Livestock Management
VERMILION, Alta. – Early results of a carcass sire project show a good ram can make all the difference. Gordon Schroeder, executive director of the Saskatchewan Sheep Development Board, said the trial shows that the quality of Canadian lamb can be improved dramatically by using a good terminal sire ram. “We’ve got producers who think […] Read more
Livestock Management
Lamb study to target sire quality
Saskatoon show in squeeze
The Saskatoon Fall Fair is facing a dilemma. The cattle show is being isolated by its neighbouring shows in November and it has to choose when to go in 2008. Saskatoon Exhibition agriculture manager Lori Cates’ said the fall cattle show was a success again this year, despite the pressures of higher costs and fewer […] Read more
Alta. looks for scrapie
Alberta has started a scrapie surveillance program to determine the prevalence and location of the disease in sheep and goats. Alberta is not believed to have scrapie but this study will provide a database of information, said Herman Ortegon, part of the province’s livestock disease surveillance team. “If there is a positive, we want to […] Read more
Controversy in the air at Farmfair
EDMONTON – Tina Wagers couldn’t believe her eyes. On the day of the Angus sale at Farmfair International she watched her two-year-old Charolais cow slowly turn black. Aerosol spray paint used by Angus breeders to darken and shine their cattle drifted across the barns like a fog. “We watched them turn from white to grey. […] Read more
Pint-sized showman takes prize with bull
EDMONTON – At seven years of age, Reid DePalme may have been the littlest showman at Farmfair International in Edmonton. The second grader from Red Deer, who stole hearts with his tenacious handling of his calf, walked away with reserve bull calf champion at the Salers show, competing against a large class of more experienced […] Read more
Winning smiles prevail at Alberta’s Farmfair
EDMONTON – Rob and Gail Hamilton of Cochrane, Alta., were three times lucky at this year’s grand finale cattle show at Farmfair International. The Hamilton Farms group of cattle won the Legends of the Fall bull calf show, Supreme Breeder’s Herd and Supreme Show of Champions female. “This is unbelievable. It’s a dream come true,” […] Read more
Small breed gets own show
EDMONTON – Brenda and Brian Chicoine of Storthoaks, Sask., have big cattle, but they prefer their little ones. This year, for the first time, they got to show off their Lowline cattle in the breed’s own show at Farmfair International. Six Lowline breeders from British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan brought 43 animals to Farmfair’s first […] Read more
Farmfair cancels minor breeds show
EDMONTON – The show that allowed the little breeds to shine at Farmfair International was cancelled this year. Wendy Schneider, volunteer agriculture director of Northlands, which organizes the farm show, said the Multi Breed Show didn’t receive enough entries. “When only two or three head from one breed are showing, it isn’t to the best […] Read more
Simmental changes benefit producers
EDMONTON – Murray Jacobson was a young veterinary medicine student in 1967 when the first Simmental cattle set foot on Canadian soil. Forty years later, the president of the Canadian Simmental Association is a proud supporter of the Swiss breed that helped change the look of the North American beef industry. “They were more of […] Read more
Long-time Alta. breeders disperse herd
CASTOR, Alta. – During 66 years of raising registered Herefords, Walter and Allan Blume withstood cattle cycles, hard winters, droughts, grasshoppers and BSE. But they could not fight time. With the children gone and no one interested in taking over the ranch, they decided to disperse their herd, offering more than 200 females carrying the […] Read more
