Livestock
AccuWeather – Dubas Equipment in Nebraska shared this video of the careful efforts a tractor operator used with a front loader to save the life of a cow stuck in the mud after the state’s historic flooding. The video has since gone viral so Dubas has put together a “Nebraska Strong” t-shirt to sell with […] Read more
VIDEO: Tractor operator saves cow trapped in mud after flood
Hunt for deadly porcine virus thwarted at every turn
Officials have gone to extraordinary lengths to find out how porcine epidemic diarrhea arrived here
Reading Time: 6 minutes The porcine epidemic diarrhea continues to spread while officials conduct a relentless, but exasperating, search for how the deadly virus is breaching biosecurity defences. Just two days before the fourth case was confirmed on March 15, officials outlined their exhaustive detective work to track down how the virus came to Alberta and how it is […] Read more
Closing the loop: Food waste gets gobbled up on farms
Chickens eat sushi while washing it down with non-alcoholic beer
Reading Time: 3 minutes Sushi, sandwiches, broccoli, yogurt, and non-alcoholic beer. Sounds like things you might eat when in fact, it’s what I feed my chickens. Yes, you read that right. My chickens eat sushi and drink non-alcoholic beer on occasion. It’s all thanks to a program called The Loop and a local grocery store chain, Save-On-Foods. The Loop […] Read more
China’s pork imports seen doubling in 2019 on swine fever impact
Wuzhen, China | Reuters — China’s 2019 pork imports are set to double from last year to two million tonnes, a Rabobank analyst said on Thursday, as African swine fever hits production of the meat in the world’s top hog market. China has reported 113 outbreaks of the contagious disease since last August, though farmers […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs limit up again on China swine fever fears
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures rallied by their daily trading limits for a second straight day on Thursday on expectations that imports by China would surge as the country’s domestic hog herd is ravaged by a deadly hog disease. All hog contracts posted new contract highs and spot futures reached […] Read more
Beef research council adds grazing resources
Here are factors to consider when creating a grazing management plan for your operation
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Beef Cattle Research Council is expanding the grazing management section of its website. This example, which has been slightly condensed, was posted on the website last month. Effective grazing management on pastures not only ensures high forage yield, sustainability, animal health, and productivity — all of which impact cost of production, it also benefits […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs limit up on China swine virus fears
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures soared by the company’s daily price limit to new contract highs on Wednesday on increasing worries about the spread of a deadly hog disease in China. Traders expect that China, the world’s biggest hog producer and pork consumer, will need to import more U.S. pork […] Read more
Swine fever in China poses risks, rewards for Canadian pork
MarketsFarm — Sharp losses in China’s hog herd due to African swine fever (ASF) are underpinning the North American pork market and could create export opportunities for Canada — if this country manages to stay disease-free. ASF does not affect humans, but the highly viral disease is nearly 100 per cent fatal for hogs with […] Read more
Connecting the dots: Less stress = less sickness = fewer treatments for cattle
The time spent on acclimation is easily reclaimed with the benefit of improved herd health, says longtime vet
Reading Time: 3 minutes Low-stress handling has been around for decades, but the practice is becoming more widespread. “There has always been a bit of a trend,” said Dr. Roy Lewis, a well-known Alberta veterinarian who had a large-animal practice for many years. But while the techniques are commonly used in the handling of purebred bulls, on some cow-calf […] Read more
Building a little trust with bovines can produce big dividends
Low-stress handling isn’t new but it’s gaining new attention thanks to a (gentle) push from a major animal health company
Reading Time: 3 minutes Does the thought of working cattle bring to mind shouting, pushing unwilling cattle in directions they don’t want to go, and excessive prodding? It doesn’t have to be that way. The late Bud Williams started training producers and feedlot workers in low-stress handling methods three decades ago and today that work is carried on by […] Read more