Livestock
Alberta’s Olds College will add a new certificate in meat industry management to its curriculum starting next spring. “Upon commencing, it will be the only true gate-to-plate program of its kind in North America, giving graduates a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of the meat industry from slaughter right through to purchase by the consumer,” […] Read more
Olds College to offer meat management certificate
Feds loan $4M for Cavalia expansion, training
Cavalia, a touring equestrian, dance, acrobatic and multimedia show based in Montreal, has picked up $4 million in repayable federal funding to build a permanent horse-training facility and mount a new production. The new horse training centre, to be built at Sutton, about 110 km southeast of Montreal, is intended to put Cavalia “in a […] Read more
Editors’ Picks: Study eyes “sustainable” hen housing
A U.S. coalition of animal welfare researchers, non-government organizations and egg suppliers plans a major study of the “sustainability impacts” of different housing methods for laying hens. The research is to be led by Michigan State University (MSU) and the University of California at Davis (UC Davis). Fast food chain McDonald’s plans to use eggs […] Read more
Livestock council launches kids’ activity book
A new colouring and puzzle book for Saskatchewan elementary schoolchildren focuses on the role of farmers in caring for livestock and poultry. The Farm Animal Council of Saskatchewan (FACS) on Monday released Tales from the FACS Farm, a 16-page book including lesson connections for teachers in specific subject areas such as math, health, research, technology, […] Read more
B.C. pledges ranching task force, more fencing
The British Columbia government plans to create a new task force in support of the province’s ranching industry and renew a fencing program to keep livestock off roads and railway tracks. Speaking Friday at the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association’s general meeting in Kamloops, Premier Gordon Campbell said the task force will “address the challenges the ranching […] Read more
Anaplasmosis Found In Eight Manitoba Herds
Reading Time: 2 minutes Eight cattle herds in eastern Manitoba are under federal quarantine in what may mean a temporary end to Canada’s status as free of anaplasmosis, the Manitoba Co-operator reported May 14. Dr. Lynn Bates, a veterinary program officer with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Winnipeg, said the herds are in an area west of […] Read more
Practical Control Of Sow Feed Costs
Reading Time: 4 minutes Many aspects of gilt and sow management affect feed use efficiency and getting these right can help to control sow feed costs, says Andrew Jackson, with swine breeding company PIC. At each stage of production there are opportunities to use feed more effectively, which provide the possibility of reducing feed cost per piglet weaned significantly, […] Read more
Alberta Dairy Cow BSE Case 16
Reading Time: < 1 minute Few details were available by press time last week as the Canadian Food Inspection Agency launched its investigation into what’s now Canada’s 16th case of BSE. The CFIA confirmed May 15 that the carcass of the animal, an 80-month-old dairy cow from Alberta, did not enter the food or feed chains. The six-year-old cow’s age […] Read more
Tracking The Cause Of Sudden Death
Reading Time: 3 minutes Veterinarians are often asked to perform autopsies on sudden deaths when a perfectly healthy mature animal with no previous history of illness suddenly turns up dead. This often baffles the producer as well as the veterinarian. Thankfully they are generally sporadic, but a careful autopsy will provide the answer and some possible changes to management. […] Read more
In Hogs, H1N1 May Be Just Another Flu: Cfia
Reading Time: 2 minutes Researchers’ early observations of how the human strain of H1N1 influenza affects hogs suggest they get sick, then recover naturally, as they would from any other flu virus seen in hog herds worldwide. Though it acknowledges more study is needed, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) made that early assessment after having mapped the full […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
