Livestock Management
Saskatchewan cattle producers want better insurance options for their forage. Resolutions passed at the recent Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association annual meeting call for updated yield information in the forage program and more weather stations for the rainfall insurance program. Jack Hextall, who ranches near Grenfell, Sask., said improvements must be made. “On our place, I know […] Read more
Livestock Management
Sask. cattle producers focus on insurance
African swine fever keeps pig vet up at night
As a swine veterinarian practising in Manitoba for 18 years, my days are typically spent dealing with health and productivity challenges in hog operations of various shapes and sizes. One of the things that all of these very different farms have in common is the risk of a foreign animal disease entering Canada and the […] Read more
Automated hog tattoo applicator wins award
BANFF, Alta. — A method to automate tattoo application on pigs has earned Daniel and Justin Maendel a prize that is coveted in the Canadian pork industry. The two men from the Rosebank Hutterite Colony near Miami, Man., were co-winners of the F.X. Aherne Prize presented Jan. 10 at the Banff Pork Seminar. They invented […] Read more
Quality improvements help boost American beef demand
NEW ORLEANS, La. — The U.S. beef industry has turned itself around in the last 25 years. In 1994, demand had fallen to all time lows, beef quality audits showed widespread consumer dissatisfaction because of tough steaks and profits were fleeting. In the last year, 80 percent of graded cattle were either USDA Prime and […] Read more
PED stays contained in Alberta
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus in Alberta has so far affected only one farm, the initial farm that was confirmed with the virus Jan. 8. As of Jan. 31, no other cases had been identified in the province and the source of the virus has not been determined. No pigs have left the central-Alberta farrow-to-finish operation […] Read more
U.S. cow herd stable
NEW ORLEANS, La. — The U.S. cow herd expansion is slowing, but a healthy economy and growing exports keep demand strong. There is a record amount of beef, pork and poultry that relies on exports to chew through. The American population is growing at a rate of less than one percent and even though per […] Read more
Roller compacted concrete catches on in prairie feedlots
About 20 percent of Alberta’s feedlot industry has installed roller compacted concrete in cattle pens in recent years with the goals of improving profitability, pen condition and animal welfare and reducing costs associated with pen cleaning and maintenance. Results from a three-year study indicate some of those goals can be met. Dr. Steve Hendrick, a […] Read more
Impulse buy pays off for Alberta producer
The spur-of-the-moment purchase of a Hereford heifer calf three years ago has earned dividends for Harvie Ranching
DENVER, Colo. — For some people, an impulse purchase is a bag of chips at the grocery checkout. Jill Harvie’s impulse buy was a Hereford heifer calf that has exceeded expectations. She bought Next Gen Riesling 295 ET at the Mile High Hereford sale held during the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado, in […] Read more
Alberta producers see Denver as chance for promotion
The Daines-O’Neill family attended the National Western Stock Show more to promote their stock than to win ribbons
DENVER, Colo. — Being at the National Western Stock Show was like a working vacation for the owners of Daines Cattle and O’Neill Livestock as the crew and six Charolais bulls basked in the Colorado sunshine. The Innisfail, Alta., based ranch is a family operation, and members have attended the Denver event before with good […] Read more
Snow beef adds new element to dairy farm
The Holstein-Wagyu cross produces ‘intense marbling’ that this Saskatchewan family hopes will appeal to consumers
CARONPORT, Sask. — What do you get when you cross a Holstein heifer with a Wagyu bull? The answer is Saskatchewan Snow Beef, and it’s no joke. Ian and Nicole Crosbie are marketing the beef produced on their farm just north of the Trans-Canada Highway west of Caronport, Sask. They also own Benbie Holsteins with […] Read more
