A gray fox — good at climbing trees.

Foxes and wolves are always on the hunt

A tree-climbing gray fox is a new name on the predator list

Predator loss is a reality all classes of livestock are susceptible to. Many with cattle do not have as big of a worry as those with sheep, goats, and poultry, but this pasture season was bad all over. Conversations with livestock producers across Canada showed us there is also a new threat around. Red foxes […] Read more

Canada Beef Inc.

Feds announce tax support for farmers

In a news release distributed today linked to Budget 2017, Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay announced tax relief to help farmers who received compensation under the Health of Animals Act from livestock destroyed due to the bovine tuberculosis outbreak in 2016 and 2017 in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The federal government also released its 2017 list of designated regions for livestock […] Read more


Landscape featuring a harvested grain field

A bit of something for everyone

Hart Attacks: Who needs the moon? I can pick up the phone and learn lots as I travel across the country

I’ve got my application in to be a greeter on that new U.S./Russia space station they are planning to build about 440,000 km above the earth. But since they aren’t doing any real hiring until about 2028 I’ve got some time. (I may withdraw my name anyway. Even when I’m on a boat, I always […] Read more

(Thinkstock photo)

Ontario’s sheep producers rebrand

The organization that represents sheep farmers in Ontario has a new name and look. The Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency (OSMA) is now known as the Ontario Sheep Farmers, effective at the Ontario Sheep Convention held Thursday and Friday at Alliston. OSMA’s board of directors made the change following a resolution at the 2015 annual meeting. […] Read more


Properly notched rails make a solid and attractive fence.

Tips for notching rail fences

Create a few simple tools from materials you have on hand

We have built a lot of fence on the ranch over the years for cattle, horses, and yes, even a few to keep the deer out of the yard or garden. Lodgepole rails are readily available in this part of the country, and at most fence supply outlets, and many of us utilize them alone […] Read more

‘Decision tree’ helps guide drug use

Animal Health: It’s all about using the proper product to benefit animals and humans

Three years ago the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association along with several industry partners came up with a Therapeutic Decision Cascade for Animal and Public Safety (a decision tree). This is a great tool for reminding all veterinarians and producers how to properly select drugs for any species we are treating. This guide is an valuable […] Read more


The Sask Barley Development Commission has provided seed money to research ways to drop DON levels in barley.

High tech feed research on the Prairies

The Canadian Feed Research Centre puts tech to work to increase the value of feed grain

From the outside, the Canadian Feed Research Centre doesn’t look much different from a regular feed mill. But the Centre, tucked into an industrial area of North Battleford, is a national institution, says Rex Newkirk. “It’s the only one in Canada of this nature. It’s one of the very few in the world where we […] Read more

DON tolerances in livestock

Feed mills everywhere are testing for DON right now, Rex Newkirk says. And different livestock species have different DON tolerances. Pigs are by far the most sensitive to DON — the limit is one ppm when formulating. Diets are about 50 per cent wheat, so often they can use wheat with up to two ppm, […] Read more



a calf and mother cow

Start with good stock — stay healthy

Some diseases are hard to fix — the best approach is to avoid them

Raising livestock for a living means that they have to be productive. They must reproduce, be healthy, and not be labour-intensive. Nobody makes a profit raising sick animals. The University of Guelph and Semex have been moving forward studying this from a genetic standpoint. This is exciting because with the increase in prevalence of Johne’s, producing healthy […] Read more