Reading Time: 2 minutes Dylan and Colleen Biggs of TK Ranch were two of the recipients of awards of distinction at the recent Livestock Care Conference hosted by Alberta Farm Animal Care. The Hanna-area ranchers were recognized for their long-term commitment to animal welfare and sustainably produced food, which has served as a model approach inspiring the progress of […] Read more
Hanna ranchers win award for animal care
Look at your farm the way a consumer would, says animal welfare expert
The term ‘producers’ is a problem, and so are a host of common practices
Reading Time: 3 minutes Producers need to talk and think about animal welfare differently to gain the trust of consumers, says an official overseeing animal welfare at one of the largest dairies in the U.S. “Everything happens through people,” Jennifer Walker, a veterinarian and director of dairy stewardship at Dean Foods, said at the recent Livestock Care conference hosted […] Read more
Nominations sought for AFAC’s Awards of Distinction
Deadline for nominations is Feb. 15
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Farm Animal Care is seeking nominations for its Awards of Distinction, which recognize individuals or groups who have made exceptional contributions in the field of livestock welfare. There are three award categories: The communication award recognizes those who have taken an active role in effectively getting the message out about livestock issues, and informing […] Read more
Upping your game through pain control
New video makes the case that pain control makes sense in a host of ways
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Beef Cattle Research Council has a new video to help producers better understand new pain control requirements. As of Jan. 1, the national beef code requires pain control after horn bud attachment and for castration of bulls older than nine months. (The latter changes to six months as of Jan. 1, 2018.) The benefits […] Read more
Five reasons to celebrate 2015
There's no denying it was a troubled year, but don't forget the many good things that happened
Reading Time: 5 minutes As you look back on 2015, do you feel the January blues coming on? The oil price crash went from bad to awful, tighter margins were made worse by summer drought, and ‘disaster’ seems a charitable description for Bill 6. But there were lots of positive developments in the past year and now’s not a […] Read more
Nestle to switch to cage-free eggs in U.S. by 2020
New York | Reuters –– Nestle said Tuesday it will stop using eggs laid by caged hens in its U.S. products by 2020, making it the largest packaged food company to go cage-free amid pressure from consumers and animal-rights groups. The world’s largest food maker said it uses about 20 million pounds of eggs annually […] Read more
Pain control for cattle the new normal
The beef code of practice recommends pain control medication for procedures such as dehorning and castrating
Reading Time: 3 minutes Times are changing, and both growing social pressure and knowledge about animal welfare is making pain control part of the equation in cattle production. “Society expects it of us, and it’s part of that social licence to operate,” said John Campbell, a veterinarian and head of large-animal clinical sciences at the Western College of Veterinary […] Read more
Maple leaf touts sustainability efforts
Reading Time: < 1 minute Maple Leaf Foods has launched a new website — mapleleafsustainability.ca — to highlight the company’s efforts in the areas of animal care, nutrition, environmental impact and food security. “The issues are daunting, but as Canada’s largest protein company, we want to be at the leading edge of change,” said Maple Leaf CEO Michael McCain. The […] Read more
New pain control medication for livestock hits the market
Calgary-based company creates affordable medication for horses and cattle
Reading Time: 2 minutes A Calgary-based company has created a pain control drug that could be a game changer for the North American cattle and horse industries. Oral Meloxicam, a tasteless liquid that can be administered orally or added to feed, is the first pain control medication developed for livestock in North America. “The most common procedure we can […] Read more
Starbucks to switch to all cage-free eggs by 2020
Chicago | Reuters — Starbucks will switch to using only eggs laid by cage-free chickens at its North American locations within five years, the company told Reuters on Thursday. The company said it has been steadily working on making the switch since it began buying cage-free eggs in 2008. The pledge follows similar moves by […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
