Earlier this year, the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) announced it would no longer carry out enforcement of Ontario’s animal welfare laws. The announcement has spurred Ontario’s government to evaluate how animal welfare enforcement is handled in the province and will shape new animal welfare legislation. As part of that… Read More
Temperature can tell you many things about an animal — if it’s beginning to fall ill, if it’s about to calve, or if it’s coming into heat. The technology to track temperature and movement of cattle comes in many forms, and a western Canadian company is offering a wireless communication rumen bolus that won’t get… 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
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
Ontario’s provincial government, in partnership with the federal government, has announced updates to the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program. The compensation program was significantly changed under the previous Liberal provincial government, leading to a dramatic increase in rejected claims, higher fees, and much longer wait times to receive approved compensation. After consulting with farmers and… Read More
Reports last week that Kingston’s Canada Royal Milk plant, owned by Chinese company Feihe International, might be in jeopardy following the signing of USMCA, were alarming and confusing, says the head of Kingtson’s economic development corporation. “There is no immediate impact on Feihe Canada Royal Milk’s investment in Kingston or the forecasted job creation,” says Donna… Read More
It wasn’t that long ago that just about everyone said if you are looking to diversify or get out of cows, you should get into goats. The market for these little milk makers, seemingly, had no where to go but up: major processors were expanding or adding product lines, consumption trends positive, and prices were… Read More
It was an exciting day for trade between Canada and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. Today, the Canadian government announced new market access for live cattle exports to the Philippines, along with sheep and goat genetics exports to Indonesia and the Philippines. “Increasing trade with fast-growing and dynamic markets such as those in… Read More
Most livestock producers are aware that significant changes are coming to how they’ll access antibiotic medication for animals as of December 1, 2018. Beginning then, several commonly used antibiotic medications (especially those important for human medicine) will no longer be available through your feed or animal supply store, instead being accessible only through your veterinarian…. Read More
Saskatoon will soon be host to a UK company that develops rapid bacteria detection tests using blood and milk samples. Announced today, PBD Biotech has chosen Saskatoon, SK, as the headquarters for its Canadian subsidiary. The company’s Actiphage technology is a “highly sensitive and specific assay” that detects live bacteria in the blood or milk of… Read More
A group of people concerned about the impact of Health Canada’s plan to revise Canada’s Food Guide and introduce new labels on food packaging have launched a campaign to raise awareness of and opposition to the government’s proposed changes. The campaign, which uses the slogan “Hands Off My Plate,” includes a website, a hashtag (#HandsOffMyPlate,… Read More
Ontario’s veterinary community is responding to the rise in goat and sheep production with new education and research initiatives. Jeff Wichtel, dean of the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), says since September, his school’s curriculum has expanded teaching to include more information on small ruminants, and is conducting several new research projects to build up health… Read More
According to the dictionary, a sin tax is “a tax on items considered undesirable or harmful, such as alcohol or tobacco.” There is mounting pressure from activist groups to add animal proteins to that list of so-called “sinful” items. They argue meat creates added healthcare costs and negative impacts on the environment. It might sound… Read More
My daughter and grandson share the same birthday, August 7. They’re part of a pork-and-grain farming operation near Thamesville. At their birthday celebration on the weekend, our family barbequed pork sausage from their farm on the campfire. There was no reason to doubt the quality of the sausage. We trust the meat packers in nearby… Read More