The Olds Technical Access Centre aims to spark innovations that improve livestock production.

A Technical Access Centre for livestock production

Key industry issues focus on production efficiency, animal health and welfare and environmental sustainability

The Canadian government has been setting up a number of Technical Access Centre (TAC) research programs to aid several industrial sectors. The first TACs were created in 2011 as part of the College and Community Innovation Program. In September 2017, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) announced development of a series […] Read more

The latest research into cattle transport looked at the effects of rest stop duration on calves.

Are your cattle fit to travel?

Transport: News Roundup from the January 2018 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

When it comes to culling and marketing cattle, are your animals fit to travel? The beef industry isn’t doing too bad but the dairy industry needs to pull up its socks. Overall there is room for improvement in all sectors of the cattle industry, says Melissa Moggy, a veterinarian and researcher with Alberta Farm Animal […] Read more


(iStock photo)

Talk to family, friends about farming

This holiday season Melodie Chan wants producers to avoid what she calls the “spiral of silence,” which can happen around the dinner table, over beers or even in the gentle lull between turkey and pie if farmers don’t speak up when they hear misinformation about agriculture. “What are we afraid of?” asked Chan, speaking at […] Read more

Thank you k.d. lang

Straight from the hip with Brenda Schoepp

When k.d. lang entered the world of the beef industry, she did so full on. A talented young girl from the little town of Consort, Alta., lang had grown up with cowboys, dust and the soothing voice of Patsy Cline. She originally played small gigs around Alberta and especially in Edmonton at the Sidetrack Café. […] Read more





Pre-plan for emergency slaughter

Animal Health: An animal’s suffering should be ended as soon as possible

All producers run into the need for emergency slaughter from time to time to preserve the value of an animal and prevent the waste of good meat protein. By its very nature these are emergency situations so it is important to pre-plan the chain of events that would happen in cases when it becomes necessary. […] Read more

From left: Reynold Bergen, BCRC Science Director; Matt Bowman, BCRC Vice-Chair; Karen Schwartzkopf-Genswein; Ken Perlich, Perlich Bros Auction Market; Andrea Brocklebank, BCRC Executive Director.

Karen Schwartzkopf-Genswein receives 2017 Canadian Beef Industry Award

Lethbridge researcher presented with Outstanding Research and Innovation award at Canadian Beef Industry Conference

A nationally and internationally respected researcher of beef cattle health and welfare has been awarded the 2017 Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation. Karen Schwartzkopf-Genswein, PhD, was honoured Aug. 17 at the 2017 Canadian Beef Industry Conference. Dr. Schwartzkopf-Genswein is a Senior Research Scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lethbridge, Alta., and holds […] Read more


For humane euthanasia of cattle, the point of entry of a projectile should be at the intersection of two imaginary lines, each drawn from the outside corner of the eye to the base of the opposite horn. The entry point should be high in the centre of the forehead but not between the eyes.

Talking about euthanasia

Cattle Management: The final call is ultimately up to the cow-calf producer

When cow-calf producers talk about the need to euthanize an animal, their first thoughts turn to those that are sick or injured and whether the animal is likely to recover. If it hasn’t responded to care and is suffering, then there is really no other option. This decision isn’t made lightly, as Dr. Melissa Moggy […] Read more

Animal welfare research is becoming about the emotional state of the animal rather than its health, Dr. Ed Pajor says. (John Greig photo)

Greig: Animal welfare research focusing more on emotional states

Animal welfare research is moving beyond identifying what keeps an animal healthy, to focus more on their state of being and their happiness. For years, farmers have justified the way they manage and house animals based on objective measures of their health: disease prevalence, growth rates and feed consumption. Consumer research, however, shows that’s not […] Read more