Livestock Management
It’s all gravel and girders right now, but the clinical unit of the University of Calgary veterinary school should be ready to welcome students and animals by September 2008. The school is still working on North American accreditation this month but expects 30 Alberta students to begin classes in 15 months. More than half the […] Read more
Livestock Management
Alberta vet school plans to open in fall of 2008
Rumen key to digestion
LACOMBE, Alta. – Studying rumen science 101 may help beef producers understand how cattle eat and why they sometimes have bad reactions to certain feed. “You don’t feed cattle. You feed the bugs residing in the digestive tract,” said ruminant scientist Tim McAllister from Agriculture Canada’s Lethbridge Research Centre. Cattle don’t produce the enzyme that […] Read more
Listeriosis usually linked to feed source
The bacterium Listeria infects cattle and small ruminants. It can be picked up from the environment, but is most commonly transmitted in tainted silage that is poorly fermented, mouldy or spoiled with soil. It’s more likely to cause disease in cattle than small ruminants such as sheep and goats. Outbreaks of listeriosis can occur when […] Read more
Cattle markets strong
GUELPH, Ont. – Fed cattle supplies remain tight, keeping feeder and fed prices higher than average. Canadian markets for fed cattle have remained stronger than expected throughout the spring and much stronger than normal relative to American prices. Factors keeping the prices strong are poor use of domestic packer capacity, strong domestic demand for Canadian […] Read more
Forage knowledge fights bloat
LACOMBE, Alta. – When Leon Specht’s cattle are grazing alfalfa fields, he grabs handfuls of the crop and rubs it in his hands. “If I get a green foamy material in my hands, they are going to bloat on it,” he said. His caution is understandable, considering he has lost cattle to bloat caused by […] Read more
Producers told they must accept traceability
SMITHERS, B.C. – Cattle producers may not like the extra paperwork associated with tracing animals, but traceability has a real value to consumers, says the head of business development for a growing American beef company. “People are willing to pay an amazing amount of money for something that has value to them,” Rick Stott of […] Read more
Officials anticipate U.S. border opening
SMITHERS, B.C. – Cattle officials hope there will be a signal within the next two weeks that the American border will reopen to all Canadian cattle by September. If there is no response from the Americans, the reopening will likely be delayed to January, John Masswohl told the British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association annual meeting May […] Read more
Berkshire hogs make comeback with chefs
In the space of a year, Bruce Daum has resurrected the flagging fortunes of Manitoba’s Berkshire hog industry and made crucial inroads into the New York market for high-end food. By developing personal relationships with buyers through in-person visits, the former Berkshire hog producer from Brandon has arranged for 125 of the heritage breed pigs […] Read more
Bison ranchers cheer grading change
Long sought changes to the bison carcass grading system have come into effect. Since the summer of 2005, the Canadian Bison Association has been spearheading a lobbying effort to put slower-growing bison heifers on an equal footing with bulls. Under the old regulations, heifers were often downgraded into the C grade, which cost producers up […] Read more
Tender heifers focus of study
In the beef business in which tenderness sells, heifers aren’t as tender as steers, but Colorado researchers feel there are ways to manage the problem. More than 30 percent of slaughter cattle are heifers, but they tend to produce less tender meat and a greater percentage of dark cutters at the packing plant than males. […] Read more
