Reading Time: 3 minutes Much of the debate on farm animal welfare changes has centred on major infrastructure shifts such as facilities improvements and housing approaches. But the greatest challenge — and also opportunity — facing animal agriculture may lie not in the physical environment but rather in the mindset of producers, says David Fraser, a professor of applied […] Read more
Livestock sector needs the mindset to improve animal welfare
David Fraser says a ‘professional animal production’ approach to animal welfare is needed to reassure society
Telling farming’s story — the good, the bad and the ugly
Airdrie vet Cody Creelman says being open and honest takes away power from foes of livestock production
Reading Time: 3 minutes Eight seconds is a good bull ride. And in the new age of Tweets, Vines and Snapchats, it’s also about all the time needed to create a viral video or have someone form an impression — good or bad — about animal agriculture. So how can producers benefit from social media? Airdrie vet Cody Creelman […] Read more
Want to earn a premium? Take a page from Rolex’s playbook
Heritage Angus Beef became one of Canada’s largest specialty beef producers by positioning itself as a luxury product
Reading Time: 3 minutes What do BMWs and bison have in common? More than you might think, says the CEO of Heritage Angus Beef. “Bison or high-end beef are no different than high-end Scotch or Grey Goose Vodka or a Rolex,” Christoph Weder said at the Wildrose Bison Convention earlier this month. “Bison are not a commodity. They’re a […] Read more
New agency to handle Sask. animal welfare enforcement
Saskatchewan’s animal protection officers will start Wednesday with a new not-for-profit agency handling animal welfare enforcement work in the province. The provincial agriculture department on Thursday announced a two-year, $610,000-per-year agreement to fund investigative services provided by Animal Protection Services of Saskatchewan, effective April 1. A new toll-free phone number, 1-844-382-0002, will be in place […] Read more
Pork producers will soon need to use pain medication in routine swine procedures
Pork producers will need to use pain medications for procedures such as castration and tail docking starting in July 2016
Reading Time: 3 minutes Change is coming, but it won’t be huge change nor difficult for pork producers to adopt. Effective July 1, 2016, producers will have to use pain mitigation medication when performing procedures like castration and tail docking. “There are a number of these elective husbandry procedures in the code, and these are painful procedures for pigs, […] Read more
Temple Grandin says producers ‘pushing biology too hard’
High-profile animal welfare expert says producers must address livestock issues or society will dictate solutions
Reading Time: 4 minutes Farmers, you have issues — downer dairy cows, structurally unsound cattle, and osteoporosis so bad in laying hens that huge numbers of them suffer broken bones. That’s the latest message from world-renowned animal scientist Temple Grandin, and it comes with a stark warning: Producers need to address these issues before society steps in and dictates change. […] Read more
Beef website offers insights and tips on pain mitigation
Cattle’s experience with pain is not fully understood, but research on minimizing pain is steadily advancing
Reading Time: 5 minutes The Beef Cattle Research Council has updated the pain mitigation section of its website. The following is an edited version of that page, which also contains videos and links to further articles. Consumer pressure to avoid painful practices on cattle when possible — and to reduce pain when castration, dehorning, or branding are necessary — […] Read more
Livestock care in the spotlight
Reading Time: < 1 minute A low-stress cattle-handling and body condition-scoring workshop; understanding animal welfare; and a diversified livestock panel will be part of the 2015 Annual Livestock Care Conference on March 26-27 in Calgary. The conference, hosted by Alberta Farm Animal Care, is intended to address challenges and trends in animal care. Other topics include social media in animal […] Read more
Pain mitigation in livestock conference
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Antimicrobial Stewardship & Pain Mitigation in Livestock: Current Developments Conference will take place Jan. 27, 2015 in Olds at the Pomeroy Inn & Suites. The conference, which is free, will feature presentations on pain mitigation from a welfare standpoint, the management perspective, respiratory pathogens, pain mitigation for livestock, swine, and horses, antimicrobial resistance and poultry, […] Read more
Study says healthy cattle can manage taxing transport
Researchers find well-conditioned cattle bear up well during transport
Reading Time: 4 minutes A prominent animal welfare group calls it “transport torture,” but a new study has found conditions inside livestock trailers don’t normally have a significant impact on animal health. The Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada study looked at trailer microclimates during cattle transport. “We thought they might have an impact on the health and morbidity rates once […] Read more
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