Glacier FarmMedia – Whether pigs are kept as pets or for a personal pork supply, Canadians who keep a small number of pigs on their property are the target respondents for an online survey expected to be distributed in early 2021. Why it matters: There’s little good data on what motivates small-scale hog producers, and […] Read more
Tag Archives pigs — page 7
Small pig farm survey part of ASF initiative
Learning more about small-lot producers could make it easier to communicate with them about African swine fever
Olymel to close Red Deer hog plant against COVID-19
Hog deliveries suspended 'until further notice'
Meat packer Olymel plans to temporarily close its hog slaughter and pork processing plant at Red Deer, Alta., winding down that facility’s operations starting this week against a rapidly spreading COVID-19 outbreak among workers. The plant, one of Canada’s largest by slaughter capacity at over 45,000 hogs per week, has notified its hog suppliers and […] Read more
Former F. Menard hog plant upgrading for second shift
Olymel announces $9 million in renovations
Pork and poultry packer Olymel plans to dial up its pork output with a new evening shift at a Quebec hog plant it now owns in the province’s Monteregie. Olymel, the meat packing arm of Sollio Co-operative Group, said Friday it will invest $9 million in renovations at its slaughter, cutting and deboning plant at […] Read more
Feed additive in development to reduce food safety risks
Plant-based vaccine could be less expensive to produce to control E. coli
Technology that can produce vaccines and antibodies in plant leaves is being put to work in the livestock industry in hopes of preventing the development of a pathogen that causes food-borne illness in people. PlantForm Corporation has launched a new research project with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and Western University in London to target […] Read more
Livestock feed imports restricted to limit disease risk
There are cascading effects in the global feed and ingredients system as countries, including Canada, clamp down to limit African swine fever risk
North America’s livestock feed system continues to change to manage the risk of disease travelling on feed. The changes have meant world-leading restrictions on feed imports to Canada and a decline in imports of soybean meal into the U.S. from areas of major swine diseases. It’s also meant that some large farms are adopting supplier-to-farm […] Read more
Alberta pork producers look at single desk selling
After years of losses, many will abandon the sector if things don’t change, says Alberta Pork
Glacier FarmMedia – When it was wheat, Alberta led the fight to get rid of single-desk selling. But it’s a very different story when it comes to pork. Two-thirds of Alberta Pork producers voted in favour of investigating a single-desk marketing system similar to Quebec at their virtual annual general meeting held November 23. Thirty […] Read more
U.S. transport regulators reject ’emotional support animal’ status
Service dog status still protected; 'support' goats, turkeys, others up to airlines
Washington | Reuters — Only trained dogs qualify as service animals on U.S. airlines, as regulators rejected requests to extend legal protections to miniature horses, pigs, turkeys and other species, under final U.S. Transportation Department rules issued Wednesday. Airlines can still choose which other species to allow on board, but the rules issued on Wednesday […] Read more
Extruded grains may be better for pigs
Science Notes: Fibre digestibility saw little change when feeding extruded grains
Feeding extruded products is the norm in the pet and aqua feed industries, yet it remains unusual for swine feed in the United States and in Canada. The technology can improve energy and protein digestibility in pigs, according to research from the University of Illinois. “We’re not doing this much in the U.S., partly because […] Read more
Sow exercise benefits found lacking
Researchers wanted to know if a middle ground solution between stalls and open housing was a reasonable option
Glacier FarmMedia – Pregnant sows have an intrinsic desire to leave their stalls, say swine health experts at the University of Saskatchewan. But giving sows periodic freedom to leave stalls and move about the barn doesn’t significantly improve the lives or welfare of the animals. Why it matters: Animal welfare is a key concern for […] Read more
Projects looks at hog gut health
Olymel, Canada’s largest pork producer and processor, is working with scientists from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Université Laval on research to better understand the links between pig gut health, food safety and product quality. The project is part of the Canadian Food Innovators (CFI-ICA) research cluster “Using science and innovation to strengthen Canada’s value-added […] Read more
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