Insights and Stories on Livestock

Mar. 8, 2024 at 10:17 am CST

Vancouver Island contains a variety of landscapes: beaches with shells and the corpses of moon jellyfish, the frigid water of the Pacific Ocean washing in and out. A rugged, snow-capped mountain range looms over the island. Redwood trees reach high into the sky, the forest floor sheltered and mossy. There […]

By Melissa Jeffers-Bezan

Feb. 23, 2024 at 9:48 am CST

The humble pigtail is a common sight on most cattle operations that use rotational grazing. They’re light, easy to stomp into the ground, easy to pull out and it takes only seconds to insert the wire. They’re a key labour-saving tool for the miles of temporary fencing that farmers string […]

By Alexis Stockford

Dec. 22, 2023 at 3:02 pm CST

Trudging through slushy snow in April is a scene many producers know well. One day there’s a hint of summer in the air, with birds chirping in trees overhead as a farmer checks on newborn calves frolicking near puddles. The next day, the farmer is rushing through pastures as hard sleet slashes […]

By Melissa Jeffers-Bezan

Nov. 24, 2023 at 10:21 am CST

Wildlife and livestock co-exist on pasture throughout the summer. However, in winter when livestock are being fed, wildlife can become a nuisance. Across Alberta, many producers are dealing with wildlife in winter feed, but how many are experiencing problems is not known. “It’s pretty ubiquitous throughout the province, but what […]

By Jill Burkhardt

Oct. 27, 2023 at 9:33 am CDT

A recent report by the United States Department of Agriculture paints a grim picture of Canadian beef cattle numbers in 2024. According to a western Canadian market analyst, most of that forecast checks out. The report, published by the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service office in Ottawa in late September, predicted […]

By Jeff Melchior