Livestock Management
Thin ewe syndrome affects most flocks at one time or another, says sheep specialist Dr. Lynn Tait of OC Flock Management. The affliction is defined as a production-limiting disease that affects performance and profitability but is not necessarily acute. “They’re not always obvious, and chronic in nature,” Tait said during a Feb. 8 Alberta Lamb […] Read more
Livestock Management
Beef’s upward trend seen slowing
RED DEER — The good times in the beef business have stalled. “We had a beautiful five year run in terms of our trends with in-creasing prices, but we have broken through that trend and we are definitely on a downward trending market,” said Brian Perrillat, senior market analyst with Canfax. Significant market volatility is […] Read more
Breeder pleased with herd of curvaceous, beefy girls
CORONATION, Alta. — Meagan Schwenk-Gattey doesn’t think of her cattle as livestock. To her, they’re “her girls.” As Schwenk-Gattey wanders through her 500-head herd or her 1,500-head feedlot, she can rattle off a cow’s breeding, point out its sister, look around to find its calves and know which cows produce calves with high weaning weights. […] Read more
New zoonotic diseases loom, warns expert
RED DEER — The spread of diseases between animals and people is increasing every year. “We anticipate we will see up to five new emerging diseases over every year period,” said Brian Evans, head of the World Organization for Animal Health’s scientific and technical department. “We think four of that five will probably be zoonotic, […] Read more
Do your homework to get the most from a cow
Producers need to provide nutritious feed at the correct time, check body condition and cull those that have problems
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Fertility and successful pregnancies are the most valuable production traits in a beef operation, says a University of Florida researcher. “Managing for pregnancy is extremely important,” said Cliff Lamb, who runs a research station in Florida with 300 cows that must have a calf every 365 days. “We want a cow […] Read moreIsraeli couple bringing home biblical sheep from Canada
TORONTO, March 1 (Reuters) – A breed of sheep believed to have been raised by the Jewish patriarch Jacob may soon be brought to Israel, its Biblical homeland, after an Israeli couple gathered a herd in Canada and brokered a bureaucratic detente to import the animals. The effort to bring 130 sheep to the Golan […] Read more
New flooring could end muddy feedlot pens
Rolled compacted concrete is easier to install than regular concrete but provides a rough, hard surface that is durable
PICTURE BUTTE, Alta. — Feedlot operators in southern Alberta are testing new flooring material in cattle pens that shows promise in addressing muddy conditions. Rolled compacted concrete is a blend of traditional concrete ingredients but in different ratios, sometimes including fly ash, and mixed using less water. It can be poured and compacted in pens […] Read more
Proper cow nutrition means healthier calves
A study found that cows did well when they were given higher than the recommended amounts of trace minerals
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Pregnant women are often advised to take pre-natal vitamins to have a healthy baby. That advice also applies to beef cattle, said beef extension researchers said at an education session held during the recent National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s convention held in San Diego. Cows need zinc, cobalt, manganese and copper during […] Read more
Animal vaccinations useful in protecting humans
Animal vaccines prevent disease, enable good animal welfare and, in the case of food animals, improve overall production. However, animal vaccines are also used to protect people. Animals carry infectious agents that can be transmitted to people, and vaccines are one way to manage them. Vaccinating animals against diseases that are a concern for people […] Read more
Protein significant for cattle health
SAN DIEGO, California — A cow’s nutrition program should contain enough protein to make sure it calves every year. Protein supplements come in many forms but it is hard to determine which is most convenient, how often should it be delivered and whether the cattle will eat it, animal nutritionists said during an education session […] Read more
