The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) recently released its report on the 19th case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), concluding the likely cause was contamination of feed on-farm. “The carry-over of a small amount of residual contaminated feed associated with an earlier case (17) on the same birth farm is the most plausible explanation for… Read More

Canadian cattle producers have a new pain control option for their animals thanks to a Calgary-based company. Solvet has formally launched Meloxicam Oral Suspension, a liquid formulation that is administered orally to treat pain resulting from injuries, illness, calving and surgical procedures, including castration. The release coincides with the implementation of new pain management requirements… Read More

The World Trade Organization has given Canada and Mexico the go-ahead to retaliate against the U.S. for the discrimination caused by American country of origin meat labeling rules. The arbitrators’ decision issued Monday gave Canada permission to implement retaliatory tariffs worth up to C$1.055 billion per year. While the approved figure is less than the C$3.1 billion… Read More

There’s no sign saying where it is. The outdated teal paint on the old brick walls is faded and peeling. The lighting is dingy. The floor is littered with peanut shells, spilled drinks, straw and manure — a mixture of which probably contributed to its name. It’s also been home to many memories (some of which… Read More

There’s something unique about the Speckle Park cattle breed that’s catching attention in Canada and around the world. Canadian Western Agribition hosted the largest Canadian Speckle Park show in the breed’s history last week, according to the business manager for the Canadian Speckle Park Association. Over 70 head participated in the Canadian Speckle Park National Show in Regina… Read More

There’s a sense of nostalgia in the cattle barns at Canadian Western Agribition in Regina this year. 2015 marks the last year for the old barns on the Agribition grounds — buildings that are filled with memories made over the 45-year history of Canada’s largest livestock show. A total of 13 structures, including the auditorium… Read More

It’s been an interesting year for farmers and ranchers in much of western Canada, with short feed supplies in the summer, and excess, non-traditional feedstuffs available this fall. For many, the conditions have meant assigning their four-legged residue management systems to canola re-growth. But, as you’ll learn in the following audio, grazing canola without care… Read More

The agriculture industry is pretty bogged down with acronyms, let’s face it. That’s why, every once in a while, we like to do an interview that focuses on what, exactly, these acronyms mean. This week, we’re talking AFAC, or Alberta Farm Animal Care. “We are a multi-species livestock welfare organization,” explains Kristen McDonald, marketing and membership… Read More

In theory, consumers’ willingness-to-pay should rise with the quality of a cut of beef, resulting in more value for the entire beef supply chain. But do beef grading factors — both quality and yield — actually pay in the real world? The answer is “yes,” right from the consumer back to the cow-calf producer, says… Read More

Not all booths at Agritechnica provide the most highly technical of products.  Sometime innovation comes from the simplest of ideas. Fortschritt introduced RealAgriculture’s Shaun Haney and Jason Stroeve to the Silage Compactor at the Agritechnica show in Hannover, Germany.  One of the interesting features of this product is the packers look and feel like train wheels…. Read More

Cattle markets, led by the futures in Chicago, took another tumble this week. “It’s been discouraging, disappointing, but again markets have shown us this this fall, when they make a move, it tends to be pretty violent or erratic,” says Anne Wasko of Gateway Livestock in this latest Beef Market Update. “We don’t seem to move… Read More

I hit the road this week to attend a Planned Grazing Management workshop in Lacombe, organized by the Grey Wooded Forage Association and Organic Alberta. It was the first time I’ve heard Jim Gerrish (co-owner of American Grazinglands Services LLC) speak, though I’ve often heard his name mentioned in circles of self-proclaimed “graziers.” In addition to Gerrish, who… Read More

Manitoba’s newest slaughter plant is up and running, although the facility north of Carman is still waiting for the stamp that would make it the first federally-inspected plant in the province with significant beef capacity in three decades. True North Foods is currently processing 80 to 100 head of cattle and bison per week, with… Read More

Advancements in genetic selection and nutrition are unlocking the potential to improve beef cattle feed efficiency by up to 20 percent, says a beef research scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. Whether it’s on a cow/calf operation or in a feedlot, managing feed costs is a critical part of the business. Susan Markus, in the… Read More

 

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