Livestock Management
Suggested precautions include branding, sales and purchase records, regular head counts and well-maintained fence lines
A Facebook post from a Manitoba farmer who had 50 head of cattle stolen from his yard went viral recently. But he’s not the only one to have cattle stolen this year. “It’s more than what we see regularly,” Paul Manaigre, communications officer with the Manitoba RCMP, said about the theft of 50 head. “It’s […] Read more
Livestock Management
Heat stress can have long-term dairy impact
U.S. researchers found that female calves born to stressed cows can go on to be less productive throughout their lives
This past summer was like few others for heat-related impacts on agriculture. Now, a new study from the University of Florida has added to the understanding of heat stress effects on pregnant dairy cows, not only on the unborn calf but throughout its lifespan and across generations. The experiments were conducted during the summers of […] Read more
Fraser Valley farmers struggle amid flooding
Thousands of animals have perished due to unprecedented flooding that has affected hundreds of farmers in British Columbia, says the province’s agriculture minister. “We have many, many more (animals) that are in difficult situations, and we’re seeing an animal welfare issue develop,” said Lana Popham during a joint news conference Nov. 17 with fellow cabinet […] Read more
B.C. mulls state of emergency after floods, food shortages reported
ABBOTSFORD, British Columbia, Nov 17 (Reuters) – British Columbia could introduce a state of emergency on Wednesday to help deal with massive floods that cut access to the country’s largest port and stranded thousands. Mudslides triggered by heavy rains destroyed several major roads and killed at least one person. Officials say the death toll could […] Read more
Tyson Foods sees upbeat sales as meat prices, restaurant demand jump
Nov 15 (Reuters) – Top U.S. meatpacker Tyson Foods Inc beat quarterly profit estimates on Monday and forecast fiscal 2022 revenue above market expectations on rising meat prices and improving demand from restaurants that have reopened after COVID-19 restrictions. The Springdale, Arkansas-based company reported a double-digit jump in sales and earnings in the fiscal fourth-quarter […] Read more
U.S. to allow pork plants to operate faster in trial program
CHICAGO (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture said last week that nine pork plants can apply to operate faster processing-line speeds under a one-year trial, after a federal judge in March struck down a Trump-era rule that removed line speed limits. Faster slaughtering would help meat companies like WH Group’s Smithfield Foods and JBS […] Read more
VIDO ‘eye drops’ could provide new solution for cattle pinkeye
A vaccine delivered directly into the animals’ eyes promises cattle producers a new tool to manage pinkeye. “We are taking this novel approach to vaccine delivery since we and others have shown that the currently available vaccines, which are injected subcutaneously, do not prevent outbreaks of pinkeye in cattle and do not increase local antibody […] Read more
Is it time to select cattle for climate change attributes?
Canadian beef producers must start breeding cattle that will better cope with increasing weather extremes of heat and cold caused by climate change, says a researcher. Although they’ve been bred for traits such as improved feed efficiency, “I don’t think we’ve spent enough time thinking about the impact of what climate change might mean for […] Read more
Stinkweed feed toxicity harmful, especially after fall rain
I recently had a phone call from a veterinarian describing unusual symptoms in a group of cows coming home off pasture. The cattle were well vaccinated and were displaying signs of being off feed and had lesions around their muzzle areas. Although we didn’t have a definitive diagnosis, it reminded me of a case I […] Read more
Packers winning fall-run race
The pricing impact of this year’s drought on Canada’s ranchers is starting to be felt as western Canadian cattle begin their journey off the range and into the markets. For Alberta Beef Producer chair Melanie Wowk, this year’s fall run will see more cows heading to market than usual due to the drought. “I can […] Read more
