Reading Time: 2 minutes At least 30 ranches in southeastern Alberta are under quarantine by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency after a cow from the area was found to have bovine tuberculosis. The finding has so far led to three premises in the province’s southeast being declared infected, as the lone confirmed infected animal’s home (index) herd is based […] Read more
Ranches in southeast hit hard after TB discovered
At least 30 ranches under quarantine after a cow from the Jenner-Suffield area was found to have bovine tuberculosis
Body condition scoring pays dividends
Beef 911: Having a good handle on body condition allows you to fatten thin cows and feed less to fat ones to boost performance
Reading Time: 4 minutes Body condition scoring really means assessing the condition and fat cover on your cow to enable you to feed them for optimal growth and reproductive performance. It may mean separating the fat and thin groups from the main herd, which allows you to feed them separately to save feed on the fat ones and build […] Read more
ALMA reaches the end of the road
The agency’s eight-year legacy was celebrated, and future plans outlined at its last FutureFare conference
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency held a final meeting cum celebration before its dissolution at the end of October. “It’s been a heck of a ride. This is emotional,” ALMA board chair Dave Chalack said to an audience of about 260 industry partners, board directors, and staff at the agency’s last FutureFare conference. The […] Read more
Alberta now home to world-class RFID tag testing lab
Lots can go wrong with plastic ear tags when it’s really cold and the new SAIT lab will help reduce the incidence of tag failure
Reading Time: 3 minutes Alberta is now home to an internationally certified laboratory for testing the radio frequency identification (RFID) tags used to track livestock across the value chain. The lab, located at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology’s (SAIT) Applied Research and Innovation Services (ARIS) department in Calgary, is one of only three certified animal RFID testing labs […] Read more
Saskatchewan to thin out wolf pack along treeline
Aiming to prevent “wolf-livestock conflicts” in the region, Saskatchewan’s environment department will again offer a wolf hunting season along the provincial forest fringe starting Saturday. The wolf hunt, running from Oct. 15, 2016 through to March 31, 2017, is to be allowed in wildlife management zones 43 (Melfort, Tisdale), 47 (North Battleford, Turtleford), 48 (Preeceville, […] Read more
Bill to tighten cruelty laws downed in Commons
A federal private member’s bill meant to tighten animal cruelty laws in Canada — alarming farm organizations and energizing animal welfare groups en route — has gone the way of most private members’ bills. Bill C-246, introduced in February by Toronto Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith and given first reading, died Wednesday in the House of […] Read more
Cattle feeders get proactive with new feedlot animal welfare audit
Rather than wait and see multiple audits imposed by packers and retailers, the National Cattle Feeders Association developed an easy-to-use tool
Reading Time: 3 minutes Last April, the Vancouver-based Earls restaurant chain announced it would no longer source its beef from Canada, opting instead for ‘Certified Humane’ beef sourced from the United States. Though pressure from customers loyal to Canadian beef eventually forced the chain to reverse the decision, those most in the know — the feedlot associations and meat […] Read more
Cattle producers and feeders in checkoff stalemate
ABP has proposed a new funding council, but that wasn’t enough to sway cattle feeders
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Alberta Beef Producers and the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association have come to an impasse on making the provincial checkoff non-refundable. And that’s put the controversial matter in the hands of the provincial government. “We’re trying to come up with a plan,” said Martin Zuidhof, chair of the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association. “That’s where it’s […] Read more
Ag in Motion boosts livestock programming for 2016
Reading Time: 2 minutes The new Livestock Central presented by BMO Financial Group will showcase live demonstrations, speakers and interactive exhibits featuring products and services specific to livestock producers. Nestled between 1st Street and 3rd Street along Manitoba Drive, Livestock Central will feature indoor and outdoor exhibits. The indoor exhibits will be housed in a new 60×60-foot Livestock Pavilion, […] Read more
‘Sustainable’ beef pilot a success, but job isn’t done yet
McDonald’s pilot is complete, but now the Canadian beef industry has to create and implement its own standards
Reading Time: 4 minutes After being the first to source and track “verified sustainable” beef for McDonald’s, the Canadian cattle industry has a new challenge — create its own standards that all of its buyers can use. The wrap-up event drew more than 300 ranchers and industry players to celebrate the accomplishment — a sharp contrast to the quiet, […] Read more
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