Sydney | Reuters — An Australian backbencher on Monday introduced legislation to parliament to ban the export of live sheep after the death of 2,400 animals led to widespread criticism of the A$250 million (C$241.96 million) industry. The bill threatens to expose fractures within the ruling coalition government, which last week introduced tougher oversight of […] Read more
Australian lawmaker pushes to end live sheep exports
Goats and beetles used to fight invasive species
Leafy spurge is found across Alberta and its creeping root system makes it very difficult to control
Reading Time: < 1 minute Pull, mow, burn, and spray. These are common ways that Ducks Unlimited Canada manages invasive plant species on projects located on agricultural land. But there’s a new management tool in the mix now being used by the organization. It has started using goats and flea beetles to help combat leafy spurge at its Frank Lake […] Read more
Efficiency in sheep production measured in pennies
Reading Time: 3 minutes Some livestock producers think about saving a buck when feeding their animals. But for sheep producers, it comes down to cents. “With sheep, you’ve always got to think about costs,” said Paul Luimes, a livestock nutrition researcher at the University of Guelph. “You’ve got to look for pennies to save because there’s not a lot […] Read more
No kidding around – goat expert offers breeding advice
Have some very good fencing, a pregnant-looking animal often isn’t, and have a chat with your vet
Reading Time: 3 minutes Everyone wants their goats to kid, but there are a few things they can do to ensure that breeding is done well, says a leading North American goat expert. “A female goat likes a choice,” Mary Smith said at the recent Alberta Goat Breeders Association conference. “Does do have preferences in which bucks they will […] Read more
Ontario to back baby formula plant
A baby formula plant proposed for eastern Ontario has got a major boost from the Ontario government. The $225 million plant is being built at Kingston by Canada Royal Milk ULC, a subsidiary of Chinese company Feihe International. The Ontario government has committed up to $24 million to the project, which will export baby formula […] Read more
Calling Alberta deer hunters
Reading Time: < 1 minute The University of Calgary faculty of veterinary medicine is looking for help from deer hunters. Researchers at the faculty are conducting a study on gastrointestinal parasite diversity in deer. For that, they need fresh feces samples. Hunters who see deer defecate are asked to collect samples and send by courier to the department. Samples can […] Read more
Ontario’s sheep producers rebrand
The organization that represents sheep farmers in Ontario has a new name and look. The Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency (OSMA) is now known as the Ontario Sheep Farmers, effective at the Ontario Sheep Convention held Thursday and Friday at Alliston. OSMA’s board of directors made the change following a resolution at the 2015 annual meeting. […] Read more
Sheep industry struggles to match supply with demand
Reading Time: 3 minutes The law of supply and demand may usually prevail, but it’s having a bit of trouble working in the Canadian sheep industry. “The No. 1 challenge we face is a shortage of supply,” said Miles Kliner, general manager of Sungold Specialty Meats in Innisfail. “That has been going on for 15 to 16 years. We […] Read more
Strong meat demand spells bright future for goat industry
Demand is far outstripping supply for Canadian goat meat — and enterprising producers can capitalize on this trend
Reading Time: 2 minutes When Myrna Gisler moved back to the family farm near Innisfail, her parents decided it was time to branch out into something a little different — ostriches. That lasted all of two weeks. “I didn’t want a thing to do with them,” said Gisler with a laugh. “Those things are evil. They’re miserable creatures. I […] Read more
Alberta to restore non-refundable checkoff option
Alberta’s farmed-commodity commissions may soon be able to make their checkoffs non-refundable again if their producer members are willing. The provincial government on Tuesday tabled amendments to the Marketing of Agricultural Products Act (MAPA) which would grant each of the province’s 13 agricultural commissions the ability to determine whether their checkoffs should be refundable or […] Read more
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