Reading Time: 3 minutes With the fall run underway, cattlemen and women are faced again with the challenge of morbidity and mortality in calves. By the time calves land in the feed yard, they have often been handled and transported several times. How they fight off disease during that extraordinarily stressful period is related to their age and weight. […] Read more
The fall run is tough on calves but we can do better
The health problems seen in the feedlot don’t come out of the blue and careful handling should start at the home ranch
Feed testing now can save you money
Testing is especially important this year as supplies are tight and quality down in many areas of the province
Reading Time: 3 minutes Doing feed tests now, at the start of the feeding season, will allow producers to develop a strategy to ensure all categories of cattle in the herd are fed to their production goals and extra costs are avoided. “Livestock feed supplies are going to be tight in some areas of Alberta, while in other areas, […] Read more
Processors also part of the sustainable beef plan
Along with animal welfare and food safety, indicators cover worker safety and community involvement
Reading Time: 2 minutes Beef processors will also have their own set of ‘indicators’ for producing sustainable beef. The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef has 19 indicators for processors, covering areas such as natural resource management; people and community; animal health and welfare; food security and efficiency; and innovation. Grades, scored out of three, will be given to specifics […] Read more
Half of nitrogen from feedlots is lost to ammonia emission
Mitigating emissions from feedlots isn’t easy, but there are ‘simple’ steps to reduce nitrogen losses and save money
Reading Time: 3 minutes Feedlots have come a long way in reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions in recent years. But a new federal research study has found that nitrogen losses in feedlots are still significant — and can significantly affect the bottom line. “We’re losing about 50 per cent of the nitrogen to ammonia loss in a feedlot, and […] Read more
New beef research fact sheets available
Reading Time: < 1 minute Fact sheets on two research projects funded by Alberta Beef Producers are now available at www.albertabeef.org. Impact of Trace Minerals and Infectious Disease on Reproductive Performance examines the effect of trace mineral deficiencies (which reduce growth, milk production, and reproductive rate, and also cause a variety of metabolic diseases) in high-risk geographical regions. Investigating Lameness […] Read more
Participants wanted for survey on culling cattle
Reading Time: < 1 minute Another team of University of Alberta researchers is conducting a survey to gather information regarding producers’ current knowledge about transporting cull cattle and what factors influence their decisions to cull cattle. The survey was developed by students in the animal health/animal science program and Alberta Farm Animal Care. The survey information will be used for […] Read more
A decade on, BSE lawsuit may finally go to trial
$8-billion class-action suit says Ottawa should have done more
Reading Time: 5 minutes It’s been more than a decade since it started, but a class-action suit against the federal government for damages incurred as a result of BSE could be going to trial by the end of the year. “We had the first round of discoveries for 2015 and various questions arose from that, that there were outstanding […] Read more
Consumer concerns about meat are no fad
Animal welfare expert says livestock producers need to both ‘raise the bar’ and speak up about improvements they’re making
Reading Time: 3 minutes Global concerns about animal welfare are having an impact on meat purchasing, and the food industry needs to adapt to this new reality. “For the vast majority, price, taste and convenience have been key — but one of the issues that goes across the board now is transparency,” said Lesley Mitchell, international head of policy […] Read more
Local food experts share their stories
Reading Time: < 1 minute Bonnie Spragg of Spragg’s Meat Shop and Nicola Irving of Irvings Farm Fresh will be presenters at Getting into Local Foods workshops later this month. The Spraggs started their meat-processing business so they could produce meat products in their own facility and sell them from their on-site store in Rosemary. The Irvings also raise pigs […] Read more
High costs threaten southern Alberta feedlot sector
Lethbridge County’s ‘head tax,’ WCB premiums, and a looming carbon tax are making his business uneconomical, says a prominent feeder
Reading Time: 4 minutes Other cattle feeders in southern Alberta may suffer the same fate as Western Feedlots if a local $3-per-head tax isn’t reversed. Last month, Western Feedlots — one of the country’s largest with 100,000-head capacity at its facilities near Strathmore, High River, and Mossleigh — announced that it would be winding down cattle ownership and feeding […] Read more
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