Livestock Management
GLEN LEA, Man. — A year ago, Manitoba dairy farmers could have drawn back into their shells to avoid taking on more risk. After all, trade agreements with the Asia-Pacific region and Europe had given away slices of the Canadian dairy market and United States President Donald Trump was demanding Canadian dairy concessions. Instead, the […] Read more
Livestock Management
What happens if we end supply management?
What would happen if supply management disappeared and dairy farmers were thrust into a free market? It’s not likely to happen, since even the administration of United States President Donald Trump doesn’t seem to be trying to entirely eliminate the system that controls Canadian dairy production and imports. But to understand how much the present […] Read more
Donation earmarked for centre of excellence
The $44 million gift from W.A. Ranches is intended to be used for animal health and welfare research and public outreach
A donation of a 19,000-acre ranch to the University of Calgary faculty of veterinary medicine is the largest gift of its kind to any Canadian university. W.A. Ranches near Cochrane, Alta., is worth an estimated $44 million and was donated by Calgary entrepreneurs Jack Anderson and his daughter Wynne Chisholm. The plan is to build […] Read more
People most likely vector for African swine fever
Disease progressing through Asia and Europe can ‘shatter the swine sector’: pork council veterinarian
African swine fever is a major threat to pig production worldwide and it continues to spread in China and Europe, most recently into Belgium where 4,000 pigs are to be slaughtered in efforts to control it. “It has the potential to shatter the swine sector,” said Dr. Egan Brockhoff, veterinary counsellor with the Canadian Pork […] Read more
New mastitis tool identifies exact strain for precise treatment
An English university and a dairy organization have come up with a new mastitis-detecting tool that will help farmers and veterinarians reduce antibiotic use by identifying correct strains to be treated. The new Mastitis Pattern Tool has been developed by the AHDB Dairy and Nottingham University Research partnership. Scientists at the university say the new […] Read more
Processing and vaccinating hints for cattle producers
Developing safe vaccination protocols for your herd can pay off. Here are some basic tips: Store vaccines in the middle area of the fridge. Follow the label instructions and maintain the chain of refrigeration. Check fridge to ensure it stays at the desirable temperature. Keep a thermometer in the fridge. Don’t store vaccines in the […] Read more
Beef grading gets an upgrade
Trying to make kabobs out of stewing meat is going to be a wasted effort. “As a society, North America-wide, there is a loss of cooking ability generally across the board,” said Marty Carpenter, chair of the Canadian Beef Grading Agency and formerly with Canada Beef Inc. Carpenter is also a chef and he knows […] Read more
Try a little tenderness
The tender middle cuts are found on 28 percent of a beef carcass. That leaves the shoulder, hip, belly and brisket and many cooks are unsure how to handle them successfully. With some creative cutting and cooking methods, these less tender cuts may still yield an easy to cook, tasty meal at a lower price […] Read more
Program aims to verify and educate producers, consumers
It’s not enough these days to raise quality cattle from which comes quality beef. Those involved must also ensure consumers and the public know the animals and the resulting product were raised in acceptable ways. The Verified Beef Production Plus program supports both those goals, said Virgil Lowe, the program’s business manager. “VBP Plus really […] Read more
New standardized beef grading system could help exports
Canada plans to realign its beef grading system with more yield classes. For the last seven years the Canadian beef industry has considered moving from three to five yield classes to align with the United States system, said Marty Carpenter, president of the Canadian Beef Grading Agency. “It would make it easier for our customers, […] Read more
