Health & Production

The Do More Agriculture Foundation (Do More Ag) is offering mental health professionals a chance to learn about the unique challenges facing people in agriculture. According to Healthy Minds Healthy Farms, a 2020 study led by Farm Management Canada (FMC), farmers are more likely to participate in support programs offered by providers familiar with agriculture,…

A relatively new tapeworm is catching researchers by surprise in Alberta, and emphasizing the importance of zoonotic diseases. “It’s really too soon to predict where this might go, but there are several reasons to think that there will be more cases diagnosed in the future,” says Dr. Stan Houston, infectious disease expert at the University…

On July 29, Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) hosted a webinar on drought stress, moderated by Stacey Domolewski, Research and Innovation Coordinator for the BCRC. Speakers: Dr. Cheryl Waldner, NSERC/Beef Cattle Research Council Senior Research Chair in Beef Cattle Health in Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine Dr. Bart Lardner,…

If you are in the Canadian cattle industry right now, you are well-aware of the severity of drought conditions that exist across much of western Canada and the United States. Unfortunately, we are at a point where even if the forecast miraculously changed and it rained for a week, it would be too late for…

This week, Jim Gerrish of American Grazing Lands Services LLC partnered with Foothills Forage & Grazing Association and MaiaGrazing to present a drought management webinar for primary producers. Hear Gerrish talk about drought, Standardized Precipitaiton Index, water infiltration, pasture productivity in a drought, and management strategies that can help producers manage through it. ‘What We’re…

By Bruce Derksen, Freelance writer Veterinarians who look after cattle are shifting priorities to emphasize disease prevention over treatment, says Gordon Atkins of the University of Calgary’s veterinary school. The change is occurring as greater focus falls on reducing antibiotics in livestock production. Overall management, nutrition practices and the need to gain a better understanding of the…

The following is a preview of a two-part series by the Beef Cattle Research Council. It was originally published in 2019, but remains relevant today. Fear of bloat costs more money than actual cases of bloat do Respect it, but don’t fear it. That’s the message from cattle producers and beef specialists alike who through…

Producers often prefer to cut alfalfa or alfalfa-grass hay as the crop reaches its peak volume, but that could result in a need for additional supplementation at feeding time. If you’re fortunate enough to have a hay crop to harvest, you might be curious how the heat can affect crop maturity, as well as the…

Producers are urged to take precautions this summer because of how dry it has been; vaccinations are recommended By Heather Smith Thomas, published in Western Producer Anthrax is one of the oldest killers of humans and livestock, mentioned in some of the earliest recorded history. It has been called splenic fever, charbon, milztrand and woolsorter’s disease…

From semen quality to conception rates, prolonged heat stress can take an incredible toll on cattle, and acute heat stress can even be life-threatening. “These several days in a row is really what adds to the heat stress,” says Dr. Roy Lewis, semi-retired veterinarian and regular contributor to various ag publications. “Long-term affects can add…