Reading Time: 4 minutes Keep calm when handling cattle — especially if you want safe working conditions. Attitude, confidence, as well as the general mood sets the tone when handling cattle, says veterinarian Dr. Cody Creelman. “I can barely count the number of times I’ve seen situations where things are nice and calm, steady, quiet, and proper,” said Creelman. […] Read more
Tips to reduce stress and up safety when handling cattle
It starts with keeping cattle calm and identifying hazards in your current handling facilities, say experts
Wild bees can boost your yields
FarmTech: There’s an estimated 300 species of wild bees in Alberta, and they can’t be beat as pollinators
Reading Time: 3 minutes Wild bees buzzing around your field can give you a bigger bang for your buck than honeybees or leafcutter bees. That’s because they actually do a better job of pollinating, said bee specialist Ralph Cartar. “Our whole world is built around managed bees and using honeybees as best we can, but in fact, the most […] Read more
Will the cows of tomorrow all be wearing fitness trackers?
Devices that measure activity levels can be used to tell if cattle are feeling poorly — but there are still some kinks to be worked out
Reading Time: 2 minutes Fitness trackers are all the rage among people these days — but they could catch on with cows, too. But the idea isn’t to start counting cow steps or to up bovine fitness levels. Rather, the goal is to use fitness monitors as a way to detect illness in beef cattle early on. Cattle producers […] Read more
Love rural Alberta and want to be a vet? Call U of Calgary
There’s a huge demand for livestock and equine veterinarians — and vet school wants to train more rural practitioners
Reading Time: 2 minutes The University of Calgary has just one message for aspiring veterinarians: There’s plenty of jobs out there — especially in rural Alberta. “We have areas in rural Alberta where I still get a phone call after a class has graduated that they have a job and need a veterinarian,” said Dr. Alistair Cribb, dean of […] Read more
Livestock seen threatened as biting insects press north
Bluetongue’s most recent appearance in the Canadian cattle herd may be a taste of what’s to come as insect species expand northward, a new study warns. Anna Zuliani, previously a graduate student in veterinary medicine at the University of Calgary (UCVM), recently published a paper on how geographical distribution of biting midges relates to the […] Read more
Calgary researchers get rooster back on feet
Technology usually used as teaching tools for veterinary students at the University of Calgary has given an injured rooster a new pair of feet. Calgary’s animal and bylaw services agency removed the rooster, now named Foghorn, from a city property earlier this year, the university said in a release. The bird was unable to walk, […] Read more
Suckle strength linked to calf vigour at birth
This simple assessment is an even better indicator than calving ease, says University of Calgary researcher
Reading Time: 2 minutes A researcher at the University of Calgary has found a simple way to test for calf vigour — look for calves that suck. “Suckle reflex is a really promising indicator of a calf’s ability to consume colostrum,” said Dr. Elizabeth Homerosky, who presented at the 2015 UCVM Beef Cattle Conference. Colostrum consumption is one of […] Read more
Spate of new EIA cases may up pressure to combat ‘swamp fever’ in horses
Many consider Western Canada to be lax in its efforts to eradicate equine infectious anemia, but that may soon change
Reading Time: 4 minutes A smattering of new cases of equine infectious anemia in Alberta and Saskatchewan may intensify the pressure to implement new, and costly, measures to control the potentially devastating disease. Four cases of the disease (typically called EIA or ‘swamp fever’) have been found in Alberta and two in Saskatchewan this year. The first three Alberta […] Read more
Bovine big brother: Surveillance network gives cattle researchers priceless data
Network will yield insights into improving production and herd health — and reassure customers if there’s a sudden disease concern
Reading Time: 3 minutes You can’t pick them out from the road, but 120 herds of cattle across the Prairies are special. They’re participants in a “living laboratory” experiment that is advancing knowledge about the health of the western herd in a host of ways. “We have a mixture of small and large herds, somewhat representative of the number […] Read more
Wayne Burwash given horse industry distinguished service award
Veterinarian has been active in research, equine welfare, breed improvement, and service to the horse industry
Reading Time: < 1 minute Dr. Wayne Burwash’s contributions to the Alberta equine industry have been recognized by the Horse Industry Association of Alberta with its 2015 Distinguished Service Award. The Balzac native has been a practising vet for more than four decades, and since 1977 has operated Burwash Equine Services. He has been a mentor for other veterinarians, a […] Read more
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