Glacier FarmMedia – Livestock producers inadvertently put themselves and others in harm’s way by failing to realize the dangers of bottle-fed bull calves when those calves grow into behemoths. Dr. Joe Stookey, professor emeritus at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, said he has seen the dangers many times in the past. Why […] Read more
Bottle-fed bulls can grow up to be mean
Hand-rearing dairy bull calves in isolation contributes significantly to their behaviour toward humans as adults
Heat recruited to kill viruses in feed
Researchers determine that a storage period of 30 days at 24 C reduces risk of viral contamination in plant-based feed
Glacier FarmMedia – Multiple disease-causing viruses have been proven to survive for extended periods in imported plant-based animal feed, but what temperature can kill them? Researchers released data on the issue earlier this year. They want to develop science-based procedures to safely import essential ingredients from countries afflicted with animal viruses. “We wanted to determine […] Read more
Getting to the bottom of bad vibrations
Researchers from the University of Saskatchewan want to minimize the negative health effects of whole-body vibrations from farm equipment
Jiggling and twisting around while operating equipment can lead to back problems for farmers. Take a Break from the Shake is a new research project at the University of Saskatchewan that looks for ways to relieve those negative health effects. “The main objective of the work is to explore and develop strategies to help agricultural […] Read more
Genetics, feed help build top cows
Nutritional developments in the beef sector have evolved in step with producers’ genetic and mating decisions
Glacier FarmMedia – Cows and race cars have something in common. Their build and their inputs are part of a winning formula and optimum performance. “Making modifications to your car is like making genetic improvements to your cow. Make sure you are also putting in the right kind of fuel (nutrition),” said Kajal Devani, director […] Read more
Tech seen as a game-changer for agriculture
Food companies are using technology to push boundaries and make production more sustainable, reliable and secure
Glacier FarmMedia – Compared to cattle, crickets punch far above their weight as a source of protein. “There’s a biological organism that is arguably the most ancient source of protein that humans have ever consumed in recorded history that has the most efficient feed-to-protein conversion and that is insects,” said Muhammad Ashour, co-founder and chief […] Read more
Aspirin may ease calving stress in dairy cows
Cows can experience inflammation and stress during calving, which can increase the risk of diseases such as mastitis
Glacier FarmMedia – Aspirin could become another inflammatory medication to provide pain relief for dairy cows. A year-long American research study found cows that received a short course of acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin or ASA) after calving had lower metabolic stress and produced more milk than untreated cows. Why it matters: Decreasing inflammation for cows that […] Read more
Vaccinations must work with biosecurity, monitoring
The use of vaccines can help, but disease can break through when there’s stress to animals
Glacier FarmMedia – Stress and the immune system are not friends. That’s why an understanding of major swine stress factors is key during the vaccination process, said Alejandro Ramirez from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University. Ramirez, along with Chris Chase, professor of veterinary medicine at South Dakota State University, spoke about […] Read more
Survey shows more positive view of gender equality in agriculture
More women taking leadership roles in agriculture industry, but some say barriers still exist
Glacier FarmMedia – Agriculture continues to make strides as an equal-opportunity employer, according to a human resources expert. A recent survey about the current state of gender roles and equality in agribusiness in Canada and the United States identified barriers that continue to exist to equality and advancement within the industry. Why it matters: Equal […] Read more
Mechanical exoskeletons may one day reduce effort, injury risks for farmers
Researchers are looking to test the technology on farmers doing their daily tasks
Glacier FarmMedia – Farming is a real pain in the back. But a bolt-on solution is on the way. Years of prolonged bending, lifting and shovelling contributes to back pain and is typical of many tasks in agriculture. “We know that farmers get very high rates of back injury. Even higher than in some other […] Read more
‘Show’ and ‘grow’ synonymous for Ag in Motion
Langham, Sask. — Living up to its name, Glacier FarmMedia’s Ag in Motion has reached its five-year anniversary with no sign of slowing down. “It’s very exciting for me personally to have a show that the group of us started from a canola field into an event that’s now grown to the size that it […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
