The House of Commons agriculture committee held an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) outbreak in southeast Manitoba. There have been at least 20 confirmed on-farm cases since May 2. To put that number in perspective, Manitoba previously only had 10 PEDv-positive barns dating back to 2014 when the… Read more »
Category: Animal Health
The Cost of Mycotoxin in Feed, Plus Feeding Strategies to Ease Heat Stress
Summer may feel a long way off, but being prepared to manage heat stress in dairy cattle goes a long way in warding off the production losses that go along with it. We’re also well into the 2016 feed crop, and there are reports of several farmers struggling to keep mycotoxin (specifically DON/vomitoxin) levels low enough… Read more »
First PEDv Case of 2017 Confirmed in Ontario Finisher Barn
Ontario Pork announced February 23, 2017, that it had confirmed the 100th Ontario case of PED (porcine epidemic diarrhea) virus. It is the first confirmed case this year. The virus was confirmed Wednesday, February 22, 2017, in a finisher barn in Haldimand-Norfolk county. No other details have been released at this time. Read more: Managing… Read more »
Know the Signs of Rabies in Livestock
Recent positive rabies cases on a few farms in Ontario’s Perth County are a stark reminder of this ever-present, reportable disease in livestock. While livestock cases of rabies are rare, it’s safe to assume the virus circulates in wildlife nearly constantly, albeit at a low level. Exposed livestock, likely from a bite, tend to exhibit… Read more »
Charting a Future for Antimicrobials on the Farm
How will Canada’s animal agriculture industry be utilizing antimicrobial drugs, including antibiotics, five years from now? Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Tim McAllister doesn’t have all the answers, but he does offer insights on how the industry can more effectively use antibiotics, assure the public it’s working to manage resistance, and help safeguard the drug’s ability… Read more »
CFIA Proposes Changes to Animal Transport Rules
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has proposed changes to the rules for the transportation of animals. Discussions about changes to the transport regulations, most of which have been in place since 1977, have been ongoing for a number of years. The draft amendments were finally published in Canada Gazette on December 3 (read the entire proposal here.) The… Read more »
$16.7 Million Committed to AgriRecovery Compensation for Bovine TB Quarantine
$16.7 million has been set aside for an AgriRecovery program to help cattle producers in Alberta affected by the bovine TB quarantine. While Alberta’s Treasury Board has yet to approve the funding, federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay announced the dollar figure in the House of Commons on Wednesday. The “2016 Bovine Tuberculosis Assistance Initiative” will provide… Read more »
Lack of Government Compensation for Quarantined Cattle Inexcusable
With the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) tuberculosis investigation ongoing and no clearly-defined ending in sight, concern is rising for the ranches involved. Currently, compensation only exists if animals need to be destroyed. At the Agriculture Committee meeting in Ottawa this week, it was made very clear that the status quo is going to leave… Read more »
Agribition Showcases Canadian Cattle Genetics to the World
The Canadian Western Agribition happens each November in Regina, Sask. When the middle of the city’s Evraz Place becomes a riding arena and the barns fill with the fluffiest, meatiest cattle Canadian ranchers have to offer. Shaun Haney and Kelvin Heppner are touring said barns this week, and Shaun caught up with Chad McPherson, general… Read more »
TB Investigation Expected to Take Several Months
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 »
The Science Behind the Ewe-Lamb Bond and Why it Matters
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 occur… Read more »
Barber Pole Worm Treatment for Sheep Cleared for Canada
Canadian sheep producers will now have access to Elanco Animal Health’s Flukiver (closantel) for the treatment of Haemonchus contortus (Barber Pole worm) in ewes and lambs. The oral anthelmintic was was only available through an Emergency Drug Release before now. Haemonchus contortus is incredibly costly to the Canadian sheep industry. Of all the gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) found… Read more »