Livestock Management
CALGARY – A five-year program will provide $125 million in drought and flood protection for Alberta municipalities and Indigenous communities as the province faces what could be its worst drought since 2001. “Today, due to a strong El Nino not seen in over seven years, we’re seeing warmer temperatures coupled with even less precipitation,” said […] Read more
Livestock Management
Alta. Farm Animal Care closes doors
AFAC has been hit hard in recent months, including by a lack of government funding
CALGARY — An organization that has promoted responsible care of livestock in Alberta since 1993 has been forced to shut down due to lack of funding. “This is by no means the conclusion we wished to see happen, but the board feels this is the responsible action to follow,” said a statement March 1 by […] Read more
Alta. looks to improve AgriStability for cattle producers
Agricultural Financial Services Corp. says new initiative will allow ranchers to address risk management discrepancies
Sixty-six percent over 11 years — that’s how much extra support Alberta cow-calf producers would have received had certain feed and pasture costs been fully covered under a major business risk management tool. However, the Agricultural Financial Services Corp., which delivers the AgriStability program in the province, hopes to change that by asking cow-calf producers […] Read more
Convenience key when corn grazing
A Manitoba producer has developed a set of tips that makes it easier to manage temporary fencing during the winter
The humble pigtail is a common sight on most cattle operations that use rotational grazing. They’re light, easy to stomp into the ground, easy to pull out and it takes only seconds to insert the wire. They’re a key labour-saving tool for the miles of temporary fencing that farmers string and unstring every season. When […] Read more
New traceability reporting times raise concerns
An online consultation on livestock traceability came back with widespread support for the general premise, but with concerns about tighter timelines for reporting and tag retention. Last year, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency unveiled proposed changes to Canada’s national livestock traceability rules, including a shorter window in which producers are to report animal movements and […] Read more
Monitoring first weeks of life will help ensure calf health
Paying close attention to calf health in the first week of life will decrease mortality and increase growth and returns to cow-calf producers. When we think about prevention of calf mortality, three main things come to mind, and I hope this review will eliminate the need for more calf treatments. For scours, the biggest factor […] Read more
Livestock company fined after worker hurt
REGINA — A Weyburn, Sask., livestock company has been fined $50,000 after an employee was hurt two years ago. Holdstock Livestock Ltd. pleaded guilty Feb. 13 to one violation of Occupational Health and Safety Regulations after an incident April 7, 2022. A worker was seriously injured after a bull charged and knocked the person to […] Read more
Livestock’s missed opportunities
BRANDON — Last year, two globally respected organizations said the world needs more pork, chicken and beef. In September, the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicted that per capita consumption of calories from animal products would increase 29 percent from 2011 to 2050. Then, in its annual outlook, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said […] Read more
Man. producers want dedicated livestock police
Manitoba’s beef sector wants police that specialize in livestock. A successful resolution at the Manitoba Beef Producers annual meeting Feb. 8 called for MBP to approach the province about a potential livestock investigations unit “or another mechanism aimed at reducing local livestock-related crime.” “We’ve seen a rise in … theft or fraud-related instances in our […] Read more
Research would look for low-emitters
Scientists apply for federal funding to look for molecular breeding values for genetic traits that reduce methane
CALGARY — A proposed multimillion-dollar national research program will seek to help beef producers breed cattle that emit less methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas linked to climate change. “This is a substantial investment,” said John Basarab, head of beef operations at Livestock Gentec. Related stories: Genetic tool recognized for reducing emissions Beef research […] Read more
