Livestock Management
Brett McRae is spicing up his corn grazing system this year. He’s got more than one variety growing — a grazing-oriented option and the typical silage corn — but the real experiment is happening beneath the canopy. This year, the corn shared space with forage soybean and hairy vetch. The beans were “very impressive,” he […] Read more
Livestock Management
VIDEO: Load-out risky time for hog farms
WINNIPEG — What if the truck driver asks to enter the hog barn to use the toilet? Does the operation have a protocol for that? That’s a question asked of Dr. Julia Keenliside at the Manitoba Swine Seminar. “Everybody’s got to work out what your procedures are because that happens,” said Keenliside, an Edmonton based […] Read more
VIDEO: ‘Split milking’ recommended to prevent piglet crushing
A technology developer from Denmark has devised a system that provides smaller piglets with a safer way to feed
A problem with crushed piglets and a problem with hungry piglets might be aspects of the same problem. So suggested Lars Brunse, a Danish swine expert and technology developer whose company examined 308 crushed piglets to see if they had similarities. It found that 78 percent had empty stomachs and 56 percent had never had […] Read more
New and emerging swine diseases deserve close watch
Veterinarians are taught that when we hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras. This is sage advice to help maintain a diagnostic process based on probabilities. If I come across a nursery pig that has died suddenly with organs that have tiny hemorrhages and slightly enlarged lymph nodes, I will request tests to confirm a […] Read more
New communications manager joins national cattle group
Carol Reynolds says her new job at the Canadian Cattle Association feels like returning home to her farm roots
The Canadian Cattle Association has a new teammate. Carol Reynolds is the group’s new communications manager, who started the job Jan. 4. “Agriculture is literally in my blood,” said Reynolds, who grew up on a mixed family farm near Nipawin, Sask. “I’ve got a lot of fond memories of the farm, pitching bales and picking […] Read more
MacAulay opens Indo-Pacific ag office
The Canadian Pork Council joined federal ag minister Lawrence MacAulay in Manila, Philippines, to open Canada’s first Indo-Pacific agriculture office, it said today, calling the opening a “pivotal moment” for the Canadian pork sector. “This initiative reflects our commitment to strengthening global partnerships and expanding market access for Canadian pork producers,” said CPC chair Rene […] Read more
Appeal process put in place for Alta. biodigester
Mediation is planned for spring; if unsuccessful, it will be followed by an Environmental Appeals Board public hearing
CALGARY — One of the people fighting the Alberta government’s approval of a proposed $70 million biodigester doesn’t expect much will come of provincial mediation slated for May 30 as part of the appeal process. “I think for the whole group, there’s just too many concerns involved,” said Benita Estes. Related stories: Alta. residents to […] Read more
Feds reduce interest-free portion of cash advance
Increases implemented over the last few years have been discontinued, leaving farmers to pay higher interest cost
REGINA — Farmers applying for spring cash advances should be aware the interest-free portion has dropped back to 2021 levels. For the last few years the government temporarily increased the interest-free amounts to reflect challenging conditions including high interest rates. In 2023, farmers were eligible to receive up to $350,000 interest-free; the maximum total advance […] Read more
New farm income record set in 2023, estimates suggest
Canadian farm income may have set a new record in 2023. That’s according to the official 2023 and 2024 estimates released February 16 by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. For 2023, net cash income (NCI), the main metric Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada uses to measure farm income, is forecast to have increased 13 per cent to […] Read more
Bill to ban flights for live horses now in committee
MEDICINE HAT — A bill to ban the transport by air of live horses for slaughter is making its way through Parliament and is now under review by the agriculture committee. Private member’s Bill C-355 passed second reading in the House earlier this year after introduction by Liberal MP Tim Louis. “I bring forth this […] Read more
