Results from the first Western Canadian Cow-Calf Survey show there's room to tighten up the breeding season on the majority of cow-calf operations from B.C. to Manitoba. The Beef Cattle Research Council and Western Beef Development Centre have published some production findings from the project (find them in a BCRC blog post here.) The questionnaire,... Read More
Category: Livestock
The University of Guelph has named Jeff Wichtel of the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC), University of Prince Edward Island as the new dean of the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). Wichtel begins a five-year term October 1, 2015, and replaces outgoing dean Elizabeth Stone, who has served as dean for a decade. Wichtel will also hold... Read More
As dry conditions take a toll on pastures and hay land in much of western Canada, the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan is calling on the provincial government to take steps to mitigate a possible feed shortage. “With the weather pattern we are facing right now, livestock production will clearly decline given the feed and... Read More
Rain doesn't just make grain, it makes beef too, and much of Saskatchewan and Alberta is in desperate need of moisture to support the cattle out on grass. In this episode of the almost-in-person Beef Market Update, Anne Wasko, of Gateway Livestock, and Shaun Haney, of RealAgriculture, cover some serious ground, from the possible repealing... Read More
The Canadian Sheep Federation (CSF) will combine sheep and lamb production assurance systems under the nationally recognized Food Safe Farm Practices (FSFP) thanks to nearly $350,000 in funding under the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s AgriMarketing Program funded by Growing Forward 2. This support will allow the Canadian Sheep Federation to integrate the National Sheep Biosecurity... Read More
Canada has officially notified the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) that British Columbia is now considered free of avian influenza. On June 3, B.C. successfully completed three months of surveillance following eradication of the disease. Related: Third Oxford County Farm Presumed Infected with H5 Avian Influenza; Within 2nd Quarantine Zone Avian Influenza Threat Forces... Read More
The Saskatchewan Premises Identification (PID) Database was launched as a new online resource to help improve livestock emergency prevention and response. “The benefits of the Premises Identification Database are far-reaching,” said Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart. “Knowing where our province’s livestock is located allows us to be more effective in handling everything from flooding to... Read More
The hog manure surplus in southeast Manitoba is forcing the swine industry and government to look at alternatives for redistributing manure to areas that don’t have excess phosphorous levels in the soil. That includes an option that’s likely unprecedented in scope: a 35 mile long underground hog manure pipeline. “We’re turning over every stone in... Read More
The Canadian government has taken another step toward following through on its two-year-old threat to retaliate against U.S. country of origin labeling (COOL) unless the meat labeling rules are repealed. Canada's trade and agriculture ministers — Ed Fast and Gerry Ritz — joined Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal, Mexico’s Secretary of Economy, and Enrique Martínez y Martínez,... Read More
Earlier this week, on World Milk Day, Saputo announced the implementation of its animal welfare policy, along with new programs offered to support the policy through the University of Guelph and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. According to the company's recent press release, the policy was created through collaborative efforts with customers, dairy producers, veterinarians, governmental... Read More