Livestock ManagementAlberta Cattle Feeders official said a fee increase or move to a non-refundable levy must be accompanied by a spending plan
PONOKA, Alta. — Canadian beef producers are in danger of losing valuable markets because Alberta feedlot operators have received millions of dollars in check-off refunds, said the chair of Alberta Beef Producers. About $13.1 million of the money generated through a $2 per head provincial checkoff has been refunded in the five and a half […] Read more
Livestock Management
Beef industry laments Alberta’s refundable checkoff
Experts target sheep mortality
RED DEER — A long-time cattle veterinarian has learned after a short time working with sheep that the two species are very different. As an epidemiologist and owner of Alberta Beef Health Services, Joyce Van Donkersgoed has also discovered that the sheep industry does not have many effective treatments for the diseases she sees at […] Read more
Pain relief for beef soon required under code
Providing pain control to beef cattle during dehorning and castrating will become a requirement Jan. 1 under the beef cattle code of practice. The code, which was released in 2013, is not legally binding. However, it is a consideration in some provincial legislation, and its requirements and recommendations are considered to be best management practices […] Read more
Producers sign up on sustainable beef
Participants in the McDonald’s Canada verified beef program commit to specified management practices
EDMONTON — Producers questioned what McDonald’s really meant when it announced last year that it wants beef from sustainable operations. A list of expectations has now been developed that isn’t as onerous or demanding as first expected, say two Alberta beef producers. Their operations participated in the pilot verification program, and they shared their experiences […] Read more
Snow viable water source if sheep are monitored
Snow can be a viable option for watering sheep during winter if they are closely monitored. “This isn’t a short cut … you need to have a plan if you’re going to be extending the grazing season or doing grazing out in pastures and you’re going to be using snow,” said Susan Hosford, a sheep […] Read more
B.C. university to offer sustainable beef course
British Columbia ranchers who are interested in learning more about sustainable practices can now study the concept through Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops. The B.C. ministry of advanced education has provided the university with $154,000 to develop a two year applied sustainable ranching enterprise diploma program in Williams Lake. Gillian Watt, who helped develop the […] Read more
Abattoir targets local producers, investors to keep business operating
A small Ontario abattoir has turned to the internet to stay in business. Rainy River District Regional Abattoir opened in 2010 at Emo, Ont., to provide processing for local livestock and poultry farmers. It is a not for profit corporation without share capital and involves 137 producers. The idea to build a local abattoir seemed […] Read more
VIDEO: Don’t give animals same diet your grandpa did: experts
As animal genetics and feeding practices change, producers must also adjust feed to ensure nutritional requirements are met
Livestock producers can’t rely on the same old science when formulating rations. That’s because they’re not feeding the same old animals the same old way, researchers and experts told animal nutritionists and farmers at the Western Nutrition Conference Sept.30. “If we’re going to be doing some genetic selection with (residual feed intake) and selecting for […] Read moreLesson can be learned from BVD outbreak in Germany
Bovine viral diarrhea virus is a common infection that is often regarded as one of the most important infectious diseases in cattle. An outbreak in Germany was recently described in the journal Heliyon, which highlighted the importance of biosecurity in preventing the spread of this devastating disease. BVD virus is genetically diverse and readily mutates, […] Read more
September U.S. feedlot cattle placements drop close to 20-year low
By Theopolis Waters CHICAGO, Oct 23 (Reuters) – The number of cattle placed in U.S. feedlots in September was the fewest since the U.S. Department of Agriculture began compiling the data in 1996. The drop was expected and the report will likely have little effect on the futures market. Placements were down four percent from […] Read more
