The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) amendments to Health of Animals Regulations are set to come into force February 20, 2020, but, in the case of cattle, at least, it’s unclear if the changes will actually benefit the livestock being transported. For cattle, the big changes proposed centre around the maximum allowable time in transit,… Read More
Nominations are now open for the Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation. The award has been presented by the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) for the past four years. According to a press release, nominations are welcome from all stakeholders of the Canadian beef industry and will be reviewed by a selection committee comprised… Read More
Canada’s fourth Beef Quality Audit (BQA) was completed in March 2018, following previous audits in 1995, 1998, and 2010/11. The carcass audit measured the incidence and economic costs of avoidable defects in Canadian slaughter cattle and beef and identified opportunities to avoid these losses. The BQA is one way to check back on several data… Read More
In January, the National Beef Strategic Planning Group published its strategic goals for 2020 in a paper that brought to light the full depth of funding issues being faced by the industry. “Since the National Check-off was introduced in 2002,” the report reads, “inflation and a reduced number of marketings resulted in less check-off collected,… Read More
The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) published a resource on body condition scoring cattle this week. Along with the video below, the BCRC’s body condition scoring resource provides an interactive cow graphic, enabling you to compare an animal along a changing scale, and see the gains and losses in pregnancy rates, value, antibody levels in colostrum… Read More
The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) announced a new initiative, and it’s far from being “just another mentorship program.” The Beef Research Mentorship Program marries sectors of the cattle industry, bringing research extension to cattle producers and a greater understanding of production to Canada’s applied researchers. This week, the BCRC upgraded its announcement to include the mentor/mentee matches. These… Read More
Moving livestock safely, even short distances, requires the right type of trailer, skilled handlers and an informed plan for transport length and conditions. In order to ensure Canadian cattle are being handled with positive outcomes in mind, we need scientifically-informed guidelines for what appropriate travel durations and conditions are. Dr. Karen Schwartzkopf-Genswein, an Agriculture and… Read More
Did you know there is a cattle vaccine that “aids in the reduction of shedding of E. coli O157”? If your first thought is, “Then why do we still have E. coli contamination?” you’re not alone. The fact is, although Canadian beef producers have been instrumental in supporting work to find a solution to E…. Read More