Livestock Management
Hot, humid weather that downgraded last year’s hay crop has left milk production in three western provinces short of the half-year 97 percent minimum quota utilization rules. At 96.82 percent, Manitoba producers fell short of their quota allocation by 11,295 kilograms of butterfat, or 293,000 litres of raw milk. Alberta and British Columbia were also […] Read more
Livestock Management
Heat wave cuts milk production
Bison prices good, supply tight
Bison prices are in full rebound mode, with hook prices at $2.25 a pound and a shortage of supply pushing the meat even higher, according to speakers at the Great Spirit Show and Sale held in Brandon. Dave Carter, executive director of the U.S.-based National Bison Association, said market demand for bison is strong south […] Read more
Protocol guarantees good beef: marketer
When Todd Churchill couldn’t find decent beef locally, he decided to provide it. A farm boy-turned-accountant, he later began marketing grass-fed beef through the Thousand Hills Cattle Co., which he founded in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, in 2003. “Like a lot of rural kids, I did not have any intention of being involved in agriculture. Growing […] Read more
End promised to vet drug approval backlog
Officials from Health Canada’s veterinary drugs directorate recently delivered what they considered a positive message – within a year, the backlog of drugs waiting for registration will be eliminated. As well, wait times for new drugs will be less than a year rather than the years it now can take, which means Canadian livestock producers […] Read more
True grass-fed cattle long gone: expert
Looking for just the right breed for grass-fed beef? There’s one place where the type of cattle that thrive on a forage-only diet can be found in abundance – in sales catalogues from 1957, said Todd Churchill, a rancher and grass-fed beef marketer from Cannon Falls, Minnesota. As the buyer for Thousand Hills Cattle Co., […] Read more
Common problems found in young calves – Animal Health
Veterinarians examine calves for a multitude of problems during calving season. Some of these problems are herd related, but many are individual problems of no concern to the rest of the herd. Most cases fall into a few broad categories, and each category has a much different treatment regime. Knowing these categories will make it […] Read more
Drug approvals slow, redundant
Too little, too late is how many in the livestock industry describe the pace of veterinary drug approvals by Canadian authorities. “It leaves us in an uncompetitive position. Our government is hampering our ability to compete with our American neighbours by denying us the tools of this North American trade,” said Rick Paskal. The southern […] Read more
Pork council withholds research contributions
The Manitoba Pork Council has responded to the ban on new hog barns in the province with its own “pause.” The council announced March 27 it would halt all of its research funding to “re-evaluate where (they) spend hog farmer’s money.” The council had budgeted $583,000 in producer contributions for research funding in 2008. “Why […] Read more
Livestock producers look for money-saving options
MOOSE JAW, Sask. – Economic conditions have pushed cattle producers to manage their herds far differently than they did 10 years ago, producers attending a livestock conference heard last week. Bart Lardner, senior research scientist at the Western Beef Development Centre, said change is happening everywhere, particularly over the last several years with BSE border […] Read more
Feed research needs millions, says report
Feed grain and forage research is increasingly underfunded at a time when Canada’s livestock sector struggles to remain competitive, says a recently released study. The report, conducted by the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, said many research projects are short-term, regional investments with little future vision. “This approach has produced a research system in which the few […] Read more
