Recently retired Gay Lea Foods Cooperative CEO Michael Barrett believes opportunities will open up for the Canadian dairy sector as farmers in other parts of the world feel pressure from governments to limit their environmental impact. Dairy supplies into the global marketplace from New Zealand and the European Union are going to be limited due […] Read more
Tag Archives Dairy Cattle — page 8
United response needed to supply management threats
Outgoing Gay Lea CEO says there will continue to be opportunities for Canadian dairy
Tackling feed requirements through breeding
Lactanet publishes new body maintenance index for bulls
Lactanet is introducing its Body Maintenance Requirements (BMR) evaluations for bulls this month as part of its ongoing work to help dairy producers maximize production per kilogram of dry matter intake. Speaking at Lactanet’s recent Open Industry session, geneticist Dr. Allison Fleming said the BMR is not directly related to feed costs per litre of […] Read more
Canadian dairy carbon-neutral guidebook released
Kitchen table meetings may be the next step for the introduction of the guide to farmers
There are no financial incentives and the adoption of practices isn’t mandatory to continue shipping milk, but Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) insists there are strong reasons why the country’s milk producers should get on board with a just-published Best Management Practices Guide to Mitigate Emissions on Dairy Farms. The new document forms the cornerstone […] Read more
More dairy drying capacity needed
Michael Barrett sees it as investment for future of dairy processing
Additional drying capacity should be a top priority for Ontario’s dairy sector, according to recently retired Gay Lea Foods CEO Michael Barrett. “If we had another dryer, I would not be afraid to say we could sell everything that we put through that facility,” Barrett told attendees during his Feb. 22 keynote presentation at the […] Read more
Continuous tie-stall housing to be phased out in new dairy code of practice
Producer, animal welfare groups praise new code; some drawbacks were noted
New guidelines for dairy cattle care will improve animal welfare while also potentially increasing farm productivity, Dairy Farmers of Canada says. “I think that we’ve come to a very solid revised code,” David Wiens, DFC’s vice-president, said in an interview. The National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) on Thursday released its revised Code of Practice […] Read more
Updated Dairy Code of Practice released
The updated Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle is now available from the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) and the Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC). It replaces its predecessor, developed in 2009, effective April 1, 2024 (unless indicated otherwise in Requirements with a later phase-in date). The 2009 dairy […] Read more
New Lactanet breeding index tackles methane emissions
World-first approach uses mid-infrared milk data to estimate individual cow emissions
Aworld-leading approach to creating a methane-specific breeding index has been developed by Lactanet and will launch next month. Not content to wait until “sniffer” technology for measuring bovine methane emissions eventually becomes more affordable, the Canadian dairy data collection and genetics analysis organization developed the index based on milk samples. Ahead of the index’s official […] Read more
Visit to a dairy barn goes virtual
The University of Calgary uses virtual reality technology to create a simulation of a dairy farm for convenient public access
Glacier Farmmedia – People who’ve never set foot on a dairy farm can now explore a simulation using virtual reality headsets as part of a project launched by the University of Calgary. “It was really neat to see in a whole different way how the dairy farm can be portrayed to the consumers and the […] Read more
Use of robotic milkers continues to grow, but it’s not for everyone
Producers share lessons learned and why robot milkers work for them, or why they don’t
If growth continues in Canadian dairy farmers’ use of robotic milkers, robots will milk half of the national dairy herd by 2040, said Carolin Turner. Turner, with Holstein Canada’s classification field services, told Grey-Bruce Farmers’ Week dairy day participants that 130 Canadian dairy herds transitioned to or built a new robotic barn in 2021. Why […] Read more
Salmonella Dublin poses serious risks in cattle and humans
Infection classed as “emerging disease” in Ontario
For cattle farmers who see a spike in calf mortality but not the typical diarrhea that accompanies common bacterial infections, Quebec-based veterinarian Dr. Frédéric Beaulac says Salmonella Dublin should be top of mind. And if there is an outbreak, it could be a long road to recovery for the farm. Why it matters: Salmonella Dublin […] Read more
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