PED is a virus spread by fecal matter, and when a swine herd is infected, 70 to 100 per cent of newborn piglets typically die. FILE PHOTO

Deadly new hog disease has officials on high alert

Deadly new hog disease has officials on high alert Keeping an emerging and devastating swine disease out of Manitoba will require a team effort, says the Manitoba Pork Council’s point man on the issue. That means truckers, gathering yards, and farmers need to work together to keep Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) out of the province,

RM wants answers over horse seizure

The RM of Lakeview is seeking answers from the Office of the Chief Provincial Veterinarian regarding the recent seizure of 10 horses from a local property owner. The council unanimously approved a motion brought forward by a delegation at its regular meeting last week that raised a number of concerns about the seizure, ranging from


Seized horses to go on the block

Officials hope 10 Morgan-Appaloosa-cross horses seized by provincial animal welfare officers from an unattended pasture in the Langruth area will soon have a new home. “They are going to auction mart and I’m trying to line up a bunch of people to buy them,” said Richard Callander, a councillor in the RM of Lakeview. “If

Calves died from disease, owner told

Turns out it wasn’t aliens, cultists, or a drive-by shooter. The killer of three calves north of Treherne has been determined to have been blackleg. Owners Chelsea and Gene Hacault reported the sudden and suspicious deaths of the two red Simmental steers and one heifer last week. “It turned out to be blackleg,” she said


Provincial Efforts To Help Stymied

Dr. Dale Douma, a MAFRI animal welfare program veterinarian, said he and others have met with ranchers and inspected herds in the RMEA on a case-by-case basis for a number of years free of charge, noting that a “handful” of them are experiencing health problems. His office has at times offered free lab work and