Reading Time: 3 minutes We are all trying to get factual information on the health, production and welfare of our herds. Sometimes it is hard to stay abreast of all the information. Publications like this one, and websites of the Beef Cattle Research Council, Canadian Cattle Association and provincial beef producers’ groups, can help with that. YouTube videos, if […] Read more
Expert beef advice via audio
Podcasts are convenient and can offer what producers need to know, when they need to know it and with many ways to listen
Garden-grown proprioception and your horse
Horse Health: Proprioception gardens mix different types of footing, obstacles and terrain to build a horse’s body awareness
Reading Time: 3 minutes Proprioception is a natural ability shared by humans and horses. It involves the body’s inherent awareness of its position, movement and balance in relation to the surrounding environment. In horses, this perception varies. Different lifestyles and occupations require variable levels of proprioception to navigate daily tasks without stumbling or tripping and when encountering obstacles. However, […] Read more
The ‘rescue’ horse
With the proper approach, rescue horses can prosper and be public ambassadors for horse care
Reading Time: 4 minutes Rescue horses bring great awareness to equine welfare and serve as powerful reminders of the significance of responsible horse ownership. Like equine ambassadors, they provide valuable feedback and insights into the industry. These horses showcase the powerful outcomes that can be achieved when their fundamental needs change from absent to fulfilled. The term “rescue horse” […] Read more
Schoepp: Forced farming
Autocratic regimes seem hell-bent on returning to the scary past by implementing planned agriculture
Reading Time: 3 minutes A troubling trend is creeping up on global farmers as governments control food production and eliminate crop diversity. In China, “non-grain” farming has become the target of the Rural Comprehensive Administrative Law Enforcement Brigade, or nongguan, which exercises agricultural administrative penalties and related inspections for the Agriculture and Rural Development ministries. The areas that farmers […] Read more
Schoepp: Tiny Singapore can teach Canada about food security
With almost no arable land, the country takes a high-tech approach to feeding its people
Reading Time: 3 minutes Will rooftop farming address food insecurity? Likely not, but the trend continues to grow in large urban centres and land-starved countries as the cost of food skyrockets and accessibility declines. Fellow Nuffield Scholar Jodie Mitchell sent a post from a rooftop garden in Singapore that supplied food for the hotel it was built upon. This […] Read more
When horses are distressed, you need to understand the cause
Reading Time: 3 minutes Horses, like humans, can experience anxiety and become emotionally distressed. Anxiety affects their focus, behaviour and performance, and can also have a profound impact on their health and soundness. There is growing interest in the use of calming supplements to manage horse anxiety and stress levels. However, these remedies may provide only temporary relief without […] Read more
Schoepp: Farms need workers, so don’t exclude folks who are older
Dipping into the senior labour pool may seem a little odd, but older workers bring a lot to the table
Reading Time: 3 minutes There is no denying that farmers will retire in huge numbers in the next little while. The projection in a new report from Royal Bank is that 40 per cent of our farmers will exit by 2033. While that might create a sense of panic, a lot can change in 10 years and for now […] Read more
More information is better when looking for your next herd sire
Scrotal size is a key indicator and getting reliable, consistent measurements isn’t difficult
Reading Time: 3 minutes Scrotal circumference and scrotal palpation are among the quickest, repeatable and fact-revealing pieces of information we can get on bulls. Some breeds get away with less scrotal size, but we have also seen that scrotal size, on average, has gone up through selection. Because it is quite heritable, fertility improves. However, we are probably reaching […] Read more
Schoepp: Some are demanding deep and misguided changes to farms
Reducing emissions or boosting green energy and indoor farming is fine, but controlling farms isn’t
Reading Time: 3 minutes I have been listening to regional and international panels addressing the future of food security. In many circles, the talk is of reducing animal agriculture, government acquiring food production lands, reducing crop inputs and alternative systems. It seems we are on the verge of trashing a complex natural ecology for non-food-bearing green spaces and vertical […] Read more
Epigenetics underscores the need of getting a foal off to a good start
Genes are only part of the story — how they’re expressed is a different matter
Reading Time: 2 minutes Epigenetics is an emerging branch of genetic science that examines the impact of the environment on an organism’s development. This field shows that genes can be switched on or off through life events without changing DNA sequences. The epigenome serves as a type of biological software that directs the genomic hardware of cells to determine […] Read more