Livestock
Reading Time: < 1 minute Japan bought U.S. pork Mar, 17, which eased concerns in the U.S. meat industry that such business would be disrupted by the devastating earthquake. The purchases did not appear to be for emergency needs. “I characterize it as more normal. That is the message. It is encouraging to see business getting back to normal,” one […] Read more
Japan Buys U.S. Pork
Cattle Can Prosper On Winter Grazing If You’ve Planned Ahead
Reading Time: 3 minutes More and more producers are turning to winter grazing, but that increases the need to plan ahead. “As Canadians, we’ve gotten more used to the idea that the cattle can do quite fine outside,” said Ken Ziegler, a beef specialist from Rocky Mountain House who spoke about winter grazing at a recent cow-calf economics meeting […] Read more
Lactation Management Impacts Future Parity Productivity
Reading Time: 4 minutes The sow’s protein and fat reserves may be severely depleted during the suckling period due to the limitations of appetite, notes Dr. Bas Kemp from the Department of Animal Sciences at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Weight and protein losses exceeding 12 per cent have been shown to result in reproductive problems such as extended […] Read more
Feds Boost BIXS Beef Carcass Data Efforts
Reading Time: 1 minute The information side of the beef business is getting nearly $8 million from the federal government. The largest chunk of cash, $5.3 million, will be used to help farms, feedlots and packing plants update their information technology systems to ensure they remain compatible with the Beef InfoXchange System (BIXS). BIXS is a beef information exchange […] Read more
Is That Cow More Efficient, Or Is She Just Prettier?
Reading Time: 3 minutes Imagine two cows: One tall and lean-looking with narrow flanks, and the other short legged, with an enormous gut and girth. Most ranchers would be quick to put the first one on the cull truck in fall, and the other out with the bull on pasture for next year. But appearances can be deceiving. Under […] Read more
Beef Agency Merger Back On Track
Reading Time: 2 minutes A proposal to merge Canada’s national beef checkoff agency with its domestic and international marketing bodies will continue, as the checkoff agency moves to take back its marketing roles. The National Check-off Agency – the nickname for the Canadian Beef Cattle Research, Market Development and Promotion Agency – announced March 11 it now has “clear […] Read more
Above-Average Rain Seen In Australia
Reading Time: < 1 minute Eastern Australia is expected to see wetter-than-average weather in the April to June period, the weather bureau said Mar. 22, indicating the region may see ideal wheat-planting conditions when seeding of the 2011-12 crop starts in April. The chances of above-median rainfall from April through June are between 60 per cent and 75 per cent […] Read more
AFAC Conference A Proactive Step For Animal Welfare
Reading Time: 3 minutes We focus on animal care and welfare every day in Alberta but spring is especially important. It is the time when the industry unites to learn, debate and plan a road map for animal care and welfare in the province. The Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC) conference highlights research, regulations, codes of practice, economics and […] Read more
SHEEP SHEARING: A Dying, But Sorely Needed Art
Reading Time: 3 minutes Sheep shearing is becoming a lost skill and with the Alberta flock growing, the need for more shearers is becoming more pressing. Rod and Jacquie Turuk have found a creative way to cope. “We couldn’t find a shearer at the right time for us, so we decided to host the sheep-shearing workshop,” said Jacquie. “Hopefully, […] Read more
Canada/Eu Truce
Reading Time: < 1 minute Canada has agreed to suspend all sanctions on imports from the European Union as part of efforts to resolve a long-running trade dispute on beef hormones, the EU’s executive said on Mar. 17. Signing a memorandum of understanding finalized in November, Canada pledged to lift sanctions on EU meat products worth $11 million a year, […] Read more
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