In the last month, live cattle prices have finally stabilized and it's welcome relief for everyone in the cattle business. Fundamentally, what is supporting this stability? According to Anne Wasko, with Gateway Livestock, there are tighter cattle supplies, cattle feeders are current, carcass weights are lower than a year ago for the first time since... Read More
Category: Livestock
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it expects the investigation following the case of bovine tuberculosis in southeast Alberta will take several months to complete. Around 30 farms have been quarantined following the discovery of bovine TB by U.S. officials in an animal originating from a ranch in the southeast part of the province in... Read More
Ontario's government, in conjunction with the federal government, has announced updates to the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program (OWDCP). The updated OWDCP will clearly define the requirements farmers need to meet to receive compensation for losses of livestock, poultry, and bees/hives. The OWDCP is part of the GrowingForward 2 program. Changes are said to be... Read More
Live cattle cash prices have been in the 2016-version of free fall, and many producers have been challenged trying to understand why prices at the grocery stores have not followed suit. As demand concerns rise, speculation is that beef prices in Canada must eventually fall to increase sales at the meat counter. In this week's... Read More
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has approved camelina meal as an Omega-9-boosting feed ingredient for laying hens. "This is another major step for camelina production in Canada," said Jack Grushcow, founder and CEO of camelina developer Smart Earth Seeds, in a news release on Thursday. "This latest approval makes the crop production economics for camelina... Read More
Dairy milking robots have found their niche in Canada, but where do they fit on U.S. dairy farms? The popularity of robots in Canada can be linked to the fact that the technology fits well into this country’s smaller farms and because our supply management system provides a financial footing for farmers to invest. But... Read More
It's estimated that lamb losses amount to over $5 million a year to the Ontario sheep industry — and that's just Ontario. For an industry that's trying to off-set significant imports from the likes of New Zealand and Australia, those lost lambs amount to lost market share. While some losses occur in pregnancy, the majority... Read More
Corn is an attractive crop for cattle producers — as silage and as an extended or winter grazing option. But corn is also mighty pricey to grow, and can require new equipment to get it in the ground. Does grazing corn really pay? To find out, Shaun Haney met with Dr. Bart Lardner, with the... Read More
I attended the Advancing Women Conference in Toronto this past month and had many discussions and interviews with speakers and attendees. One of my absolute favourite discussions from the September event was a relatively impromptu conversation with Cynthia Crowley of Crovalley Holsteins. Cynthia and her family have a dairy farm — a two time master... Read More
Mossley, Ontario’s Laura DeKlein wasn’t raised on a dairy farm but she sure has a great eye for cows. DeKlein is a member of Ontario’s 4-H team that competed in this month’s National 4-H Dairy Cattle Judging Contest at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Along with teammates Brett Stockdale, Collin Allardyce, and Josh... Read More