Livestock
The Saskatchewan government has named the three provincially-inspected meat packing firms set to take part in pilot projects aimed at boosting interprovincial meat trade. Diamond 7 Meats of Lloydminster, Western Prime Meat Processors of Weyburn and Drake Meat Processors of Drake (about 60 km south of Humboldt) will get funding for plant upgrades to meet […] Read more
Sask. packers named for provincial pilot project
Alta. moves to clear up land stewardship legislation
Amendments to Alberta’s much-disputed Land Stewardship Act are expected to clarify aspects that the province says critics have “misinterpreted” as being an attack on property rights. “This government has always and will always respect all existing property rights,” the province’s Sustainable Resource Development Minister Mel Knight said in a release Tuesday announcing the planned amendments. […] Read more
GrainWorld: Pork market dependent on grain prices
Canadian pork producers are starting to see a return to profitability, but it’s too early to tell if they are completely out of the woods yet. That’s according to Richard Anderson, executive vice-president of Informa Economics in Memphis, Tenn., who spoke Tuesday at the Canadian Wheat Board’s annual GrainWorld conference in Winnipeg. On the positive […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle prices stalling
Feeder cattle prices in Western Canada were steady with week-ago levels as the market appears to be losing upward momentum. Cattle weighing 500 to 600 pounds were averaging $168 in southern Alberta, which is marginally lower than a week earlier. Above-normal precipitation throughout the winter will result in stronger demand for grass cattle. Some of […] Read more
Que. rendering plant to heat building with SRMs
A Quebec City-area rendering facility will get a federal loan for over $7.7 million to buy and install a boiler system fuelled by the least-wanted leftovers from slaughter cattle. Sanimax ACI’s plant at Levis will get a repayable contribution of up to $7,742,954 through the federal Slaughter Waste Innovation Program for an “ultra-modern” biomass boiler […] Read more
Hog loans lead N.S. ag dept. to $10M in write-offs
Nova Scotia’s agriculture department will write off $10.3 million in debts from the last fiscal year, an amount made up mostly of defaults on loans to hog farms. The “unusually high amount” on the ag department’s books is due to defaulted hog loan accounts under the provincial Farm Loan Board, the province’s finance department reported […] Read more
Sometimes Maternal Bonding Needs A Bit Of Help
Reading Time: 2 minutes There are ways to bond a mother to her calf, even when she wants nothing to do with it. Animal behaviour specialist Joe Stookey has some old tricks and one relying on brain chemistry. Normal maternal behaviour is both learned and stimulated by the hormone oxytocin, which is released by the brain in a part […] Read more
Bottle-Fed Animals Don’t Stay Gentle Pets
Reading Time: 2 minutes Hand raising an orphan or unwanted male of any species is a dangerous business. Bottle feeding a lamb, calf, or wild creature can be a great introduction to caring for livestock and create wonderful pets which are tame, affectionate, and a lot of fun. But as those loving babies grow up they can become downright […] Read more
Mouldy Feeds Fact Sheet
Reading Time: < 1 minute Foragebeef.ca has just added a new fact sheet pertaining to the feeding of mouldy feeds. With the wet season last summer, mouldy hay and damp grain are issues that cattle folks are dealing with this winter. The fact sheet discusses the use of these feeds in a very balanced manner. This fact sheet from Manitoba […] Read more
U.S. Legs And Thighs
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Mexican government will investigate U.S. producers over dumping complaints lodged by Mexican chicken processors who allege U.S. producers sold chicken legs and thighs on the Mexican market below their cost of production in 2010. Among the U.S. producers named in the complaint are Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride. Mexican imports of U.S. chicken surged […] Read more
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