insights (Page 5)

Caroline Ritter and Herman Barkema, University of Calgary

Dairy farmers have to balance industry standards, consumer expectations, and economic sustainability of their farm, while concurrently addressing their own standards and priorities. A better understanding of the influences behind farmers’ decision-making will enable policy-makers to design more effective disease control programs and facilitate program delivery and implementation. (more…)

Diego Nobrega, Herman Barkema, University of Calgary

As antimicrobial resistance is a global concern, there is a broad push to reducing antibiotic use. For example, in the dairy sector, selective dry cow therapy (only some cows or quarters are treated at drying off) is being promoted in lieu of traditional blanket dry cow therapy involving treatment of every quarter. (more…)

Dr. Joyce Van Donkersgoed

With increasing questions from the public on how livestock are raised, processors are increasingly pressured to provide proof that the fed cattle they purchase meet recognized welfare standards. National Cattle Feeders Association (NCFA), along with our federal processors, built a national feedlot welfare assessment/audit tool to provide reassurances to retailers and the public that feedlot cattle in Canada are raised humanely. (more…)

By Victoria Kouritzin

​Through genetic selection, the modern day broiler has undergone improvements in appetite, its ability to efficiently gain weight, and in its survivability. However, the resulting rapid growth in commercial broiler strains may also effect broiler gait. Broiler during a gait assessment trial wearing reflective markers for kinematic evaluation Current gait assessment methods can be subjective as they rely on observers to determine the quality of a broiler’s gait using a short multi-point scale. This often results in subtle lameness being missed as most assessment methods were designed to only give an indication of either no problem or whether there is a severe gait concern. Therefore, there is need for more objective means of assessing subtle differences in broiler gait. At the University of Alberta, applied ethologist, Dr. Clover Bench, and her team, are working on a new way to analyse and evaluate broiler gait using 3D kinematic motion capture technology. The results of this research will provide broiler genetics companies with a new means of assessing gait which could be included as part of selection programs.

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Bill desBarres – Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada

Compared to other sectors of the livestock industry equine may be classed as more fragmented. Many, if not most of the other livestock species are under or within umbrella organizations. Species populations in much of the livestock industry are concentrated by flocks, feedlots, herds etc. It may be submitted that for the most part patrons and enthusiasts of the equine sector may have fewer than four animals. For the most part owners of equine may not be members of a breed, discipline or other organization. This would submit most of the horse owners in Canada may be driven by a narrow passion. Therefore it may be reasonable to assume technical and/or science based research and the results thereof have not been adequately identified or circulated. We have not learned the priorities of need or how to direct the information to the majority of the equine community. Within very recent years efforts have commenced to identify critical areas of concern within the equine sector of the livestock industry. (more…)