Adopting swine enrichment measures can create significant savings for producers as well as improve animal welfare
Glacier FarmMedia – Incorporating swine enrichment could save producers as much as $10 per animal, according to research from the industrial research chair in swine welfare at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Martyna Lagoda, a post-doctoral research fellow involved in the project, told the Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium last fall in Saskatoon that supporting […] Read moreTag Archives animal health — page 9
Switch calves from milk to feed with low stress
Glacier FarmMedia – Calf stress after weaning shouldn’t be a surprise, producers heard during Manitoba Agriculture’s first Stock Talk webinar of the year in November. Calves have spent their entire lives on the farm with mom. Suddenly, mom isn’t there and, for those bound for auction, neither is the farm. “This is a very stressful […] Read more
Sustainability becomes critical factor in vet medicine
Without a doubt, environmental issues such as pollution, climate change and habitat loss impact animal health. Our collective future depends on finding new and better ways to tread lightly on our delicate planet. Environmental stewardship is a key pillar of the veterinary profession. The Canadian veterinary oath even includes the provision that “I will strive […] Read more
Producers encouraged to raise sheep by the numbers
An expert in sheep production says incremental change and increased measurement can increase production profit
Glacier FarmMedia – The pathway to profit in sheep is paved with little details. “The secret of success is doing the common thing uncommonly well,” said Mark Ferguson, founder and chief executive officer of neXgen Agri of New Zealand. “Our goal has to be kilograms of lamb out the door.” Measurement and data analysis are […] Read more
Calm, slow work called crucial for bison handling
Producers say the fewer people involved in processing the animals, the better, because they do better in quiet conditions
REGINA — The quieter and calmer the handler is, the quieter and calmer the bison will be. Producers at last month’s Canadian Bison Association annual convention offered their tips for better handling. CBA vice-president Robert Johnson said many people believe bison are unruly and difficult to handle, but that’s not necessarily true. He said producers […] Read more
Cache Valley Virus can be difficult to prevent in sheep flocks
In the past few weeks, Prairie Diagnostic Services in Saskatoon has had some confirmed cases of stillborn and aborted sheep fetuses diagnosed with Cache Valley Virus, a mosquito-borne disease. The virus is widely distributed in mosquito populations throughout North America and in parts of Central America. It was first identified in 1956 in mosquitoes collected […] Read more
Castration via banding is gaining popularity and safety
The first castration banders were likely developed to replace knife or scalpel castration. They were easy to use and eliminated the complications of infections and blood loss. Castration with a knife or scalpel is harder to master and animal welfare issues must be considered. Banders have been around for a while and I recently saw […] Read more
Horses’ complex sinuses make them susceptible to disease
The head of a horse contains a shockingly small brain. There is far more space dedicated to teeth, a muscular tongue, long nasal passages and the sinuses. The massive, complex sinuses in horses are prone to disease. Sinuses are like a series of interconnected caves that occupy the front and sides of the face in […] Read more
Low cow herd pregnancy rates should be investigated
Many producers have finished or will soon finish pregnancy testing their cattle herds this fall. Anecdotally, it seems pregnancy rates are improved compared to the last few years, when many areas were affected by drought, and poor-quality feed affected body condition and pregnancy rates. This year it seems many herds have returned to normal levels […] Read more
Pork industry encouraged to share concerns
Glacier FarmMedia – When the National Farm Animal Care Council Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs was released in 2014, it annoyed many pork producers. Now the code is being updated and concerns about changes and possible ripple effects from practices in other countries are at the front of Canadian pork […] Read more
