Uncategorized

Researchers with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine are examining strategies to allow an increased inclusion of pea starch in the diets of pigs without increasing the risk of gastric ulcers.

There’s likely to be a change in the cost of beef at the grocery store. That’s because historic drought and other factors are pressuring producers across the country to reduce their cattle counts.

What does the smaller cattle inventory mean for the new packers that are expected to come on line in the near future?

A grazing system is a planned schedule of pasture use and defines when and where livestock will graze during the season to accomplish a producer’s goals. Range management extension specialist for the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture Trevor Lennox says the system you use can have a significant impact on pasture health and productivity. Alice McFarlane

native grass pastures can take up to four years to become fully established. Because they have been selected for better establish­ment and forage production characteristics, use known cultivars. Species and cultivar selection, site prepara­tion, seed quality, seed source, and seeding date must be considered to ensure the successful establishment of a native grass pasture.

Beef/Cattle: Based on slaughter data through early February, the pace of cattle slaughter is faster than expected from last month. However, winter weather appears to have impeded performance of feedlot cattle as well as taken a toll on cow and bull weights.

Baby kangaroo feces might help provide an unlikely solution to the environmental problem of cow-produced methane. A microbial culture developed from the kangaroo feces inhibited methane production in a cow stomach simulator in a Washington State University study.

Consider milk and feed prices, substitution rates, and expected yield and component responses when deciding how much supplemental feed to offer.

A fire at a pig barn owned by Olymel resulted in the loss of roughly 10,000 pigs. The barn located in the Sturgis area was a total loss, according to Olymel’s vice-president of production Casey Smit. “A very unfortunate event. Our staff were on site, they spotted a fire, and called it in to 911

Research exploring the factors related to the health of the gut of the pig is expected to result in new interventions that will improve animal health, welfare and productivity.