The Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) is celebrating 150 years of history, having first opened its doors in May 1874. Organizers of upcoming events celebrating the 150th anniversary put their promotion into high gear at the end of April, most notably through a YouTube video featuring a well-known alumnus who has been involved with the University […] Read more
‘College on the Hill’ celebrates 150 years
Guelph location for Ontario Agricultural College came only after earlier plans for Toronto, Mimico
Dairy producers watch for signs of HPAI in cows
‘We are still learning,’ says southwestern Ontario vet
Dairy farmers in Canada remain on guard for signs the virus may have turned up in their herds as mandatory testing for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) came into effect on April 29 for all cattle moving across state boundaries in the United States. So far for the large-animal veterinarians serving southwestern Ontario’s Kirkton Veterinary […] Read more
Several factors favour bovine influenza A detection on dairy versus beef farms
University of Montreal faculty member Dr. Jean-Pierre Vaillaincourt said there are several reasons why dairy farms are more likely bovine hosts.
Domestic birds confirmed as hosts for bovine influenza A virus
Epidemiologist says there is “still lots” to investigate about how virus jumped from from birds to dairy cattle
Domestic birds that live in and around barns have been confirmed as the avian hosts of an outbreak on dairy farms in the United States of highly pathogenic avian influenza.
Why dairy and not beef?
Several factors favour bovine influenza A detection on dairy versus beef farms
Recent detection in the United States of a highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus in dairy cattle is the first instance of this strain in bovines. The World Organization for Animal Health said the detections “have raised concerns since such infections of cattle could indicate an increased risk of H5N1 viruses becoming better adapted to mammals, […] Read more
Domestic birds host for bovine influenza A virus
Epidemiologist says there is “still lots” to investigate about how virus jumped from from birds to dairy cattle
Domestic birds that live in and around barns have been confirmed as the avian hosts of an outbreak on dairy farms in the United States of highly pathogenic avian influenza. An April 16 update from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed the avian host in this outbreak wasn’t migratory waterfowl, as has […] Read more
Conference panelist questions research favouring grain-finished beef
Ted Zettel says carbon sequestration from pasture should give grass-fed the nod
Comparing the climate impact of grass-fed versus grain-fed beef isn’t straightforward, according to panelists at the Guelph Organic Conference. A recent study claimed grain-fed beef has less of a carbon impact, but Chepstow-based farmer Ted Zettel believes it failed to account for the long-term capacity of pasture-based farming to sequester carbon from the atmosphere. Why […] Read more
Long-awaited regulatory approval granted to Canada Royal Milk
Chinese-owned manufacturer now plans to make infant formula for the North American market
Canada Royal Milk has received regulatory approval from Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to manufacture dairy-based infant formula at its Kingston production facility. Why it matters: Regulatory approval could provide a new market for domestic milk and a potential use for some of the Ontario dairy sector’s surplus of solids-non-fat milk components. […] Read more
Newly-infected pigs most likely to yield lab test answers
Post-mortem specialists offer tips on how to sample pigs on-farm to aid diagnostics
Pigs that are only beginning to be affected by pathogenic infections typically yield the most insightful biological samples for laboratory analysis, meaning hog producers may need to euthanize otherwise healthy pigs if they want to get ahead of potential herd-threatening health issues. That was the first message delivered by presenters from the University of Guelph’s […] Read more
CFIA on alert as avian influenza turns up on U.S. dairies
Canadian dairy farmers have been urged to watch for symptoms in their herds and avoid unpasteurized milk as authorities in the United States report numerous cases of mammals on dairy farms infected with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). That includes mostly dairy cattle, but also barn cats and one human. “Dairy Farmers of Canada has […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
