Tim Hortons expects stall-free pork by 2022

Having reviewed its pork suppliers’ plans to phase out the use of gestation stalls for breeding sows, Canada’s iconic Tim Hortons chain now expects to have moved to stall-free pork by the year 2022. In the Oakville, Ont. company’s annual Sustainability and Responsibility report, released April 3, Tim Hortons said it has “consulted with our



Slight decrease in lamb prices at April 3 sale

Producers delivered 200 sheep and goats to the Winnipeg Livestock Auction April 3 sale. Buyers showed limited interest in ewes. The price ranged from $0.42 to $0.54 per pound, compared to the price range from last sale of $0.51 to $0.90 per pound. The ewes placed in the lower class ranged from $0.20 to $0.35

What’s a pet to some is dinner for others

What’s food and what’s taboo depends on a lot of things, including how human societies
developed, what made sense in different regions, and how humans ordered their world

What’s food and what’s taboo depends on a lot of things, including how human societies developed, what made sense in different regions, and how humans ordered their world Don McMahon gets a mixed reaction when he tells people what was served at his wedding reception in Uzbekistan last year. “Some people are kind of disgusted


There are many ways to improve farrowing rates

There’s a large variation in farrowing rate between farms, ranging from as low as 75 per cent to around 92 per cent. Many producers still view 85 per cent as being an acceptable target and figure it can’t be improved much further. But close attention to a range of management factors can often result in

Major pork processor to ditch gestation stalls

Quebec-based Olymel becomes the latest major processor to bow to consumer pressure to change how it houses pregnant sows

Another major Canadian pork processor has announced it will ban the use of gestations stalls in the coming years. The Quebec-based Olymel says it will phase out gestation stalls over the next decade. “We’ve been thinking about this for a long time, we’ve been talking to our partners and reading expert opinion,” said Olymel spokesman


Where, oh where, has the roadkill gone?

Birds are demonstrating an ability to evolve shorter wingspans 
and learn how not to become a traffic fatality

Millions of birds die each year as they collide with moving vehicles, but things have been looking up, at least in the case of cliff swallows. Today’s swallows are hit less often, thanks to shorter wingspans that may help them take off more quickly and pivot away from passing cars. The findings, reported in the

Slaughter cows just keep coming to Manitoba markets

The number of slaughter cows coming on to the market in Manitoba continued to remain strong during the week ended March 22, which had some industry members surprised. “Everybody is asking the same thing: ‘Where do the cows keep coming from?’” said Keith Cleaver, manager of Heartland Livestock Services at Brandon. “Everybody is surprised. You


1992 April Fool’s spoof no joke in 2013

The following contains excerpts from a Manitoba Co-operator editorial about “Europeanized” pigs running wild in rural Manitoba that ran as an April Fool’s spoof in 1992. While the anecdotes contained in the article are fabricated, it turns out they aren’t that far out in today’s context. According to news reports, Manitoba Conservation officials shot four

Easter lamb prices disappoint producers

There were 700 sheep and goats delivered to the Winnipeg Livestock Auction for the March 20 sale. Ontario price trend carried over to result in low bidding. The Easter lambs fell short of past Easter lamb sale prices. The high demand and interest for the goat kids continue, similar to the past few sales. April