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
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
Get hail-damaged crops tested before feeding to livestock
Doing a feed test ‘is much cheaper than losing an animal,’ says beef extension specialist
Hail damage this summer on the Prairie provinces is approaching an all-time high — and with many producers putting livestock on their ruined fields, the risk of nitrate poisoning is also shooting up. So be sure to do a feed test first, said a beef extension specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “A feed test […] Read more
Alberta Beef, Cattle Feeders at an impasse on checkoff plan
Alberta Beef Producers has proposed a new funding council, but it wasn’t enough to sway cattle feeders
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
As Prairie drought worsens, more cattle go to market
Producers want to grow their herds, but fears are growing some may give up due to dry conditions
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
McDonald’s ‘verified sustainable beef’ project steams ahead
Visit to Alberta from McDonald's global CEO signals a sea change in the Canadian beef industry
It’s full speed ahead for McDonald’s “verified sustainable beef” project. The country’s largest buyer of beef is finishing up the first phase of its groundbreaking pilot project in Canada, and earlier this month the head of the global fast-food giant paid a visit to Alberta to get a first-hand look. Recently appointed CEO Steve Easterbrook […] Read more
New website to shed light on grain prices
Edmonton — Don’t know if your local elevator is offering a good price or not? There’s an app for that. Or at least there will be once www.pdqinfo.ca is fully up and running. The new website, created by the Alberta Wheat Commission with $742,725 in federal funding, aims to give farmers timely and accurate pricing […] Read more
Alberta cattle vet helps vet in Ukraine in contest bid for Easi-Scan
Social media and the hashag #VoteForVadim puts Pryadko in final six
It started with an online friendship between two cattle veterinarians. Even though he doesn’t speak a word of Ukrainian, Airdrie vet Cody Creelman, was drawn to the online videos of Vadim Pryadko, who lives in a town called Khmelnitsky near the Polish border. “We developed a relationship,” said Creelman. “We started talking about what type […] Read more
Pigeon fever arrives in southern Alberta horses
Southern Alberta horse owners are being advised to watch their animals for large lumps on their chests, following what are apparently the first-ever cases of pigeon fever in the province. Pigeon fever is a disease common in the southern States, said Dr. Connie Fancy, veterinarian with Claresholm Veterinary Services. This year, Fancy and three other […] Read more
Alta. researchers closing in on prions’ weak points
A decade after BSE rocked the Canadian cattle industry, two University of Alberta scientists and their Swiss colleagues have taken a major step towards finding a way to block prion infection which leads to BSE and scrapie. “My lab contributed how the antibodies interact with the various parts of the prion molecule,” said biochemistry professor […] Read more
Growers needed for Alta. pea root rot survey
If you’re an Alberta pea grower, you can help researchers learn more about fusarium root rot in peas by offering up your field for research. Traditionally, Red Deer and Lacombe have been the primary area for peas in the province, but things have changed in recent years — and about half of the pea acreage […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
