Livestock Management
RED DEER – A horse’s digestive system is like a fine machine: there could be trouble if the wrong fuel is added. The horse has evolved as a grazing animal with a unique digestive system, says equine specialist Bob Coleman of the University of Kentucky. “It was well designed for a forage-consuming trickle feeder,” he […] Read more
Livestock Management
Horses prefer to graze
Price recovery in cattle ‘very rapid’ in two years
SASKATOON – A quarter of the Canadian beef industry could be lost before the sector stabilizes two years from now, predicts Brian Nilsson. “The really good news for everybody in this room – it’s going to happen next door,” the co-chief executive officer of Nilsson Bros. and XL Foods told the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Symposium. […] Read more
Closing hog barn may have repercussions
Local bylaws and provincial regulations might ban hog barns from going back into production if they have been shut down for three years. Sheri Grift of Manitoba Agriculture warned hog farmers at last week’s Manitoba Swine Seminar that they need to be careful if they take part in the federal barn mothballing program. She advised […] Read more
High dollar takes toll on feeding sector
SASKATOON – The Canadian beef industry has been told to get used to living with a higher-valued dollar. The traditionally lower dollar, when compared to the United States, allowed Canada to build and maintain a strong feeding sector. “We’re adjusting to the new model where we are not a low cost producer,” said Brian Nilsson, […] Read more
Top quality semen saves sperm, makes more piglets
Favouring single shots over cocktails makes Hutterites the perennial winners of hog litter size contests, says a University of Alberta hog breeding specialist. “It is no surprise to me at all that our Hutterite brethren that use natural mating clean us up every year in terms of pigs per sow per year,” George Foxcroft, head […] Read more
Gov’t urged to dish out for traceability
SASKATOON – It’s time for governments to pay animal traceability costs, says the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association. Members attending the organization’s recent semi-annual meeting said producers have paid millions of dollars for the first two portions of traceability: individual animal identification and premises identification. They want governments to pony up for the third portion of […] Read more
U.S. may ban human drugs from agricultural use
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The fear of more antibiotic resistant bugs affecting sick people could curtail the use of common livestock medications in the United States. Individual states and the U.S. Congress are examining the issue, so it is important legislators get educated on how drugs are used on the farm, said Bernadette Dunham, director […] Read more
SCA to be voice for feeders group
SASKATOON – The Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association is expected to become the province’s representative to the National Cattle Feeders’ Association. Currently, the Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association has that responsibility, but producers attending the recent annual meeting heard that the SCA will be asked to take over. Bill Jameson, SCA director and vice-chair of the NCFA, confirmed […] Read more
Fetotomy can prevent reproductive damage to cow or mare
Fetotomy, which is the fancy word for cutting up a dead calf within the cow during the birthing process, has a valuable place in a veterinarian’s bag of tricks. The goal of a fetotomy is to minimize trauma or damage to the cow. The calf at this point is a lost cause because it has […] Read more
SCA policy irks producers
SASKATOON – The Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association does not advocate supply management for the beef industry, said chair Jack Hextall. Several producers attending the SCA’s annual meeting last month said they were concerned about the organization’s policy statement, developed a year ago, which listed protection of the existing cow herd and feeding infrastructure as a priority. […] Read more
