Livestock Management
The onus on feedlots this year will be to pay close attention to costs and pencil in a further erosion of basis values
Feedlot operators in Saskatchewan should sharpen their pencils and pay close attention to operating costs, specifically when it comes to restocking. That was the take-away message during a presentation on the economics of feeding cattle, part of the Western Canadian Feedlot Management School, held Feb. 5-7 in Saskatoon. John Lawton, an expert in cattle feeding, […] Read more
Livestock Management
Physiological adaptation makes horses top athletes
Among animals, horses are remarkably adapted to thrive in a wide variety of climates and environments, including some of the more extreme places on Earth. For example, a herd of horses occupies Sable Island, one of Canada’s newest national parks. The horses have lived on the island off the coast of Nova Scotia since the […] Read more
Rumen microbes are powerful force
A researcher says altering the composition of feed to speed up the work of these microbes will increase productivity
NEW ORLEANS, La. — A cow’s rumen is teeming with bacteria, protozoa and fungi. “One of the most fascinating ecosystems is the rumen itself because it has among the densest populations of microbes of any known ecosystem on the planet with over 100 billion per millilitre of rumen fluid,” said Tim McAllister of Agriculture Canada. […] Read more
Clean surroundings called key to calves getting a good start
Minimizing fecal contamination is one of the best ways to optimize calf health, veterinarians say. In other words, limit the poop in the group. “We’re really trying to reduce that exposure of the baby calf to adult feces as much as possible. We can’t eliminate that, but we can reduce the kind of load that […] Read more
Discard milk from treated cows, says expert
Waste milk on dairies that can’t be sold due to high somatic cell counts or other reasons should not be fed to young calves, says a leading dairy expert. Dr. Herman Barkema, professor of epidemiology of infectious diseases at the University of Calgary, told those at a recent dairy workshop that he recommends against giving […] Read more
Trace mineral supplements can be a struggle
NEW ORLEANS, La — Trace mineral supplements are imperative for profitable cattle production, but the variety of available organic and inorganic products and formulations can be confusing for some. Minerals can boost productivity, but cattle have to eat them to derive the benefits, said a group of researchers during an Alltech-sponsored session at the recent […] Read more
Weekly Manitoba Cattle Report: Good market for lightweights
WINNIPEG – Lightweight cattle continue to do quite well at Manitoba cattle auctions, according to two people heavily involved with the cattle industry. “Lightweights were up quite a bit. Anything that’s under 600 pounds, going to the grass, certainly has a strong market,” said Harold Unrau of Grunthal Livestock Auction Market. At Grunthal’s Feb. 12 […] Read more
Oh, snap
The Polar Vortex pays a visit The polar vortex is an area of cold air with low amospheric pressure in the Arctic. It exists year-round, its winds swirling counterclockwise and inward towards the North Pole. The polar vortex is constrained by the polar jet stream, a narrow, fast-flowing current of air in our upper atmosphere […] Read more
Feds pressed on new animal transportation regulations
Thirty signatories in a letter to federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay have asked for immediate release of new rules governing livestock transport. In a letter dated Feb. 6, a bevy of humane societies from Montreal to Vancouver, along with animal welfare and animal rights groups including Mercy for Animals, Toronto Pig Save, Animal Alliance of […] Read more
Cattle urinal to cut ammonia emissions
A new piece of livestock equipment designed in the Netherlands has left farmers feeling a little flushed. Hanskamp, a company based in Doetinchem, has developed a cow toilet that collects urine in an effort to reduce ammonia. Designed primarily to ease increasing regulations on the dairy industry, the CowToilet is an automatic urinal that cows […] Read more
