Poultry & Farming Articles - Manitoba Co-operator

Progress on COOL, but Canada still threatening retaliation

U.S. Senate and Obama administration need to act quickly, warns Agriculture Minister Ritz

By Alex Binkley June 18, 2015

While the House of Representatives has voted strongly to repeal the country-of-origin labelling program, the Senate and the Obama administration need to act quickly as well, warns Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. Otherwise Canada along with Mexico will be putting their case for retaliatory duties to a special meeting of the World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement

National news, Poultry

Avian influenza in U.S. poultry puts the squeeze on Canadian egg imports

Shipments are costing more and taking longer to get here

By Ron Friesen June 9, 2015

A major avian influenza outbreak in the United States is forcing Canada’s layer industry to scramble for imported eggs and pay through the nose for them. As the AI outbreak continues south of the border, Canadian importers must look further afield for processing eggs, increasing delivery times and transportation costs. Manitoba sources most of its

Opinion, Poultry

Editorial: It’s time to rethink poultry production

The bird flu epidemic has wiped out 12 per cent of U.S. egg-laying capacity in a matter of weeks

By Laura Rance-Unger June 8, 2015

The numbers surrounding the bird flu epidemic change each day. But they are staggering. Early this week, the USDA was reporting 197 confirmed outbreaks among poultry flocks with losses of 44.6 million fowl, many of them egg-laying hens. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) predicts the number of birds affected will climb to 50

News, Poultry

Wild birds have higher resistance to flu virus

With bird flu ravaging barns in the U.S. and knocking at Canada’s door,  it might be time to reconsider how poultry are raised

By Shannon VanRaes June 1, 2015

For years, poultry producers have been breeding something in their barns other than birds. Avian influenza. Long present in wild bird populations, the low-pathogen version of the virus has entered barns, remaining there until a series of mutations turned into something else — something deadly. “We have been playing with fire,” said Earl Brown, a

Did you know?, Poultry

Mozart and mood lighting, a healthy prescription for chickens?

Combined with probiotics, it all adds up to a reduced need for drugs

By Gavin Maguire, Naveen Thukral June 1, 2015

In barns filled with classical music and lighting that changes to match the hues outside, rows of chickens are fed a diet rich in probiotics, a regimen designed to remove the need for the drugs and chemicals that have tainted the global food chain. As food giants face growing pressure to offer healthier produce, Southeast

Beef cattle, Livestock, Poultry

Diversifying the small family farm

The best way to avoid pitfalls in new markets — seek the advice  of successful sector counterparts

By Jennifer Paige May 19, 2015

Direct marketing grass-fed beef was how Colleen Biggs turned adverse beef market trends into an opportunity for her family’s ranch in east-central Alberta. “When times got really tough for us, we were doing the low-input swath grazing, bale grazing, everything we could to make ends meet on the ranch but when the market crash happened

News, Poultry

CFIA blames wild birds for spread of avian influenza

While there are no new cases of bird flu in Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says  it’s still too early to breathe a sigh of relief

By Shannon VanRaes May 19, 2015

Officials with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are confident that the cases of avian influenza they’ve responded to in Ontario and British Columbia are the result of contact with wild birds, not farm-to-farm transmission. “From the seasonality of this disease and the characterization of the virus — we cannot be 100 per cent sure that

Livestock, Poultry

Hatchery amps up bird deterrence in face of avian influenza

Consumer faith in poultry products appears to be holding in spite of a growing  number of avian influenza cases on farms in Ontario and the U.S.

By Shannon VanRaes May 11, 2015

Manitoba poultry producers and processors have yet to be stung by the avian influenza sweeping farms south of the border, but that doesn’t mean it’s business as usual. Enhanced biosecurity brings a host of changes and logistical challenges. “We’ve increased our sanitation measures, we have foot baths now at all the entrances to our production

Country Crossroads, Poultry

Talking turkey comes easy for the manager at Fairholme Colony

Over 40 years the time to raise a turkey has dropped from 23 weeks to 14 weeks

By Evelyn Maendel May 6, 2015

April 15 marked Jerry Maendel’s 40th anniversary as Andiker Mensch, turkey manager at Fairholme Colony. Jerry — my dad — says he remembers the day, April 15, 1975, when farm manager Ernie Maendel informed him that he would no longer be travelling to Fairholme’s farm near Pilot Mound, to help with the building, but would

Livestock, Poultry

Processors’ concerns threaten to unravel national chicken allocation agreement

Provincial regulators asked to review the deal

By Ron Friesen May 5, 2015

A late appeal by western Canadian processors could jeopardize a landmark agreement aimed at settling a long-standing dispute among provinces over allocating broiler chicken quota. Chicken processors in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia are appealing a memorandum of understanding signed last summer by provincial chicken-marketing boards and Chicken Farmers of Canada for the allocation agreement.

Daily Network News

‘Significant’ Canadian GDP slide expected in 2026, FCC says

Gene edited, PRRS resistant pig approved in Canada

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures end week higher

Poultry