Livestock Management
This cattle market information is selected from the weekly report from Canfax, a division of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. More market information, analysis and statistics are available by becoming a Canfax subscriber by calling 403-275-5110 or at www.canfax.ca. Fed cattle steady Fed cattle prices were mostly steady last week, a surprise given the weak Chicago […] Read more
Livestock Management
Canfax Report – for Oct. 8, 2009
ALMA funding greeted warmly
The $7,000 that the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency gave to Viewtrak Technologies for a trip to China meant the difference between going to China or not, says its president. Jake Burlet said the contacts made on the first trip in May, which was designed to establish connections related to swine genetics, traceability, research and […] Read more
Rise in hunger looms as climate warms
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (Reuters) – Up to 25 million more children will be malnourished in the next 40 years because of climate change, with sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia the worst affected. A new report, released by the International Food Policy Research Institute and detailing the impact of climate change on agriculture, says without climate […] Read more
West Nile puts B.C. horse owners on alert
LINDELL BEACH, B.C. – British Columbia has confirmed its first locally acquired cases of West Nile virus in both horses and humans. Three horses have been infected, two in the Osoyoos area and one in Aldergrove. None of the horses had travelled outside the province. In 2006, a horse that had travelled to Colorado was […] Read more
Genes reveal secrets to flavour
VICTORIA – Scientists studying how genes work within grapevines may turn the age-old craft of wine-making on its head. The University of British Columbia’s Wine Research Centre is leading a $3.4 million study into grape and wine genomics. Led by UBC viticulture professor Steven Lund, the project will use genomics to identify protein biomarkers in […] Read more
ALMA stresses market access
The new head of the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency will continue to focus the province’s funding agency on increasing market access for the province’s livestock sector. Gordon Gove, the new president and chief executive officer of ALMA, said the agency has identified four priorities but increasing market access is key, especially for the beef […] Read more
Electronic tags mandatory soon
All Canadian cattle leaving the farm will require electronic identification tags after Jan. 1, 2010, a requirement designed to help move the beef industry toward full traceability. Plastic dangle tags with a barcode and unique number have not been for sale for several years, said Canadian Cattle Identification Agency chair Steve Primrose. They were replaced […] Read more
U of A gateway to vet college
Students looking for a way to enroll in veterinary school may only have to look as far as the University of Alberta. Fourteen of the 20 first year spaces reserved for Alberta residents at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon are filled with students from the U of A’s Faculty of Agriculture, Life […] Read more
Technology can elude hog farmers
What sounds simple and efficient to a scientist can sound difficult and costly to a farmer. That’s why some of the cutting edge research discussed at the Western Nutrition Conference in Winnipeg isn’t likely to be quickly applied by producers. “This is all pretty futuristic for us right now,” Dan Klippenstein, a hog producer from […] Read more
Sheep’s feeding requirements depend on body condition – Animal Health
Sheep producers know that feeding ewes properly is vital to flock production. To do this, it helps to understand the ewes’ requirements, both in quantity and timing. Their needs are based on body condition, but it varies with ewe size and what they are carrying – singles, twins or triplets. Ewes selected for breeding should […] Read more
