Livestock
What began as a small pilot project to gather deadstock in southern Alberta’s Cardston County in collection bins is running over with calves following storms that led the county to declare a disaster. Normally, the county said in a release Monday, its deadstock removal pilot project would see bins receive three or four dead calves […] Read more
Alta. county calls disaster as storms kill calves
Ont. ag minister rewrites Ontario Pork mandate
Invoking her authority to change or erase some or all of a ruling by her own ministry’s appeal tribunal, Ontario Ag Minister Carol Mitchell has laid out her own plan to have a dual-marketing system for hogs in the province by December. Mitchell in March undertook a ministerial review of a February ruling by the […] Read more
Bluetongue disease status officially downgraded
Five types of bluetongue, a disease affecting cattle and other ruminants, have been officially been downgraded in Canada to “immediately notifiable” from “federally reportable.” The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which said last summer it planned to loosen the rules in Canada’s Reportable Diseases Regulations and Health of Animals Regulations dealing with the five common U.S. […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle comfortable near historical highs
Feeder cattle in Western Canada held value last week despite the Canadian dollar dipping to 12-week lows. Demand for grass cattle has subsided as many farmers are preparing to start seeding. Secondly, there is a fair amount of uncertainty in the world and feedlot operators chose to sit on their hands last week. The media […] Read more
Allergic reactions to eggs dialed back in study
The proteins that cause allergic reactions in some children to foods such as eggs and milk might also hold the key for kids to build a tolerance to those foods. Using a mouse model predisposed to egg allergies, University of Guelph food scientist Yoshinori Mine has found that animals would become desensitized to the allergy-causing […] Read more
ARGENTINE RANCHERS STRIKE
Reading Time: < 1 minute Argentine ranchers halted livestock sales Apr. 29 and joined meatpacking workers at a two-day protest highlighting persistent anger among farmers about government policy in the beef industry. Argentina historically has been a leading global beef supplier, but shipments have been limited in recent months in a bid to boost domestic supplies.
Raising cattle with minimum work and maximum profit
Reading Time: 3 minutes “Putting up a bunch of fence and going around and rotating cattle in a circle without understanding the concepts is rotationally abusing your land.” STEVE KENYON CONSULTANT, GREENER PASTURES LIMITED Steve Kenyon doesn’t believe in doing the ordinary. He’s been ranching for 15 years and currently runs 1,200 head on 3,500 acres of leased land, […] Read more
WAL-MART TIGHTENS BEEF SAFETY
Reading Time: < 1 minute Wal-Mart Stores says it will implement additional beef safety measures to protect against food-borne illnesses. The new program requires Wal-Mart beef suppliers to implement controls to reduce potential contamination levels. Suppliers who do not operate slaughterhouses must comply with the new standard by June 2011, while beef slaughterhouse suppliers would have a two-step approach, with […] Read more
A hobby evolves into a profitable livestock business
Reading Time: 2 minutes “It does take some experience to become efficient, as with any business. But over the years we have found ways to make it a pretty simple business to run.” BILL GIBSON SHEEP FARMER When Bill Gibson first started his lamb operation, it was simply a way to justify buying land in the country and enjoying […] Read more
Rural growth key to new farm bill
Reading Time: < 1 minute Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack called for rural economic development as the key to a vibrant farm sector April 21, an unorthodox beginning for an overhaul of U.S. farm policy. Marking the start of a two-year process to forge a new farm bill, Vilsack told a House Agriculture Committee hearing that he wanted to “expand the […] Read more
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