Livestock Management
With Manitoba’s new phosphorus regulations coming into effect Nov. 10, 2008, hog producers must come up with new ways to deal with excess manure. The rules set targets for soil phosphorus content, ban winter spreading in the Red River Valley and require large-scale producers to follow setback guidelines when spreading manure near surface water. During […] Read more
Livestock Management
Centrifuge could offer solution to phosphorus woes
Don’t be shy about business, livestock producers urged
A livestock producer’s best defence is a united offence against an animal rights movement that is not retreating, says the chair of the Farm Animal Council of Saskatchewan. Shannon Meyers, interviewed following the group’s annual meeting in Saskatoon Dec. 13, said livestock producers, processors and industries need to consolidate their message. “If you fragment yourself […] Read more
Consumers affect farm animals’ care
Consumers are showing no signs of eating less meat and cheese but are increasingly concerned with how animals are treated before they become dinner. There is a need for a consistent set of ethical guidelines common to all livestock, said Ray Stricklin, associate professor at the University of Maryland, speaking to the Farm Animal Council […] Read more
Cattle producer touts benefits of grazing sheep
A Manitoba rancher recently told his colleagues that they should think twice before turning up their noses at the thought of allowing sheep on their property. Scoff if you like, Brian Greaves told the Manitoba Grazing School in early December, but keep in mind that a weaned calf would have to be worth $900 to […] Read more
Dried distillers grain common to some livestock producers
Feeding ethanol byproducts to livestock is all the rage these days, but some producers have been quietly using them for years without a fuss. Dairy producer Bill Van Rootselaar of Fort Macleod, Alta., has used dried distillers grain (DDG) for a number of years and finds it to be a useful supplement. “We have never […] Read more
Consumers drive meat business
Cutting up beef has not changed much since Duane Ellard started in the business 25 years ago. What’s changed is the Canadian consumer, who now wants a thick, juicy steak that is only five ounces or a four pound roast that cooks in an hour. During a meat cutting demonstration at the Alberta Beef Producers […] Read more
Farmers urged to do end run around food rules
Arbitrary, irrational regulations biased toward large-scale industrial operators are the biggest obstacle facing the development of local food systems and profitable small farms, says Joel Salatin, the owner of Polyface Farm in Virginia. The author of Everything I Want to Do is Illegal urged farmers to come up with creative ways to skirt the rules. […] Read more
Fear of bloat costly to cattle producers
LETHBRIDGE – Alfalfa is known for its ability to add low cost pounds of beef to cattle but the trade-off is the risk of bloat. “The fear of bloat costs the livestock industry more than bloat itself,” said grazing consultant Jim Gerrish at a recent legume grazing seminar in Lethbridge. Producers avoid legumes in the […] Read more
Rancher adopts low-cost model
Rancher Steve Kenyon’s main business, as he describes it, is raising children. The rest is just details, he said. “To me it’s really important to realize that’s what my farm business is. Does it matter how I do it? If it’s going to take goats to do that, then that’s what I’m going to do.” […] Read more
Hogs can thrive in group housing: researcher
Good handlers and the right genetics can create successful group housing of sows, says University of Manitoba researcher Laurie Connor. Group housing is getting attention because the practice of confining sows for long periods in gestation stalls has generated negative press and some high profile operators such as Maple Leaf and Smithfield have pledged to […] Read more
