Lameness can have a significant impact on a dairy cow’s health, longevity, and productivity. Are dairy farmers doing a better job preventing lameness on their farms than they have in the past? What risk factors can producers better manage to reduce lameness on their farms? Those are questions University of Calgary graduate student Michelle van… Read More
There are oh-so-many factors at play in the oilseed complex, and the latest trade news (hi there, blocked canola shipments) does not bode well for the vegetable oil market. That said, soybean prices seemed to have encountered some price resistance at the mid-$9/bu price… could this be a bottom? Unfortunately, Chuck Penner, realist and founder… Read More
Reproduction performance on Canadian dairy farms is getting better but there’s still room for improvement. That’s the message Mark Cason, EastGen Genetics reproductive solutions manager, shared with producers attending the Western Canadian Dairy Seminar at Red Deer, Alta., earlier this month. Carson’s insights are based on analysis of CanWest DHI herds greater than 150 cows from… Read More
The federal government has earmarked nearly $4 billion in compensation in its next budget for those involved in the supply-managed sector. Now, dairy, chicken, and turkey groups are waiting for the specific details on how the money will be doled out. “What I see here in the budget is something that, where the government is… Read More
While we anxiously await early 2019 statistics, the final 2018 export numbers are in and, when it comes to beef, the numbers are solid. In this week’s Beef Market Update, Gateway Livestock Exchange’s Anne Wasko joins stand-in host Lyndsey Smith to talk about what’s lifting live cattle prices. You don’t have to look much farther… Read More
A confluence of weather events came together in some Midwestern States last week which is causing emotional, physical and financial devastation. A weather ‘cyclone bomb’ with barometric lows most often seen in hurricanes, exploded over a large swath of the U. S. bringing rain, onto snow covered, frozen ground which could not absorb the moisture… Read More
Announced at the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) annual general meeting, the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) won the 2019 Beef Industry Innovation & Sustainability Award (BIISA). The award was presented to the organization Wednesday night at Ottawa. “The CRSB was able to build bridges to working relationships,” says CCA vice president Bob Lowe. “For me, the relationships… Read More
Alberta Pork has confirmed a fourth case of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) in the province, while a fifth case was also detected. The highly contagious virus that affects hogs, was first discovered in Alberta back in January. Since then, the province has recorded a case once a month, aside from this recent discovery of… Read More
The countdown to the seventh annual Canadian Dairy XPO is on as the dairy industry showcase readies to open its doors at the Stratford Rotary Complex on April 3rd and 4th. Show attendance topped 16,000 in 2018 and more than 350 exhibitors representing 40 countries will set up this year to feature the latest dairy… Read More
Lukáš Jurek’s father came to Canada from the Czech republic in 1996 to look at a new innovative technology – storing cattle feed silage in plastic bags. Jurek Sr. liked what he saw, bought the technology, adapted it to European conditions and, in 1998 Euro Bagging was born. The company has since established itself in… Read More
Ottawa has announced up to $31 million in funding to aid in the prevention of African swine fever (ASF) ending up in Canada. The funding will be used to add twenty-four detector dog teams over a span of five years at border and customs crossings. This will bring the total amount of detector dog teams… Read More
It’s an unfortunate reality for many farmers — the very frightening possibility of activists targeting them on their private property, where their homes are, where they care for their livestock and raise their children. Last weekend, Ontario dairy farmers were left shaken when activists trespassed on private property, entered barns without permission, and reportedly, even… Read More
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