Production — page 179

Foot care for cattle Cowslips are recyclable plastic shoes designed to treat lameness in cattle. Developed by a veterinary surgeon, Cowslips are fitted to the healthy hoof claw to take the weight off the damaged or infected claw, which alleviates pain and speeds healing. The product increases the animal’s mobility and remains on the animal […] Read more

New chickpeas overcome limitation The attempts to develop an ascochyta-resistant chickpea variety that was adapted for Saskatchewan growing conditions began at the Crop Development Centre in Saskatoon in the early 1970s. The first of the two successful results, the large-seed kabuli chickpea, will be available for release to the Saskatchewan pulse industry next year. The […] Read more

Manure composting A new waste management research team has been formed at Agriculture Canada’s Lethbridge research centre. The team will look at alternative manure handling strategies, particularly composting, and will investigate other waste management issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, the use of wetlands to filter nutrients in runoff and land application methods. Research was […] Read more

Natural insecticide A new insecticide approved for use in stored grain has been approved by Health Canada and by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Protect-It, produced by HTI Agritech Inc., is available for the 1996 season. The product is based on diatomaceous earth, a naturally occurring dust comprised of the tiny fossilized skeletons of microscopic […] Read more

Longer auger A 91-foot (27.3 metre) auger is the latest release for Westfield Industries. The PTO-driven unit comes in 10-inch and 13-inch (25 and 33 centimetre) models, and is designed with heavy-duty components, undercarriage and structural support. The MK91 has a dual cylinder lift system that requires one gallon (four litres) of hydraulic fluid. It […] Read more

Early imprinting Training of young animals during the imprinting period offers an opportunity to permanently mould an animal’s personality, reported veterinarian Robert Miller at the annual meeting of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Imprinting, a process that creates a visual and tactile bond with a newborn animal, is an age-old concept that has only recently […] Read more

Spurge-grazed meat Agriculture Canada’s Brandon research centre recently set up a panel to see if grazing sheep on leafy spurge affected the taste of the meat. Eight mature ewes, four from a bluegrass pasture and four from pastures consisting of bluegrass and spurge, were used in the test. All animals were from the same flock […] Read more

Stanchion milking The new Surge One Touch offers automatic, integrated management of primary milking functions and herd management. The One Touch base model is a hand-held device that combines the milk line and pulsation system connections into a single unit. Further automation can be added with the new Timekeeper II management module which signals the […] Read more

Planning for early grazing Normally, perennial spring pastures do not provide sufficient forage for grazing until the third week in May in central Alberta. Research at Agriculture Canada’s Lacombe Research Centre has shown that planting fall rye as early as Aug. 15 will provide sufficient forage for grazing by May 1 of the next year. […] Read more

Area monitors Agtron Enterprises has introduced the new Area Plus monitor to its product line. The monitor provides data on distance, area, speed, shaft r.p.m. and time, enhancing the efficiency of farming operations such as chemical application, tillage and harvesting. The two-acre counters tally totals and sub-totals. When spraying, for instance, this measurement allows operators […] Read more