Livestock Management
Maternal vaccines are given to pregnant females to protect their offspring from infectious diseases. Administering specific vaccines during late pregnancy harnesses the ancient evolutionary mechanism by which dams pass on antibodies to their neonates. Antibodies generated by pregnant females are fully formed and functional when they enter the blood stream of the offspring and give […] Read more
Livestock Management
Cost of production network seeks more participants
Canfax is seeking more ranchers to participate in its Cost of Production Network. Earlier this year the marketing and analysis division of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association launched a project to understand the varying costs of raising beef cows across Canada. The idea was to replace provincial averages for cost of production, which can be deceptive […] Read more
Federal forage breeder wins research award
Nova Scotia winners of this year’s TESA raise beef cattle and operate an online store, greenhouse and market garden
An Alberta scientist has been honored with the 2021 Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation. “This is only the first time I was awarded anything from the cattle industry, and this is a big one,” said Surya Acharya, principal research scientist and forage breeder at Agriculture Canada’s Lethbridge Research and Development Centre. […] Read more
CME cattle futures drop as fire closes JBS beef plant
CHICAGO, Sept 13 (Reuters) – Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures fell to their lowest prices since June on Monday on concerns that U.S. ranchers could temporarily lose a place to deliver their livestock for slaughter after a fire damaged a JBS USA beef plant. JBS, owned by Brazilian firm JBS SA, halted production at the […] Read more
Recent rain may keep cows at home
Increased confidence since moisture fell last month is expected to prompt more producers to avoid selling off their herds
The psychological boost from recent rainfall after the prairie drought could keep some cattle from going to market. Canfax manager and senior market analyst Brian Perillat told the Canadian Beef Industry Conference last week that predicting what will happen based on weather is always tricky, but anecdotally it seems that cattle producers will hold on […] Read more
Manitoba producers welcome AgriRecovery
Program, which was announced last week, is designed to help cattle producers and beekeepers access feed this winter
Manitoba producers say that without emergency cash from AgriRecovery, more farmers would be forced to sell cows and buy expensive replacement beehives. “Producers need to be securing that winter feed,” said Tyler Fulton, president of Manitoba Beef Producers, as the program’s details were announced outside the provincial legislature last week. “This AgriRecovery program should help […] Read more
Prairie residents warned about West Nile virus
The first mosquitoes of the year that carry the disease were found in Sask. and Man. last month; precautions are urged
Saskatchewan and Manitoba have found mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus. In Manitoba, 24 mosquitoes with West Nile virus, known as the Culex tarsalis mosquito, were collected from various parts of the province between Aug. 8-14. It brings the total to 86 found this year. Mosquitoes with WNV were found in Saskatchewan the same week, located […] Read more
Hybrid rye varieties may offer new feeding opportunities
New hybrid fall ryes on the market are outshining older varieties in every way, says the director of commercialization for FP Genetics in Regina. “They’re not your grandfather’s rye,” said Herman Wehrle. “The exciting thing about this is the new technology that’s bringing in higher yields and improved quality, which is definitely a game changer […] Read more
Slaughter delays complicate drought
Minor livestock species such as bison and elk face long wait times that can be harder to manage during a feed shortage
Feed shortage problems facing cattle ranchers in Western Canada are shared by those raising other livestock. However, the troubles for those raising bison, elk and sheep are far from consistent. “We just don’t have a well-developed infrastructure in Canada,” said Les Kroeger, Canadian Bison Association chair. “We’re hearing of wait times of up to a […] Read more
Drought raises possibility of nitrate toxicity this year
Nitrate poisoning in cattle is a potential issue to be aware of in years with significant drought. There will probably be significant amounts of drought-stressed cereal crops that are fed to beef cattle this winter in parts of Western Canada and we know that drought-stressed small grains and corn can accumulate nitrates to a significant […] Read more
