Livestock Management
When it comes time to cull their cows, producers tend to break them into two groups: those that excel in reproductive performance and longevity, and those that don’t. This allocation is not cut and dried and depends on cow age, pregnancy status, medical reasons for culling and what percentage of the herd is to be […] Read more
Livestock Management
Designing a successful culling program
Man. hog firm lands Chinese deal
A Manitoba pork producer has signed a deal that could see his nutritionally enhanced products on supermarket shelves and hotel menus in China. Six months in the making, the agreement between Winnipeg-based Prairie Orchard Farms and China-Canada Super Food Co., Ltd., a newly formed division of a major real estate and land developer in China, […] Read more
Calf prices? Check Iowa’s weather forecast
U.S. weather will be the biggest factor affecting Canadian calf prices this fall. Sandy Russell, a livestock economist with Saskatchewan Agriculture, told Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration employees attending a Saskatoon livestock conference last week that the current trend is for prices to continue improving slightly from the October price of $108.66 per hundredweight for 750 […] Read more
Vaccination successfully controls BVD, IBR threat
A calf persistently infected with bovine viral diarrhea can cost a producer $20 per cow per year, says a Pfizer Animal Health veterinarian. BVD and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, or IBR, are two troublesome diseases that can be controlled with a diligent vaccination program, said Les Byers. Immunization offers fetal protection, stops the disease cycle and […] Read more
New needles show benefits
TOMPKINS, Sask. – Good tools make good work for cow-calf operator Wilfred Campbell, who counts detectable needles and pistol-style syringes among the most valuable items in his toolbox. Campbell is an outspoken supporter of an industry-wide switch to a new type of syringe and alloy needles. Interviewed at the height of calving season on his […] Read more
Domestic lamb better: study
A cut of imported New Zealand or American lamb may be cheaper in the grocery store, but Canadian lamb is healthier, a nutritional study suggests. Jennifer Fleming of the Canadian Sheep Federation said a comprehensive analysis shows Canadian lamb is higher in protein and lower in fat and calories than lamb from New Zealand and […] Read more
Research centre buying new herd
A well-known beef research facility in central Saskatchewan will add new blood to its research herd beginning this spring. The Western Beef Development Centre in Lanigan, Sask., will spend roughly $800,000 over the next three years to buy 300 Black Angus cows. The cows – two- and three-year-old purebreds – will replace an aging commercial, […] Read more
Open house helps sell cattle
Bryce Fisher adopted a new approach to marketing dairy cattle: an open house. Rather than auctioning the animals or selling each on its own, Fisher invited clients to tour his R and F Livestock facilities at Osler, Sask. He then invited his guests to bid. “I’ve never seen anyone market them this way, but I […] Read more
Host farms save rare breeds
There is a way for farmers to help preserve rare breeds of livestock, even if they don’t want to shell out the cash to buy them. Rare Breeds Canada offers farmers and landowners the option of becoming a host farm for cattle, sheep and horses. Under the program, the organization places animals it owns on […] Read more
Organic organization considers strengthening livestock rules
Organic industry leaders want to strengthen the animal welfare segments of the new national standard. “We felt that this was an area that needs more consideration,” said Ralph Martin, founding director of the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada. In late 2005, he assembled a task force of 10 industry leaders, educators and researchers who will […] Read more
