Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s been a year of mixed blessings for Edmonton’s Farmfair International. On the one hand, international interest in the long-running agriculture show is at an all-time high and local support appears as positive as ever. On the other, debate over the future ownership of Northlands’ facilities has put the future of the show’s longtime home […] Read more
Despite challenges, Farmfair International soldiers on
Industry continues to support long-running Edmonton-based ag show and the number of exhibitors and foreign attendees is up
Canada books bigger beef cattle herd
New estimates from Statistics Canada show the country’s cattle producers hanging onto more breeding stock and holding more calves as of July 1 compared to the same date last year. StatsCan’s livestock estimates as of July 1, released Thursday, showed 13.2 million cattle on Canadian farms as of July 1, up 1.3 per cent from […] Read more
Get rid of your cattle if they’re getting too big
Heavier cattle — particularly ones with small frames — can develop feet problems, especially if they suffer heat stress
Reading Time: 3 minutes Don’t keep big, fat cattle around because it could increase animal welfare problems. Animal welfare icon Temple Grandin has recently been sounding alarms about more lameness in beef cattle and part of that is related to heavier weights and genetics. “There are certain genetic lines of beef cattle that are repeating a mistake the pig […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market remains sluggish
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices traded $3 to as much as $10 below week ago levels due to deteriorating feedlot margins and building beef supplies. Once again the bulk of the pressure was on the heavier weight categories as the deferred live cattle futures made fresh contract lows. Alberta packers showed limited interest in fed […] Read more
Get beef innovation in a hurry
Canadian Beef Industry Conference runs from Aug. 9-11
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Beef Cattle Research Council is holding a new extension event for producers — called Bov-Innovation — at the inaugural Canadian Beef Industry Conference in Calgary on Aug. 9-11. The Aug. 10 event will feature information on innovative and emerging production practices for feedlot and cow-calf operators delivered by experts in a fast-paced lightning-round style. […] Read more
Taking a proactive approach to cattle transportation
Understanding cattle behaviour and adjusting density according to cattle type are key to proper transportation
Reading Time: 3 minutes When cattle trucker Rick Sincennes started in the business more than 30 years ago it was a different world. Today animal welfare is a profile issue in the public eye, animal activists are putting pressure on producers and the people involved in cattle transportation have an entirely different level of responsibility for themselves and their […] Read more
Dennis Laycraft new president of Roundtable for Sustainable Beef
Reading Time: < 1 minute Dennis Laycraft is the new president of the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. Laycraft is executive vice-president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and a spokesperson for the beef cattle industry on trade, product safety, and animal disease issues. The global roundtable was established in 2012 with a wide range of stakeholders, including McDonald’s, JBS, Cargill, […] Read more
Famed Hays Converter cattle find a new home — and a new future
Donating the herd to the University of Alberta will improve its genetics and make them more available
Reading Time: 2 minutes A herd of Canada’s first breed of beef cattle will soon be home on the range at the Roy Berg Kinsella Research Ranch. Dan Hays and his family are donating their herd of Hays Converter cattle to the University of Alberta for research purposes, with the herd moving to the Kinsella Research ranch by 2018. […] Read more
More cattle heading to market as drought worsens
Emphasis was on growing the herd, but that’s been nearly abandoned due to dry conditions
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s just a trickle now, but there are fears of a flood of cattle going to market if the drought continues. “It’s a little too early to be splitting up pairs, but we are seeing some pairs sell,” said Anne Wasko, market analyst with Gateway Livestock Services. Sale figures are being closely watched these days […] Read more
Alberta Beef Producers Young Guns Contest open
Submission deadline is midnight, May 30
Reading Time: < 1 minute If you are between the ages of eight and 21, and are involved in Beef 4-H, junior cattle shows or beef production – you could win $1,000 in the Young Guns Contest. The contest is put on Alberta Beef Producers and this year’s theme is: What sustainability means to you and what it looks like […] Read more