It is a good idea to keep an open mind, to make changes when new, better ideas present themselves. Some dairy farmers, for instance, wouldn’t consider breeding some of their cows to a beef sire, but others are doing just that and, under the right circumstances, they are finding it to be a successful cross-breeding… Read More
When are dairy cows in the black? In financial terms, cows typically hit profitability in their second lactation, but too many cows don’t make it to the break-even point, says University of Calgary graduate student Jesse Schuster. Last week at the Western Canadian Dairy Seminar (WCDS) at Red Deer, Alberta, Schuster shared findings from a study of CanWest DHI… Read More
Researchers in Ontario are working on establishing safe use guidelines for meloxicam, a pain relief and anti-inflammatory medication, in grain-fed veal production. The product is currently approved for use in dairy and beef cattle, but not for veal as there is no established withdrawal interval. Two University of Guelph professors, Dr. Ron Johnston and Dr. Dave… Read More
Masterfeeds, an Alltech company, has announced that Mark Bodenham will take on the role as general manager for Ontario. Peter Peacock, who has been with Masterfeeds since 2012, will retire from the role effective March 22, 2019. Bodenham joined Masterfeeds in 2013 after 26 years in monogastric sales and sales management. The company says he… Read More
The National Farm Animal Care Council is digging in and forging ahead on one brand new livestock Code of Practice plus significant revisions on three more: goats for meat, fibre and dairy, dairy cattle, and livestock and poultry transport. Jackie Wepruk is the general manager of NFACC, and says that opening each of these codes… Read More
The Government of Canada has published revisions to the Health of Animals Regulations (HAR). The regulations come into force one year from publication, on February 1, 2020. While the advent of revamped regulations is not unexpected — there has been a significant amount of consultation on the proposed changes — the timing of the final… Read More
In August of last year Art Shaap’s life and livelihood changed in a heart beat. It was then that the owner of Highland Dairy in Clovis, New Mexico, started dumping 15,000 gallons of milk each day because his animals and seven of his 13 wells had been contaminated with runoff from the nearby Cannon Air… Read More
The news Three existing livestock codes of practice will receive updates and one new code of practice will be created with an announced $4.56 million granted to the Canadian Animal Health Coalition (CAHC), on behalf of the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC). NFACC is a collaborative partnership of stakeholders created to share information and work… Read More
With the U.K. set to leave the EU near the end of March, Britain’s trade minister, Liam Fox, seems to be keeping an eye on what he wants to happen after the fact. Many pro Brexiters believe that England would turn to the United States for a quick trade deal since President Donald Trump has shown… Read More
As of yesterday, January 31, 2019, general manager and CEO, Graham Lloyd, is no longer with Dairy Farmers of Ontario, the producer organization has confirmed. According to a spokesperson, the board will be appointing an acting general manager shortly. In the meantime, the board and directors will continue to lead the organization and work to support… Read More
By Jeff English Canada’s Food Guide was updated this week and, not unlike anything done by government, it was met with a mixed reaction. The changes were not so big. We’ve gone from four food groups down to three. Given the year they’ve had on the trade front, it is easy to forgive our dairy… Read More
Canadians have a brand new food guide to help them make decisions when it comes to their nutrition plan, and it’s a large departure from the rainbow of four food groups most have come to recognize. Visualized as a dinner plate, Health Canada’s new offering has plant-based protein and vegetables front and centre. Meat, eggs,… Read More
By Sylvain Charlebois Say goodbye to the four food groups; they are now gone. Almost 12 years after the launch of the previous version, the new food guide celebrates food by displaying a plate filled with greens, fruits, plant proteins and grains. And if you look very carefully, you’ll see a cup of yogurt, alongside… Read More
Merck has acquired Antelliq, the parent company of Allflex, maker and distributor of digital animal identification, traceability, and monitoring products. All outstanding shares of the company were acquired for approximately 2.1 billion Euros, the company says. Merck will also assume Atelliq’s debt of 1.15 billion euros, which it intends to repay shortly after the deal is closed…. Read More
The second phase of the Dairy Farm Investment program will start accepting applications in the New Year. The federal program is a five-year, $250-million program to “help Canadian cow’s milk producers improve productivity through upgrades to their equipment.” The government says the program is designed to assist dairy producers adapt to the anticipated impacts of… Read More