Livestock Management
PARIS, Nov 27 (Reuters) – France has detected a highly pathogenic bird flu virus on a poultry farm in the north of the country, the farm ministry said on Saturday. The authorities, which said they had yet to identify the strain, are to slaughter the chickens and disinfect the farm to prevent the spread of […] Read more
Livestock Management
Cargill plant serves lockout notice
One of Canada’s largest meatpacking companies has served notice it will lock out more than 2,000 workers at its plant in High River, Alta., on Dec. 6 if contract talks are unsuccessful. Cargill said the deadline is the same as that of a strike notice it received Nov. 10 from the United Food and Commercial […] Read more
Fraser Valley cleans up, bracing for more
Although British Columbia is making significant progress dealing with flooding that shut down the province and devastated farmers, it remains in “uncharted territory” as it awaits the potential outcome of further predicted rainfall. “Having several destructive storms in a row is not anywhere near normal,” said B.C. Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike […] Read more
Farmfair names top bull, cow
An Angus bull and a Charolais cow came out on top at Farmfair International, which was held Nov. 10-13 in Edmonton after a one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two-year-old bull DMM MAXIMUS 18G, owned by Miller Wilson Angus and Little Willow Creek of Bashaw, Alta., was named supreme champion bull, while three-year-old female […] Read more
Maple Leaf to phase out sow stalls
Gestation stalls will be gone from Maple Leaf Foods’ barns by the end of December. Maple Leaf, which produces about 40 percent of the pigs it uses in its company-branded meat, says its pregnant sows will all live in open housing systems it has been incorporating since the mid-2010s. The move was based on growing […] Read more
Do farm’s lice bite or suck?
Most cattle harbour lice in winter, especially in northern regions with cold temperatures and short winter days. Lice are cold-weather insects. Summer heat and sunlight reduce their ability to live and multiply, but their numbers increase dramatically when weather is cold and cattle have long winter hair for lice to hide in. Dr. Nathan Erickson […] Read more
Good lice control depends on type, timing
Dr. Gerald Stokka of North Dakota State University says producers need to be aware of the different louse types and species. “Sucking lice are vulnerable to systemic treatment such as avermectin products but the biting/chewing lice are not,” he says. Producers used injectable and pour-on ivermectin for many years and got good lice control. “But […] Read more
Cattle, deer liver flukes cause rising problems
Deer liver flukes in particular are becoming a more common problem in cattle herds, and treatments can prove tricky for producers
Liver flukes start their life cycle in tiny freshwater snails but end up in the livers of grazing animals, where they mature and pass their eggs. Feces containing fluke eggs must land in water for transmission to snails. If the animals’ feces lands on dry ground, the eggs die. Cattle generally get two types of […] Read more
Pet owners are often best to decide when to euthanize
He inhaled his last breath, went limp in my arms and was gone. Deciding to euthanize my cat, Tomba, was a difficult decision. He warmed my lap while I studied for every exam during my four years of veterinary school. It was his joints I manipulated to learn anatomy and his eyes I stared into […] Read more
Well-fed bulls make good breeders
Proper nutrition for young animals has been found to be vital for breeding success, but it should start before weaning
Years of research have shown that bulls with larger testicles tend to have more sperm and can settle more cows than bulls with small testicles. Also, well-fed bulls generally reach puberty quicker than undernourished bulls. Dr. John Kastelic, a veterinarian and professor in cattle reproductive health at the University of Calgary, has done a lot […] Read more
