers entering from the United States to […] Read more
BSE reaction limited to South Korea
The international reaction to a case of atypical BSE identified in an Alberta cow appears to be limited to South Korea’s restrictions on beef imports after news broke of the case more than two weeks ago. The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency expect those restrictions to be short lived . Dennis […] Read more
Manage cold stress to prevent illness
Producers are urged to monitor cattle feed quality, but providing protection from the wind is also an important factor
Cattle grow longer, thicker hair and put on a layer of fat to provide insulation and reduce heat loss as cold weather arrives. Increased metabolism and higher feed requirements help increase heat production so cattle withstand winter temperatures. However, cold stress can still be a factor, and management to minimize it will reduce risk of […] Read more
Lump jaw treatments vary depending on type
There are two types of lump jaw in cattle, with different causes. Soft-tissue abscesses can result from wounds in the mouth or embedded foreign bodies like sharp grass seeds. These are easy to treat by lancing, draining and flushing out the infection. By contrast, a bone infection is harder to eradicate and treatment may not […] Read more
Bale net wrap, twine present health hazard for cows
Producers may never realize they have a problem unless a necropsy reveals net wrap or baling twine inside the animal
Use of net wrap on hay and straw bales carries risks to cattle. Dr. John Campbell, professor of large animal clinical sciences at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, says some producers in recent years have lost cows that ingested net wrap left on bales or chopped in a processor. “This is probably not a […] Read more
Investigation finds unusual cases of pneumonia in cows
The disease investigation unit at the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine has recently been involved in two separate incidents of adult cows dying unexpectedly. One outbreak occurred in a dairy herd and another in a cow-calf operation. In both situations, the main cause of death in these adult cows was diagnosed as […] Read more
Lack of competition in U.S. meat industry amounts to ‘exploitation,’ says Biden
Jan 3 (Reuters) – The United States will issue new rules and $1 billion in funding this year to support independent meat processors and ranchers as part of a plan to address a lack of “meaningful competition” in the meat sector, President Joe Biden said on Monday. The initiative comes amid rising concerns that a […] Read more
