Livestock Management
Considering the price of fat cattle these days, having a prize-winning steer is a big boost to the farm income. For Michael and Tannis Daines of Innisfail, Alta., and Lee and Dawn Wilson of Bashaw, Alta., having the grand champion at the Calgary Stampede steer classic was the culmination of a whirlwind show season. Their […] Read more
Livestock Management
Steer scores winning season
Quality-seeking Russians buy Canadian Charolais
OLDS, Alta. – A group of 500 Charolais heifers is leaving for Russia in August. Selected from purebred herds in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, with a few additions from Quebec, this is the first of two shipments. It lifts producer spirits after five years of import bans due to the BSE situation. The herd of […] Read more
Woman shearer wins at Stampede
Maria Stiglmayr went up against some of the world’s best sheep shearers at this year’s Calgary Stampede Super Shear competition and simply wanted a respectable finish. Instead, after four years of competing in Calgary, the 24-year-old Manitoba sheep farmer won the intermediate championship against bigger and stronger men from New Zealand, the United States and […] Read more
Animal activists tout message; producers often on defensive
SASKATOON – An American horse industry spokesperson warned Saskatchewan beef producers recently to make sure they know who is driving the animal welfare agenda. Animal activists are much better at getting their side of an issue out to the public, said Norm Luba, executive director of the North American Equine Ranching Information Council in Louisville, […] Read more
Feedlot expert prepares for climate change
Livestock producers must plan for severe weather when building or renovating feedlots. A five year research project has concluded feedlots should include runoff ponds large enough to cope with intense rainstorms. It also found that improperly cleaned or poorly graded feedlots can impede runoff, creating a blockage along a fence line. “It looks like common […] Read more
Confining sheep in corrals works best for Alta. producer
WETASKIWIN, Alta. – Martin Kaiser says he cannot afford to graze his sheep with land prices at more than $300,000 a quarter,. The only way Kaiser can raise sheep within the shadow of Edmonton is to keep them in corrals and use the land to grow more profitable crops. “I think you only have two […] Read more
Sale handles cream of the crop
RED DEER – The Morsan Mountain High Sale was a million dollar day for the Thalen family of Ponoka, Alta., and 50 consigners selling silky coated Holstein females to buyers from around the world. Held in Red Deer July 3, the sale averaged $14,857 on 112 lots, making it one of the bright spots in […] Read more
Free trader says U.S. protectionism alive and well
SASKATOON – An American free trade proponent says beef producers should remain concerned about R-CALF and other protectionist groups. Steve Dittmer, executive vice-president of the Colorado-based Agribusiness Freedom Foundation (AFF), said people who join such groups are angry at the mainstream industry because it doesn’t support their views, such as a preference for government regulation […] Read more
Alberta meat agency set for action
After less than a week in his new job, the first chair of the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency is ready to get to work. Announced in June as part of the provincial government’s Alberta livestock and meat strategy, the new agency is modeled after similar organizations in other countries. It will redirect government funds, […] Read more
New oat good for cattle
LANIGAN, Sask. – A new oat variety slated for commercial release in 2009 could be a boon for cattle producers. CDC SO-I, specially designed for the ruminant feed market, has a low lignin hull and high oil groat. The groat provides increased energy, while the low lignin hull makes the oat more digestible. A recently […] Read more
