Reading Time: 3 minutes Veterinary professionals and cat owners have recently begun diagnosing and addressing whisker stress or whisker fatigue in felines. Simply put, the theory is that a cat’s whiskers can become over-stimulated from the unnatural habit of touching the sides of standard food and water dishes, leading to whisker stress or whisker fatigue. Although there is no […] Read more
Watch the whiskers and you’ll learn more about your horse
An animal’s whiskers are important sensory organs and trimming them could be a bad idea
Schoepp: In everyday things, we find our stories and great meaning
On the shelves of my home are bowls that are precious for the memories they hold and the promise they offer
Reading Time: 3 minutes It is that time of year for reflection and as I hold an old cracked bowl in my hand, I am grateful. This bowl is nearly 90 years old and represents a part of my family history. For decades it has held the simple foods grown on the farm – colourful vegetables, bright berries, herbs. […] Read more
Schoepp: The risks to our food system are many and must be addressed
Supply chain issues and inflation have both revealed serious fractures that won’t fix themselves
Reading Time: 3 minutes Our food system was certainly stretched during the pandemic. There were gaps and delays, but food was delivered. Fast forward to now, when we are experiencing massive inflation and the same gaps still appear, but with additional production challenges. Affordability is the new barrier to food in a system that experts describe as volatile and […] Read more
There are many ways of dealing with a product shortage
Vaccine shortages happen, but there are usually alternatives for dealing with the situation
Reading Time: 3 minutes The shortage of scour vaccine illustrates how the cattle industry can respond to issues that are bound to happen in a world with manufacturing failures, transportation issues and problems that can plague biological products. There are three pharmaceutical manufacturers of scour vaccines, so when one is rumoured to run out, veterinarians search the others. Many […] Read more
Schoepp: Having a will doesn’t guarantee a smooth succession process
This important document should provide a path forward, but sometimes it can sink the farm
Reading Time: 3 minutes What could possibly go wrong? There is a farm, a will and the future. Listening to the legal experts at a recent conference, it was a bit of a shocker to hear the situations in which farm families find themselves. It is always best to have a will. This important document should eliminate confusion and […] Read more
The lonely horse suffers greatly in many different ways
Horses are social creatures and social isolation is among their strongest stressors
Reading Time: 2 minutes Horses have major advantages associated with domestic life but they have also incurred disadvantages that deeply affect their overall health and well-being. Perhaps the greatest of these disadvantages is frequent social isolation. Social support in humans has been found to protect individuals from the mental, physical and emotional stressors of life and it appears that […] Read more
Schoepp: It was both an ordinary day and an extraordinary one, too
Sometimes when the load seems too heavy, little moments can lift you up
Reading Time: 3 minutes What started as a downer of a day turned into one of fulfilment and meaning. The person cutting my hair always surprises me with the depth of her compassion and her understanding of the world. Everything about her is beautiful and regardless of where I am that day, I feel uplifted when I go to […] Read more
We have very safe pharmaceuticals, but they must be used properly
Mistakes can happen if you don’t pay close attention to labels and used the correct route of administration
Reading Time: 4 minutes There are various toxicity tests that determine how effective a product is and how to safely use it. There is an acronym called LD 50 (for lethal dose), which is the concentration or amount of a product to kill 50 per cent of the patients. Fortunately, most cattle products we use are very safe. But […] Read more
Schoepp: The business of carbon credits is murky and risky
The payments are small and the agreements are often complex and ill-defined
Reading Time: 3 minutes In overall climate discussion, there is constant reference to trade in terms of carbon sequestration known as carbon credits. This is a global movement in carbon offsets under an assumption that the land, sea, and forests will absorb all carbon from total greenhouse gases. Does this benefit Canadian farmers and consumers? It’s a complex matter […] Read more
The use of medicinal honey in wound care of horses
The right kind of honey is key if you want to try this technique
Reading Time: 3 minutes Medicinal honey shows impressive results in combatting antibiotic resistance, improving patient welfare and economizing wound management for humans and companion animals. When the source of honey is well chosen, there are no mentionable side effects or contra-indications. Honey is roughly 80 per cent simple sugars (such as glucose and fructose) and 20 per cent water […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
