Livestock Management
Hay prices usually increase slightly during summer because buyers are anxious to get their hands on what may be a limited resource. Alberta Agriculture beef specialist Ken Ziegler said the price bump tends to settle back down in autumn when it’s evident that overall hay supplies are sufficient. However, 2009 is not a typical year. […] Read more
Livestock Management
Hay prices on Prairies near record
South Korea stalls on beef imports
Canada should have been much more aggressive in its post-BSE negotiations with South Korea, says the Canadian Beef Export Federation director in that country. That includes taking a complaint to the World Trade Organization much sooner. Amos Kim told the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association semi-annual meeting in Regina that Canada negotiated market access in good faith. […] Read more
Cattle inventory reduction could spark price rebound
Canada’s cow herd will continue to shrink in the short term as producers cope with market volatility, says the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association research manager. Andrea Brocklebank, who is also interim manager of Canfax, told the association’s semi-annual meeting in Regina last week that she expects a reduction of two to three percent this year, compared […] Read more
Feed varieties examined
LACOMBE, Alta. – Livestock and poultry feeds are not created equal. A group of Alberta scientists is studying the variation in forage quality available to animals to figure out how fibre and starch are digested. If feed can be matched more closely to the animal’s nutritional needs, farmers could theoretically get paid more for providing […] Read more
Calgary veterinary collegeembraces new teaching model – Animal Health
Alberta’s new veterinary college at the University of Calgary is almost ready to start its second class of veterinary students. The first class will graduate in the spring of 2012. Unlike the older traditional schools, this one will see hands-on teaching, especially in the senior years, in traditional mixed, specialty, large and small animal practices […] Read more
Grey filly wins Percheron show
OLDS, Alta. – Don Strandquist brought only one horse to the provincial Percheron show at Olds, but the two-year-old filly was good enough to be named supreme champion. The long-term Percheron breeder and showman from Stettler, Alta., has been a fixture at horse events for more than 40 years, exhibiting prize-winning animals all over North […] Read more
Winners at Alberta fair prepare for Agribition
The Olds Fair and Rodeo held Aug. 7-9 has been running for 110 years and has grown into one of Canada’s largest summer livestock shows. Each year, supreme championships are awarded to the top animals from horse, cattle, sheep and goat shows. This is the only Canadian show to feature a single parade of all […] Read more
Show puts youngsters in ring
STRATHMORE, Alta. – After a sweltering job leading cattle around a ring at high noon, sometimes the handlers just need a nap. With temperatures reaching 30 C late last month during the Strathmore Heritage Days’ open junior show, a big drink of water and a snooze in a shady spot were just the thing for […] Read more
DNA traceability on horizon?
A DNA-supported livestock traceability system might not be that far off. Brian Van Doormaal, general manager of the Canadian Dairy Network, said industry will soon apply for government money to help fund the National Dairy Cattle Genomics Initiative. The dairy industry has already approved its participation in the five-year, $40-million project that will collect DNA […] Read more
Balance risks in beef by filling niche for sheep
DRAKE, Sask. – Gord Schroeder thinks raising sheep with cattle is an excellent strategy for reducing the risks of producing beef. “In the sheep industry, we’re saying don’t get rid of what you’ve got, just add sheep to it. You’re spreading your risk around. Environmentally, there’s all kinds of opportunity for sheep to do things […] Read more
