Part 1 of this article on enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL) was about the troubling news that bovine leukosis virus (BLV) is transmissible to humans, and the revelation that the presence of BLV in human breast tissue is potentially associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. This article presents the basics about EBL control and […] Read more
Enzootic Bovine Leukosis Part 2 — Control
Look at brood cow nutrition
Most producers start unpredictable western Canadian winters by reckoning feed supplies against cow numbers, judging whether the hay pile will get the herd through until pastures are ready next spring. In the high-tech environment of today, it’s easy to overlook the simple things like the long-term implication of monitoring body condition of brood cows through […] Read more
The AMR dilemma: Part 1
Searching for ways to move forward on antimicrobial resistance
No issue in the past 15 years logged more space in agriculture, veterinary or public health-related press than antimicrobial resistance (AMR). No single topic appears more often on conference and seminar agendas than the one addressing prudent use and abuse of antimicrobials in humans and animals. Despite the attention AMR has received, we have not […] Read more
New trouble ahead with bovine leukemia virus? Part 1
The headline “Virus in cattle linked to human breast cancer” is chilling. For the first time, a research team at the University of California, Berkeley, established a link between infection with bovine leukemia virus (BLV) and human breast cancer. The study, published September 2015 in a respected, peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE, will draw attention to […] Read more
Understanding the value of vaccines
Although vaccines have been used commercially for more than 70 years, the bulk of vaccines available on the market has not changed significantly. They are still mostly the products of either live or killed whole virus or bacterial culture. Research has yielded improvements to adjuvants (components that stimulate immunity), introduction of genetically engineered subunit and […] Read more
Drought management for cattle producers
We moved through some of the wettest years in history to a drought situation for many cattle producers. For those caught in the drought cycle, care of the cow herd, costs, feed inventory and preservation of forage supplies were front and centre. For some, relief came with recent rains — too late for hay, but […] Read more
Marketing is walking the talk: Can the beef industry do it?
Beef sustainability is a catchword. It’s talked about in seminars, at producer meetings, and at major industry gatherings where planning and strategy essay a future for an industry that bounces between really good and really bad. Are we making headway, or just adding to public lectures because people either don’t understand what it takes to […] Read more
We also used to hang horse thieves and rustlers once upon a time
Vet Advice: The practice of hot-iron branding and concerns for animal welfare
Expectation and foresight is integral to progress. Indifference to small matters today yields tomorrow’s issues, the need for hot-iron branding among them. Although progress in the cattle industry is slow, progress is constant — typically a case of hesitancy and caution unnerved by pressure brought to bear by those who buy the food we produce […] Read more
Disease transmission in livestock is not uniform
The unprecedented increase of emerging infectious diseases in wild and domestic animals and humans does not follow predictable patterns. Disease outbreaks like influenza H5N2 in birds — especially recent incursions of the virus affecting turkeys in Central Canada and Midwestern U.S.; human Ebola in West Africa; equine herpes virus (EHV1) in North America, and five […] Read more
Fly control methods for spring grazing cattle
An important component of planning for spring grazing is fly control. What products to use, steps to monitor fly populations and timing of treatments are elements contributing to the control of pests that cost the North American industry nearly a billion dollars every year. Flies of economic importance on western Canadian range are horn flies […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
