Livestock Management
A Manitoba truck driver may face jail time for transporting injured and dying horses from Minnesota to a slaughter plant in Alberta. Geoffrey Giesbrecht, who had already pleaded guilty to violating the Health of Animals Act following an incident at the border crossing near Emerson, Man., Nov. 7, 2007, appeared in court in Winnipeg April […] Read more
Livestock Management
Trucker charged at border after dead horses found
Time has come for heritage breed
BLACK DIAMOND, Alta. – A coal black herd of cows graze the spring pastures on Sam Johnson’s ranch. These are Irish Kerry cattle, whose family tree is rooted in Neolithic Persia. Today, a handful of breeders in North America and Ireland are doing their best to rebuild the endangered breed by promoting a marbled, grass-fed […] Read more
Alta. livestock industry requests genetic research projects
Genome Alberta is inviting Canadian scientists to submit research proposals related to livestock genetics. The Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency has provided $4.8 million to support research with direct benefits to the beef, dairy and pork sectors, said Genome Alberta chief executive officer David Bailey. “This is new money for new projects. It is not […] Read more
Show ring learning experience for 4-H members
Mirjam Kielstra whispered to her Holstein calf, Emilie, before they entered the show ring for the junior showmanship class. “You’re going to be fine,” said the nine-year-old. Kielstra was one of nine members of the Sask Valley Dairy 4-H Club competing in junior and intermediate classes at the 27th annual Western Canadian Livestock Expo in […] Read more
Western Producer Livestock Report – for Apr. 22, 2010
U.S. hog prices rose again, propelled by higher pork prices and aggressive packer demand. Spring fieldwork reduced deliveries, further tightening hog supply. U.S. pork exports rose six percent in February from a year ago. Iowa-southern Minnesota cash hogs delivered to plants rose to $59 US per hundredweight on April 16, up from $57 April 9. […] Read more
Canfax Report – for Apr. 22, 2010
Fed cattle prices stalled last week after an aggressive run up. The Canfax weighted average steer price was $93.62 per hundredweight, down $2.15, while heifers fell $2.30 to average $92.79 April 9-15. Good U.S. buyer interest continued to support Canadian prices. Sales volume rose two percent from the week before to 16,980 head. Feedlots are […] Read more
B.C. ranches hit hard by incorrect diagnosis
An incorrect diagnosis of anaplasmosis in southern B.C. cattle herds has cost ranchers hundreds of thousands of dollars. Joe Gardner, manager of Douglas Lake Ranch, estimates the diagnosis by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which resulted in a and 10-month quarantine, cost the ranch $200,000. That stems from extra costs associated with blood tests for […] Read more
Producer guilty for refusing TB test
For more than a decade, Rodney Checkowski has believed that his cattle get sick after they are tested for tuberculosis. Despite that, a Manitoba judge ruled April 16 that Checkowski doesn’t have the right to refuse tuberculosis testing on his farm north of Rossburn. Judge John Combs found Checkowski guilty of refusing to present his […] Read more
Cervid sector gets boost
Lloydminster – The development of a new national cervid traceability system may reopen doors to lucrative foreign markets for elk and deer producers. Canadian exports of elk and deer antler have been shut out of markets, including the lucrative Korean market, because of chronic wasting disease found in farmed animals several years ago. Despite assurances […] Read more
Tax rebate extended for riparian rescue
Manitoba has extended a popular program that offers property tax rebates to farmers who agree to protect sensitive riparian areas. The Riparian Tax Credit offers property tax rebates of $100 to $140 per acre. The credits are paid over a five-year period, resulting in annual payments of $20 to $28 per acre. The tax credits […] Read more
