A research project by Cheryl Waldner reveals cattle producers are on board with the 2019 federal regulations that made antibiotics for cattle available only through prescriptions from veterinarians.

Tighter antibiotic rules changed little for beef sector: research

Federal regulations changed the way producers procured antimicrobial drugs, but did little to change their already low use on Canadian beef farms, says study

Canadian beef farmers have needed their veterinarian to write a prescription for antibiotics since late 2018, part of efforts to fight off antimicrobial resistance. Producers haven’t had to change what they were doing much.



Leafy spurge outcompetes native grasses for light, water, nutrients and space, growing up to one metre tall. The weed has invaded millions of acres on the Prairies. 

Fertilizer to fight leafy spurge

Applying fertilizer could encourage soil fungi in Western Canadian pastures to become parasitic and sap resources from leafy spurge plants if the soil nutrients are rich enough —at least, that’s the idea behind recent research out of Saskatchewan

Leafy spurge is a tenacious, invasive pasture weed in Western Canada. New research suggests that fertilizer may have a role in how farmers can better beat back the threat and reclaim productivity on that grazing land.





Canada’s beef sector got more bad bovine tuberculosis news Feb. 25 after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said their investigation into a case confirmed November 2024 had yielded more infections. PHOTO: LISA GUENTHER

U.S. livestock: Substantial prices gains for live, feeder cattle

Cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange made substantial gains on Wednesday, aided by a weaker United States dollar. The August live cattle contract gained US$2.600 per hundredweight and ended the day at US$212.350. The August feeder cattle contract rose by a similar amount, gaining US$2.650/cwt. to close at US$303.875. The United States Department of


Photo: Canada Beef

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog prices ease off

Cattle prices on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange slipped back on Tuesday despite earlier gains. The August live cattle contract rose to US$212.850 per hundredweight during the day, but eventually closed at US$209.750, a loss of US$1.250 compared to Monday’s close. The August feeder cattle contract also reached its highest price since May 13 at US$304.550/cwt.