Livestock
Reading Time: 2 minutes The requirement for a Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship for obtaining a prescription for an antimicrobial isn’t just a Canadian thing. “It’s much bigger than us, it’s a global initiative,” said Dr. Mike Jelinski, a partner in Veterinary Agri-Health Services in Airdrie. This whole initiative of tightening up on antibiotics came down from Health Canada because it is […] Read more
The nuts and bolts of a Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship
A veterinarian needs to know your operation and you need to agree to his or her recommendations
U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs slip on trade truce worries
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures fell for a second consecutive session on Tuesday on concern over a trade truce agreement reached over the weekend between the U.S. and China, the world’s top hog and pork market. Global stock markets tumbled on Tuesday as optimism waned that the U.S. and China could quickly […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market searching for direction
Western Canadian feeder cattle markets were quite variable from seven days earlier. Prices were unchanged in the eastern Prairie regions; however, Alberta markets traded $3 to as much as $7 below week-ago levels. Alberta and Saskatchewan feedlot inventories are running 16 per cent above year-ago levels, so there’s limited buying power available. Calves are fleshier […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs ease, await trade truce benefits
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures closed mostly lower on Monday in a profit-taking setback from near two-highs as traders awaited further confirmation of pork purchases by China following a thaw in tense trade relations over the weekend. At a gathering of G20 countries in Argentina on Saturday, the White House agreed to […] Read more
Alberta cattle producers vote to keep refundable checkoff
Preliminary results in Alberta beef producers’ service charge plebiscite put a slim majority in favour of keeping their checkoff refundable. Out of 1,874 votes cast, 962 votes, or 51.3 per cent, fell in favour of a refundable service charge model, with 908 for a non-refundable model and four ballots spoiled, according to the preliminary figures […] Read more
Why isn’t Alberta’s cattle herd in growth mode?
History says this should have been a boom year — but cattle numbers are actually falling
Reading Time: 5 minutes This should have been a golden year for cattle producers — but it wasn’t just the weather that didn’t co-operate. Viewed through a high-level, macro-economic lens, the national herd should have seen a significant jump in numbers as the cattle cycle — that big wheel that takes a decade or so to make one turn […] Read more
The big wheel keeps on turning
Reading Time: < 1 minute In a perfect world, supply would equal demand and everything would balance out. But it’s not a perfect world, which is why there’s something that Brenna Grant of Canfax calls a “biological-economic phenomenon influenced by production, prices, and profits.” This is the cattle cycle. It starts when demand spikes for one reason or another, and […] Read more
Is there an Alberta advantage when it comes to beef?
Lots of research has been done on evaluating juiciness and tenderness, but the flavour factor isn’t well understood
Reading Time: 3 minutes When people talk about a cut of meat, they might praise its juiciness and tenderness. But they don’t often talk about its flavour. This is something Nicole Gaudette — an expert in a branch of science called sensory analysis — wants to change. “By using sensory evaluation to study consumer preferences, we get an idea […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures up slightly
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures closed modestly higher on Friday on short-covering after a four-session slide and concern that wintry weather in the central Plains in the coming days could slow cattle weight gain, traders said. Lean hog futures were mixed as traders awaited news on U.S.-China trade talks expected this weekend as […] Read more
Vet award winners announced
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Veterinary Medical Association has announced the recipients of its 2018 ABVMA awards. Dr. Robert (Bob) Jones has been named Veterinarian of the Year while Dr. Peter Martin will receive the Meritorious Service award when the association holds its awards banquet in February. The Young Veterinarian of the Year award will go to Dr. […] Read more