Commercial feed is the salmonella culprit Sunday, February 6, 2011 Wonder how salmonella got in your pig barn? The most likely source is commercial feed, according to a paper published in the November 2010 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.Scientists from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Ohio State University, tested feed in bins before it was exposed to the barn, and fecal and environmental samples inside the barn as well. Contaminated feed was found in eight of 36 barns tested. In four of five cases, the time and place of contaminated samples of feed and feces matched.Team leader Wondwossen A. Gebreyes says the feed was mostly likely contaminated by ingredients, but contamination might also have occurred during handling. "Regardless, the findings strongly imply that salmonella can be maintained and easily disseminated in a population of food animals," the paper says."The findings suggest that pork could be a source of human infection. They also strongly question the conventional wisdom that processed feed is not a source of contamination. BP Worldwide hog production shrinks and Smithfield rocks New Zealand clamps down on sow stalls
Calf Auction Raises Funds for Youth Monday, June 30, 2025 Wyatt Westman-Frijters from Milverton won a heifer calf named Ingrid through a World Milk Day promotion by Maplevue Farms and a local Perth, Ontario radio station. Instead of keeping the calf, 22-year-old Westman-Frijters chose to give back to the community. The calf was sent to the... Read this article online
Expert Gopher Help for Farmers Friday, June 27, 2025 With gopher populations increasing across Saskatchewan, many landowners are struggling with crop loss and land damage. These rodents not only reduce crop yields but also create dangerous conditions for livestock. In response, the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation (SWF), supported by the... Read this article online
Cattle Stress Tool May Boost Fertility Friday, June 27, 2025 Kansas State University researchers have developed a cool tool that may help reduce cattle stress and improve artificial insemination (AI) results. The idea came from animal science experts Nicholas Wege Dias and Sandy Johnson, who observed that cattle accustomed to their environment... Read this article online
Ontario pasture lands get $5M boost Friday, June 27, 2025 The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $5 million to strengthen shared community grazing pastures. This funding supports the province’s plan to protect Ontario’s agriculture sector and help cattle farmers improve pasture quality, ensuring long-term sustainability and... Read this article online
Pigs on the prairie: Manitoba’s fight against a growing wild hog invasion Thursday, June 26, 2025 They root through farmland, tear up native landscapes, spread disease, and multiply rapidly. Wild pigs are fast becoming one of Manitoba’s most destructive and difficult invasive species — and experts say the time to act is now. Dr. Wayne Lees, coordinator of Squeal on Pigs Manitoba,... Read this article online