Beware On The Range: Cattle Rustling In Texas Is Up

The number of cattle stolen from Texas ranches in 2010 rose 15 per cent from the previous year and was three times the figure of three years ago, according to data released April 1. The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, which employs special investigators to work with lawmen to investigate cattle theft, said the

Access To Drug Gives Goat Producers New Hope

The goat market is booming in Manitoba and now a streamlined approval process for an effective liver fluke medication promises to put one of the industry’s biggest headaches behind it. “Supply cannot keep up with demand,” said Bill Paulishyn, president of the Manitoba Goat Association, “but the downside is that this liver fluke infestation is


Summer Brings A Reduction In Fertility In Breeding Pigs

Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting Ltd. of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Wes tern Hog Journal. His columns run every second week It’s difficult to think about seasonal infertility, which is associated with hot weather and declining day length, when we are still in the grip of winter. However, some things can

Foot-And-Mouth Surfaces In Two Countries

China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang has reported an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease among pigs, which killed 25 hogs and sickened 58, the second outbreak in the region so far in the year, the Ministry of Agriculture said. The recent outbreak was less serious than the one reported in February, when 3,941 pigs were culled. The


Bulgaria Culls 130 Cattle For FMD

Veterinary teams will cull 130 cattle in a southeastern Bulgarian village after tests showed another outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the Balkan country. The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency said six out of seven samples taken from a herd tested positive for the highly contagious disease. This is the fifth outbreak of foot-and-mouth since the beginning

U.S. Cattle Futures Hit Record High, Hogs Sharply Higher

U.S. cattle and hog futures closed sharply higher last Friday, with the April cattle contract at the highest ever for a lead contract. As of last Friday both markets had fully recovered the losses incurred shortly after Japan’s March 11 earthquake. In cattle, higher cash sales last week in Nebraska, the No. 2 cattle state


Next Few Months Critical In Beef Operations

The next several months are crucial in securing potential profits in a majority of beef operations. “The No. 1 indicator of potential profits is the birth of a live calf, and to have a live calf next year, the cows need to become pregnant,” says Carl Dahlen, North Dakota State University Extension Service beef cattle

Hog Industry Announces New Sustainability Commitments

Major and possibly expensive changes lie ahead for Manitoba hog producers as the result of a new road map for the industry’s future. The Manitoba Pork Council plan released last week commits the province’s 700 pork producers to eliminating sow gestation stalls within the next 15 years. “Manitoba Pork commits to encouraging producers to phase


Producers Make Room For New Calves

Prices for most types of cattle at the various auction marts in Manitoba generally managed to hold steady, if not improve at some locations during the week ended March 18. The marketings hitting the auction yards were large, but demand was equal to the task. Cattle weighing under 750 pounds continued to be in strong

No Crowing Within Town Limits

Can you feel the love? Some roosters in the state of New Jersey may not feel it too often as a township plans to limit their conjugal visits with hens. “It’s a noise issue,” said John Hart, a farmer who helped draft the chicken ordinance in Hopewell Township, which borders on Princeton. The measure would