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Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Highly strung cattle not best feedlot choice

Thursday, April 4, 2013

How fast a calf exits the squeeze after treatment maybe a sign of its temperament and linked to its performance, according to scientists associated with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The most temperamental animals, as determined using a score that included the speed of exiting a chute and travelling a certain distance, failed to show signs associated with disease, even when they were sick after exposure to a bacterial toxin. Maybe more important, the highly strung animals had a lower immune response, and calmer cattle reacted better to a vaccine.

In a related discovery, temperamental animals responded less favourably during transportation, using up more of their fat stores, and were less likely to grade "choice" than less temperamental animals. Longer trips to slaughter reduced the number that graded choice regardless of temperament. The study, based on 36 cattle, was published in the February 2013 issue of Agricultural Research magazine. BF

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June/July 2025

Better Farming Magazine

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Canadian Farm Income Sees Sharp Decline

Thursday, May 29, 2025

In 2024, Canadian farmers experienced a significant financial setback, with realized net income dropping by $3.3 billion, or 25.9%, to $9.4 billion according to Statistics Canada. This marks the steepest percentage decrease since 2018. When cannabis is excluded, the drop stands at... Read this article online

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