Livestock Management
CHICAGO, Oct 15 (Reuters) – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures finished lower on Thursday after traders took profits while waiting for this week’s cash cattle trade to develop, traders said. Spot October closed 0.800 cent per lb lower at 132.950 cents, and December down 0.875 cent to 136.550. “It was a quiet day with […] Read more
Livestock Management
LIVESTOCK-Cash price caution undercuts CME live cattle futures
Thompson Rivers University to offer sustainable beef production course
British Columbia ranchers who are interested in learning more about sustainable practices can now study the concept through Thompson Rivers University at 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
Include udder exam in checkup to detect tumours
Horses can develop cancer in their udders, which are their mammary glands. It is a rare occurrence, with less than 20 cases reported in the scientific literature. However, udder tumours in mares are serious. Most occur in middle-aged or older mares that are 12 to 25 years old. There aren’t enough cases to identify other […] Read more
Does it pay to pre-condition calves?
Producers must determine if the price premiums cover the cost of antibiotics, labour and improved rations
Producers often question the value of preconditioning calves because there is no guarantee they will be paid more if they do. However, while there may be no financial rewards, the calves may do better once they reach a finishing feedlot, said an Alberta veterinarian. “Preconditioning is basically anything you can do to a weaned calf […] Read moreImprovements, challenges vary in global dairy industry
Dairy farms around the world are making similar advances in terms of animal health and welfare but they are moving forward at different degrees, says a University of Calgary researcher. Herman Barkema, a researcher of dairy animal disease at the faculty of veterinary medicine led a review of the current state of the sector. It […] Read more
It’s not just the feed, it’s timing, variability, balance
Dairy producers are urged to follow strict mixing protocols to avoid an incorrect ration mix that reduces feed digestibility
The good news is that hard work and diligence pay off in dairy production, with cows producing more milk fat with the same feed when feeding is done right. The bad reality is that labour and time are always in short supply on dairy farms, resulting in many sub-optimal feeding practices that don’t produce optimal […] Read moreFarmers tally cost after fires take fences, structures, feed
Ranchers continue to evaluate the damage caused by a 10,000 acre wildfire in the Rock Creek area of southern British Columbia. Fence lines on public and private land, sheds, corrals, fall and winter feed and homes were lost in three wildfires that started in August in the Oliver and Rock Creek regions. “We are still […] Read more
USDA awards first manufacturing contracts for bird flu vaccine stockpile
CHICAGO, Oct 13 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday said it has awarded contracts to two drug companies to manufacture doses of avian influenza vaccine for poultry, in preparation for the potential return of the fast-spreading avian influenza virus later this year. The two contracted firms – Iowa-based Harrisvaccines, and France-based Ceva […] Read more
LIVESTOCK-Cattle futures mostly weak; hogs higher
CHICAGO, Oct 13 (Reuters) – Most Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts ended moderately lower on Tuesday, with October helped by the upturn in wholesale beef prices and anticipation of higher cash prices later in the week, traders said. But, they said, profit-taking and uneasiness about cattle supplies in the coming months pressured remaining CME […] Read more
California adopts tough rules for antibiotic use in farm animals
LOS ANGELES, Oct 10 (Reuters) – California Governor Jerry Brown on Saturday signed a bill that sets the strictest government standards in the United States for the use of antibiotics in livestock production. The move from California, known for its leadership on public health and environmental issues, comes amid growing concern that the overuse of […] Read more
