exercise weights

The many advantages of strength training exercises

Prairie Fare: Rock and Roll Beef Wraps

Did you notice the amount of weight on the machine?” my husband asked. I was trying to push the handles on the weight machine forward. I would have had equal success moving a wall. I had plopped myself onto the seat of the weight machine without looking at the settings. I knew better. Starting with

bulls in a pasture pen

Beef 911: The last thing you want to see in a prized bull

Injuries that prevent a bull from breeding can be successfully treated, and about 50 per cent of cases will heal

Numerous times during the breeding season, calls come in to veterinary clinics in regards to swellings along the sheath of bulls. In many instances, a favourable outcome is highly attainable. And with today’s bull prices this may be good news. The location of the swelling says a lot about its cause. Generally if the penis


human bone density graphic

Weak bones? Agriculture may be to blame

Lack of loading rather than lack of nutrition may be the reason

The invention of agriculture may have allowed for many human advances, but strong bones may not be one of them, say researchers at the University of Cambridge. Writing in the journal PNAS, they say that human skeletons have become much lighter and more fragile since the invention of agriculture. Hunter-gatherers from around 7,000 years ago

cattle in a pasture

Beef 911: Kidney disease in cattle more common than realized

If symptoms are noticed early enough, treatment can be effective

Early recognition and treatment of kidney disease in cattle can often have a favourable prognosis. The capacity of the kidneys is great so often we may not see any specific clinical signs until two-thirds of the total kidneys’ capacity are damaged. There are many causes of toxic damage to the kidneys but this article will

It’s a matter of survival

Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen have found that rats can keep an eye on what’s going on above them at the same time as they can see around them. Each eye moves in a different direction, depending on the change in the animal’s head position. An analysis of both


Canine blood donors don’t seem to mind — maybe it’s because of the treats.  photo: Brady Knight

They’re typical blood donors — except their tails are wagging

The Canadian Animal Blood Bank is a Manitoba initiative that, 
like its human equivalent, is a lifesaver for those in need

Byron doesn’t stop smiling. From the minute he rushes into the exam room of the Brandon Hills Veterinary Clinic and scrambles up onto the table, to when he makes a mad dash for the door 10 minutes later, there is a permanent grin on his face, his tail happily wagging behind him. It’s a good

Goats’ milk speeds recovery from diarrhea

Milk from goats that were genetically modified to produce higher levels of a human antimicrobial protein has proved effective in treating diarrhea in young pigs, demonstrating the potential for food products from transgenic animals to one day also benefit human health, report researchers at the University of California, Davis. The study is the first on

Good news for beef-loving male boomers

Good news for middle-aged male beef eaters — you may be able to double your serving of beef — to six ounces, that is. And you should probably be lifting weights first. The Exercise Metabolism Research Group at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. conducted a study on ways to counteract age-related muscle loss. Thirty-five middle-aged


Second-litter syndrome indicator of sow fertility

The occurrence of “second-litter syndrome” in sows is an important measure of reproductive function in pig herds and a good indicator of likely lifetime performance, says Dr. Nicoline Soede from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Speaking at the recent Banff Pork Seminar, she said that the syndrome is characterized by an increased weaning-to-estrus interval, a

First-lactation teat usage affects milk production

Before the advent of highly prolific breeding stock, it was common practice to let first-litter sows suckle a maximum of 10 piglets in order to minimize their weight loss during lactation. With a lower feed intake compared to older sows, gilts are vulnerable to excessive weight loss, leading to an extended wean-to-estrus period and lower