Drug maker Merck’s animal health division will now do business in both Canada and the U.S. as, appropriately enough, Merck Animal Health. Merck last week announced the name change effective June 29 for the business known until now as Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health. The Dutch parent firm said its decision follows its March 22 announcement that […] Read more
Intervet/Schering-Plough to take parent’s name
Klassen: Weak corn equals strong feeder cattle
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were steady to $2 higher in comparison to week-ago levels. Very light auction volumes were reported with many sale barns closed for summer holidays. Feedlot buying interest started to improve late in the week but with limited supplies available, there wasn’t a significant test of the market. Feedlot operators continue […] Read more
Prairie barley bids edge lower
Cash barley bids in Western Canada have slowly softened over the past week and should continue to do so through the summer months, according to a feed grains merchant. Spot bids in the key Lethbridge, Alta. feeding area can currently be found around $208 per tonne, which compares with the recent highs near $212. “Cattle […] Read more
Simmental Tracking Funded
Reading Time: < 1 minute Rob Merrifield, MP for Yellowhead, on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, has announced a grant of $1.7 million to the Canadian Simmental Association for a three-year project using DNA tracking. Merrifield said it will help cattle breeders identify, select and breed cattle that have higher fertility and mothering ability, growth and feed efficiency, and […] Read more
U.S. Hog Herd Slightly Larger
Reading Time: < 1 minute The U.S. hog herd as of June 1 was slightly larger than a year earlier at 65 million head, or 100.6 per cent of a year ago, USDA reported last week. The breeding herd was 5.803 million, 100.3 per cent of a year ago, and the market hog supply was 59.197 million, at 100.6 per […] Read more
DDGS — Good Feed, But Know What You’re Buying
Reading Time: 3 minutes DDGS can fit well in feed rations, but obtaining the right quality and arranging delivery are not as easy as with other feeds, says a broker who handles the product. Ryan Slozka, of Rycom Trading in Kelowna, advises understanding the industry and its logistics before you start using it in your rations. DDGS – distillers […] Read more
Lentils Are A Good Source Of Protein For Weaned Pigs
Reading Time: 3 minutes With the current high price of feed ingredients, hog producers are looking for alternative sources of energy and protein in order to reduce costs, without compromising performance. Producers in Western Canada have a range of alternative ingredients available, including distillers’ grains, faba beans, peas, extruded canola meal, flaxseed and lentils. The question is how to […] Read more
Basis Plays Big Role In Marketing Cattle Into U.S.
Reading Time: 3 minutes Basis is the difference in the price of Canadian cattle and American cattle, expressed in Canadian dollars. There is a basis for both fed and feeder cattle. The western cash-to-cash basis on fed cattle usually compares Nebraska and Calgary. It takes into account the value of Canadian currency on the “spot,” which means at that […] Read more
Blue-Green Algae Poisoning
Reading Time: 3 minutes Having practised in Western Canada for over 25 years I have yet to diagnose a known case of algae poisoning. In Eastern Canada with the growing human and livestock populations surrounding water bodies there have been increasing problems, and it may only be a matter of time before the incidence increases out west. With recent […] Read more
Energetic New Farmers Never Pass Up An Opportunity
Reading Time: 2 minutes Doug and Daena Seland don’t back down from a challenge, although their willingness to “seize the day” means there’s rarely an idle moment at Crows Landing, the catch-all name for the family’s five farm enterprises. “We don’t rely just on one thing to make our money. It’s a matter of juggling time in everything,” said […] Read more