CNS Canada — Forage supplies are starting to dwindle across Western Canada following a long, cold, winter and rain is needed soon to make for a good forage crop this year. “People tended to kind of blend hay this year and they managed to get through. But the prolonged cold spring really I think put […] Read more
Forage supplies starting to dip on dry Prairies
They’ll drink to that — clean water boosts weight gain
Providing pumped water can boost weaning weights by 18 pounds and reduce health issues
Reading Time: < 1 minute Giving cattle access to clean water can improve herd health and increase weight gain and backfat. A 2005 study reported that calves whose dams drank from water troughs gained on average 0.09 pound per day more than those with access to a dugout. Because water and forage intake are closely related, as cows drink more […] Read more
The environmental argument for cattle
Critics who slam the sector over water use and greenhouse gases only give half the story, says Beef Cattle Research Council
Reading Time: 5 minutes Editor’s note: A recent blog from the Beef Cattle Research Council offers its rebuttal to “vilifying headlines and simple, partial arguments” that criticize the beef industry for its water use and environmental impact. The following is a condensed version of the blog, which can be found at the Beef Cattle Research Council website. Make no […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market faces many headwinds
Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle prices were relatively unchanged. Feedlot operators and order buyers were contending with a number of variables which resulted in a defensive tone. First, the Canadian dollar rallied late in the week, derailing any buying interest from south of the border. U.S. feeder cattle markets were also trading […] Read more
Seeding schedule behind on five-year average, pastures green up
Alberta crop conditions as of May 8, 2018
Reading Time: 2 minutes Warm, dry weather throughout the province during the reporting period dried soils sufficiently to allow producers to start spring operations in all regions. Seeding progress is approaching 10 per cent completed as compared to the 5 year average of near 30 per cent, approximately 7-10 days behind normal. Standing water is disappearing but remains a […] Read more
Ford scrambles to restart truck production after fire at supplier
Detroit | Reuters — Ford Motor Co. is working with a key supplier to shift some parts production from Michigan to Ontario, after a fire and subsequent parts shortages forced the automaker to halt manufacturing of its highly profitable full-size pickups, according to sources familiar with the companies’ plans. The supplier, Chinese-owned Meridian Magnesium Products, […] Read more
Seeding delayed across the province, overland flooding continues
Alberta crop conditions as of May 1, 2018
Reading Time: < 1 minute A late spring has delayed seeding in all regions. Daily average temperatures in the first half of April were 8-10 degrees below long term normals postponing snow melt. Warm temperatures during the second half of the month has melted all the snow though soil dry down and warming have been negatively impacted by the late […] Read more
Germany plans to toughen conditions for insecticide use
Berlin | Reuters — Germany plans to make it more difficult for farmers to use crop insecticides in a bid to preserve biodiversity, an environment ministry document showed. “Insect biomass has fallen by more than 75 per cent in the last 27 years in Germany,” according to the paper seen by Reuters on Wednesday, saying […] Read more
May showers likely to leave growers unsatisfied
CNS Canada — Canada’s Prairies can expect to see regular rainfall in most regions during May, but it likely won’t be enough to offset dry conditions recorded over the past several months. According to Drew Lerner of World Weather Inc. in Kansas City, the first half of May should see average rainfall amounts in most […] Read more
Vet college’s full accreditation survives funding cut
The looming exit of one of its major funding partners notwithstanding, the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) has earned full accreditation through 2024. The American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) Council on Education, the accrediting body for veterinary colleges in North America, recently confirmed Saskatoon-based WCVM’s status as “Accredited (w/minor deficiency).” “Minor […] Read more