Livestock Management
COCHRANE, Alta. – The folks at Rocky Mountain Holsteins once said they would never part with their prize cow, Irwindale Leduc Macy, because they admired her too much. But on July 5 the champion cow named All Canadian twice in a row was put up for bids by its three owners, Rocky Mountain of Cochrane, […] Read more
Livestock Management
Prized dairy cow scooped up
Positive side seen to U.S. labelling plan
Canada is using a fast-track 60-day comment period announced by the United States government to complain about a proposal by the Americans to impose country-of-origin labels on food. The comment period called by the U.S. Department of Agriculture expires in August. A COOL rule could be imposed by next year, possibly in parallel with a […] Read more
Producer numbers down, cattle up
The big fish eat the little fish. The same goes for ranchers, it seems. Statistics Canada numbers released this spring seem to indicate that many smaller cattle producers have sold off their herds and been swallowed by larger ranches. The official numbers for 2006 show that the number of Manitoba farms that they say produce […] Read more
Community pastures get $10 million injection
Ottawa will spend an extra $10 million over the next four years to improve the health of federal community pastures. Half of the money will be used for vegetation or brush control, $2 million will go toward forage rejuvenation and $3 million will be spent to develop water projects particularly in drought-prone pastures in southern […] Read more
Canadian beef heads for Taiwan
Eight container loads of Canadian beef left for Taiwan almost as soon as it announced June 23 that trade would resume with Canada after a four year ban. “Multiple containers are already booked by our major importers of the past,” said Ted Haney, president of the Canada Beef Export Federation. Taiwan is one of Canada’s […] Read more
Watch for algae in water source
That green slime on the dugout could be a killer, says Bob Klemmer of Saskatchewan Agriculture. The beef forage specialist said Cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue-green algae, is often mistaken for regular run of the mill algae. “In the right concentrations, it can be very toxic,” he said, citing the deaths that occur to livestock […] Read more
Alta. sheep group seeks checkoff hike
Alberta sheep producers will be asked this fall to increase their checkoff to $1.50 per head, the first increase since the $1 checkoff started 25 years ago. “We have 2007 expenses with a 1982 income,” said Irene Rutledge, chair of the Alberta Sheep and Wool Commission. The increase will boost the budget from $140,000 a […] Read more
Feedlot cattle on pasture produces mixed results
LACOMBE, Alta. – Sending feedlot cattle out to pasture is a good way to stretch their growing period and save money on high priced grain. “The cost of gain on grass should be substantially less than the cost in the feedlot, especially when you are in a high grain price period,” said Red Deer feedlot […] Read more
Cattle buying not for faint of heart
VERMILION, Alta. – Buying cattle at an auction isn’t for the faint of heart or inexperienced, says a former order buyer. It’s a fast paced game with no rules and plenty of shoving in the corners, Peggy Checkel said at the Grazing School for Women conference. Checkel earned her credentials by drinking stale coffee, sitting […] Read more
Cattle producers squeezed by tighter feed ban
Added costs for the beef industry are expected when Canada’s enhanced feed ban comes into effect July 12. West Coast Reductions announced it will add a surcharge of 2.5 cents a pound to the existing cost for pickup of bovine remains and separation and disposal of specified risk materials when the feed ban becomes law. […] Read more
