Designing Handling Facilities To Minimize Stress

Livestock handling specialist Temple Grandin says handling practices can be less stressful to the animals and safer for the handler if one understands the behavioural characteristics of livestock. They include: ” Genetics Breed differences mean some cattle are more excitable. ” Individual differences Each animal is an individual and has a different reaction to stress.

Rumour Mill Wrong About Packers Dragging Their Feet

There is no validity to rumours that meat packers may be reluctant to embrace the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association’s (CCA) Beef InfoXchange System (BIXS), says spokesman Larry Thomas. “On the packer question I can share that yes, we have not been public in sounding the horns about packer support for BIXS, but rest assured we are


Cattle Herd Shrinks, Hog Numbers Increase

Canada’s cattle herd shrank as of July 1 to its smallest in 17 years, while the number of hogs rose by mid-year for the first time in five years, Statistics Canada said Aug. 22. Farmers had nearly 13.9 million head of cattle on their farms, down 0.8 per cent from a year ago, continuing a

Faltering Dollar Seen Supporting Near-Term Prices

Cattle prices at Manitoba auction marts we re mostly stable during the week ended Aug. 8, but according to one market analyst, the week may be the low point for the summer months. Anne Dunford, general manager of Gateway Livestock at Taber, Alta., said volumes across not only Manitoba, but all of Western Canada, were


Cattle Numbers Dropping

The U.S. fed cattle supply on July 1 was 3.8 per cent larger than a year ago as a devastating drought in the U.S. southwest and high cattle prices pulled young cattle into feedlots, analysts said July 22. In a separate report, USDA put the U.S. cattle herd, which includes all cattle inside and outside

Australia Lifts Ban On Live Cattle To Indonesia

CANBERRA/REUTERS Australia’s government removed a monthlong ban on live cattle exports to neighbouring Indonesia July 7, saying it was satisfied the A$320-million trade could resume after a furor over mistreatment of livestock. The minority government has been under pressure from ranchers to overturn the ban, put in place after television footage showed cattle being beaten,



Unusual Summer Rally Seen In Cattle Markets

Vo l a t i l i t y has been the name of the game in cattle markets of late, and that trend could continue throughout the summer, according to one industry analyst. Anne Dunford, general manager of Gateway Livestock at Taber, Alta., said there has been lots of fluctuation in prices recently. “It’s


U.S. Cattle Supply Up But Shrinking

U.S. producers sold 11 per cent more cattle to slaughterhouses in May than what they brought in, solid evidence that the cattle supply is shrinking and by year’s end that smaller supply should mean much higher cattle prices, analysts said. The U.S. Agriculture Department reported June 17 nearly 10.93 million cattle in feedlots, up four

Don’t Overlook Feed Value Of DDGs

Ethanol producers often get much of the blame for driving the price of corn to its current multi-year high levels due to that industry’s strong usage of corn to make fuel. But critics overlook the growing production and distribution of Dried Distillers Grains (DDGs), a byproduct of ethanol output used in animal feeds as an