The cost of food, fuelled by inflation levels not seen in decades, is the top “life” issue concerning Canadians. That’s the headline emerging from the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI) 2022 public trust research report, released during the organization’s annual summit in Toronto this week. The 2022 findings illustrate that the cost of food… Read More
Category: Animal Welfare
When draft regulations for livestock transport in Canada were brought forward in 2017, most within the industry could understand why: the rules that govern the care of livestock transport hadn’t been updated in decades. But perhaps one of the reasons it took so long to revamp the regs was because they were working quite well…. Read More
Reducing stress points isn’t only important for farmers but for their livestock as well, especially for dairy cows where stress can directly impact milk production. Bioret Agri’s innovative waterbed looks to reduce those stress points in cow housing. Adam Steward, business development manager for Bioret Agri, says their single-chamber waterbed stands out from others on… Read More
A revised Dairy Code of Practice is set to be released by spring of 2023, a process led by the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC). As part of the process, a public comment period was opened from November 29, 2021, to January 27, 2022, for any and all who wanted to submit comments on… Read More
Laboratory results have confirmed that the recent death of nine animals within the RM of Piapot #110, was due to anthrax. The RM is located within the southern part of the province just east of Maple Creek. Saskatchewan Agriculture posted a release August 24, 2022, reminding producers to be on the lookout for anthrax in… Read More
Johne’s disease can be tricky to detect but with cases on the rise, it’s vitally important that producers are armed with proper knowledge and are choosing the best testing option for the herd. A new online testing decision tool, developed by a team led by Dr. Cheryl Waldner, the NSERC/BCRC Industrial Research Chair in One Health… Read More
Extreme high temperatures are hitting many parts of central North America, increasing the potential for heat stress in cattle, warns Karl Hoppe, North Dakota State University livestock systems specialist. “One day of heat stress is uncomfortable, but two or more days back to back without night cooling can be deadly for livestock,” says Hoppe. “Signs… Read More
The international organization that tracks global animal disease outbreaks and works to improve animal health has rebranded itself with an acronym that aligns with its full name in English. The World Organisation for Animal Health has been commonly known as the OIE dating back to its founding in 1924 as the Office International des Épizooties. As… Read More
Anyone who owns and moves livestock needs to get up close and personal with the latest transportation regulations. The rules encompass all animal movement, including that done by farmers themselves, and has been law for two years. The “for two years” part has caught some producers by surprise, and that’s because the Canadian Food Inspection… Read More
British Columbia farmers who suffered extraordinary damages during November’s devastating floods will have access to up to $228 million in federal-provincial government support. Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, and Lana Popham, B.C.’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, announced the Canada-BC Flood Recovery for Food Security Program on Monday. The program will… Read More
Ontario introduced the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019 (PAWS Act) on January 1, 2020. Like most legislation, certain aspects of the act are up for consultation. Most recently, livestock groups including the Ontario Sheep Farmers (OSF), have pushed for a change in wording and a specific exemption from certain rules for livestock guardian dogs who… Read More
Producers, consumers, and members of industry have until January 27, 2022, to submit their comments on a draft version of the Dairy Code of Practice. The comment period has been open since late November. The Code of Practice is extensive, covering all aspects of dairy cattle care, from housing and bedding, to pain management for routine… Read More
The title of livestock sustainability specialist could infer that there’s a finite amount of time that the role is relevant. After all, shouldn’t we, at some point, reach being sustainable, and move on? The trouble is, there isn’t a universally agreed upon measurement of sustainability. As Christoph Wand, livestock sustainability specialist for Ontario Ministry of… Read More
A Quebec-based company that sells a digital platform for controlling environmental conditions in barns and automating tasks is set to be acquired by Ingersoll Rand. The owners of Maximus have entered an agreement to be bought by the global industrial company in an all-cash deal worth $135.4 million. Headquartered in Montreal, with around 100 employees,… Read More
The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) has announced its plan and commitment to sustainability goals by 2030. Focused on three areas — climate, land use, and animal health and welfare — the plan outlines the roundtable’s “commitments to advance and improve the sustainability of the global beef value chain.” Specifically, GRSB aims to globally reduce by… Read More