What does Canada's participation in the Trans Pacific Partnership really mean to supply management? Will Canada give up some or all of the supply management pillars in the face of trade opportunities for other agricultural products? While there are no clear cut answers as of yet, TPP negotiations are most certainly a topic of interest... Read More
Category: Livestock
If you judge a politician's strategy by where they choose their photo ops, Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne has her sights firmly set on rural Ontario. Typically the domain of the Progressive Conservatives, Wynne appointing herself ag minister after winning the premiership was a very strategic move in winning the hearts and votes of rural Ontario.... Read More
Understanding and managing antimicrobial resistance is important for livestock production and to ensure the continued effectiveness of veterinary products. It's also a complex issue under intense public scrutiny two factors that, under the wrong conditions, don't go well together. The Ontario Medical Association recently began pushing for governments to step up its involvement in the... Read More
The more comfortable a cow's bed, the more likely she'll spend her day laying about making milk instead of standing or walking. A well supported, comfortable, resting cow is less likely to end up lame as well, and the link between lameness and reduced production and decreased fertility is real. Nearly all bedding options —... Read More
It was high noon in steamy Windsor, Ont., when the Ontario Corn-Fed Beef Program was launched at a lunchtime steak BBQ back in the summer of 2001. Given the heat, you could have grilled the corn-fed beef directly on the strip mall parking lot where the sweltering event was staged, and skipped the middleman –... Read More
Milk volume is only one aspect of dairy production — the level of individual components in the milk matter just as much. Managing butterfat is often a challenge, as high producing genetic lines tend to have lower butterfat milk. RealAgriculture.com asked Adam Lock, assistant professor, dairy cattle nutrition with Michigan State University, for his perspective... Read More
If you cannot see the above embedded audio player, click here With growing speculation that feedyards in the US and Canada would be attempting to contain losses by limiting the amount of cattle they fed, the February placement number in the USDA Cattle on Feed Report confirmed it. The March 22, 2013 USDA Cattle on... Read More
The cattle industry is one of those segments of agriculture that just feels a part of you. Whether you ranch, background or fatten cattle you tend to love the work and the business of what it entails. Separating the love of the industry from the financial realities can be a tall order for any producer.... Read More
If you envision GPS-guided cows when you hear "precision dairy," you might be a grain farmer. If, instead, you envision a way to measure and monitor several aspects of dairy production no matter what time it is or where you are, you're much closer to reality.From heat detection, to mastitis management, and even lameness monitoring,... Read More
Acidosis, a severe drop in pH in a cow's rumen due to a change in feed, isn't just an issue in feedlots. Cattle being moved from low quality to very lush pastures are also at risk, for example. Not managing for acidosis can lead to cattle that reduce their feed intake and are slow to... Read More