The provincial government says a provision in Bill 31 allowing vets to advertise fees isn’t aimed at the livestock sector but rather to “support pet owners in finding quality care.”

Veterinary association lambastes province over ‘intrusion’ on fees

The organization is upset with consumer protection bill that would allow vets to advertise their fees

Reading Time: 2 minutes For the second time in two months, the association representing Alberta’s veterinarians is crying foul and accusing the NDP government of taking short-sighted actions with no consultation. Proposed changes “constitute alarming overreach and intrusion into the veterinary profession’s ability to self-regulate and were made without consultation,” the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association said in a press […] Read more

A study employing DNA testing found a wide variation in the siring ability of bulls.

Who’s your daddy?

A study that used DNA testing to determine the siring success of individual bulls produced some surprises

Reading Time: 3 minutes DNA testing can help you know which bulls are siring calves and make better management decisions. “There was a lot more variation in what bulls were actually doing and which bulls were siring calves than we thought going into this,” Stacey Domolewski said during a recent Beef Cattle Research Council webinar. As part of a […] Read more


Photo: University of Saskatchewan.

U of S research reveals controversial insecticides are toxic to songbirds

Saskatoon – Research at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) has linked the use of insecticides to serious health issues in songbirds. “Studies on the risks of neonicotinoids have often focused on bees that have been experiencing population declines. However, it is not just bees that are being affected by these insecticides,” said Christy […] Read more



Baljit Singh, dean of University of Calgary Veterinary Medicine, gave Advanced Education Minister Marlin Schmidt (l) a tour of his school last month after Schmidt surprised the province’s vet community with his decision to pull funding from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.

Veterinarian school funding decision creates controversy

School’s dean says it makes sense to consolidate in Calgary but association says it’s capping training in the midst of a 
vet shortage

Reading Time: 3 minutes The dean of the province’s vet school is defending the NDP government’s decision to consolidate veterinarian education in Alberta — but the association representing the profession says it’s short sighted. The province announced last month it will be pulling its $8 million in funding from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon to expand […] Read more

The people who design new farm technology often have no understanding of what goes on at a farm, said pork producer Curtiss Littlejohn.

New technology brings new risks to the farm, say experts

Advances — from needleless injectors to auto steer — 
make farming easier, but also have safety implications

Reading Time: 3 minutes New technology brings many advantages to the farm, but can also result in unintended hazards, both for farmers and animals. This was stressed numerous times during presentations on technology at this year’s Canadian Agricultural Safety Association annual general meeting. Read more: AgSafe Alberta offering free safety programs for farmers “There’s a lot of routine work on […] Read more


Advanced Education Minister Marlin Schmidt and Baljit Singh, dean of veterinary medicine at the University of Calgary, tour the UCVM’s Spy Hill campus. (Gov.ab.ca)

Alberta to reallocate veterinary school funding

Alberta is set to gradually pull its $8 million in annual funding from the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) and instead expand the vet school at the University of Calgary. The province announced Thursday it will expand enrolment for the University of Calgary’s Veterinary Medicine program (UCVM) from 130 students currently […] Read more

Two Lethbridge researchers chosen for mentorship program

Program will give Robert Gruninger and Stacy Singer 
a chance to know the beef industry better

Reading Time: 2 minutes Two scientists from Ag Canada’s Lethbridge research centre and one from the University of Saskatchewan have been chosen for the Beef Cattle Research Council’s mentorship program. The program pairs up-and-coming applied researchers with innovative cattle producers or other industry professionals for a one-year mentorship. It provides researchers with the opportunity to deepen their understanding of […] Read more


There will probably be an increase in winter wheat acres this year, says U of Saskatchewan plant scientist Brian Fowler.

Is this the year that winter wheat makes a comeback?

Squeezing winter wheat seeding into a crammed harvest period is usually a big issue

Reading Time: 3 minutes Will there be an upswing in winter wheat acres this year? One of the biggest drawbacks is timing — you have to get your spring-seeded crop off the field before sowing winter wheat. But that won’t be as big an issue in a big chunk of Alberta this year. An estimated 508,000 acres were never […] Read more

Breeding better cattle, feeding them more efficiently, and an in-depth look at replacement heifers are the focus of this year’s Bov-Innovation.

Producers pick the topics for popular Bov-Innovation event

The event is designed to be quick paced and full of practical advice you can put to use on your ranch right away

Reading Time: 2 minutes Genomics, feed analysis, and a look at replacement heifers are on the menu for this year’s Bov-Innovation at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference in Calgary in August. Bov-Innovation is focused on sharing practical tools, innovations, and ideas that feedlots and cow-calf producers can readily implement on their operations. Speakers include scientists and industry experts alongside […] Read more