Genomic research unravels livestock origins, shapes future
Modern cattle are descended from a small herd domesticated in the Middle East about 10,500 years ago, according to recent genetics research. Researchers extracted DNA from domestic cattle bones found...
View ArticleModernizer of cattle genetics passes
Dr. Roy Berg, the man who brought hybrid vigour to Alberta’s cow herds, passed away last week at the age of 85. Ranchers and others in the agriculture industry should take a moment to remember Berg not...
View ArticleThe genetics of smell and taste
A person’s ability to smell a steroid that contributes to boar taint depends on that person’s genetics, according to recent research out of Norway. Researchers assembled a group of consumers and...
View ArticleBig Data Powers Genetic Work Forward by Decades
There was a time not so long ago when mapping the human genome seemed a task too huge to even undertake, much less succeed at. Yet humankind did exactly that and mapped genomes of a variety of other...
View ArticleLow stress cattle handling in action
Temple Grandin, a pioneer of low-stress livestock handling, was in Saskatoon this week to speak at a workshop on autism and aspergers. Grandin is well-known in the agriculture industry for designing...
View ArticleHarper Government secures market access to Ukraine to benefit Canadian swine...
Ottawa, Ontario, May 31, 2012 - The Canadian swine industry will benefit from market access to Ukraine, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced today. Effective immediately, the Ukrainian market has...
View ArticleAnimal welfare movement’s impact on pork industry
Last February I listened to Brenda Schoepp, a market analysis based in Alberta, at a local cattlemen’s dinner. One of Schoepp’s comments really stood out, especially given the events that have unfolded...
View ArticleCanada’s swine genetics industry poised to help feed growing population
Agriculture Canada's recent announcement that the Ukrainian market has opened to live swine and swine genetics is a step in the right direction, according to a genetics company executive. “Anytime we...
View ArticleCattle With Best Genetics More Susceptible to AIP?
“Cattle with the best genetics appear to be the most susceptible to acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP),” says Scott MacGregor, a consulting feedyard veterinarian, in a recent Beef magazine article....
View ArticleScientists develop genetically modified dairy cows
Chinese scientists have genetically modifying dairy cows to produce milk with different properties, the U.K.’s Daily Mail reports. Their accomplishments so far include: Creating a cow with milk rich in...
View ArticleResearchers exploring livestock disease
Earlier this week, scientists at Britain’s Institute for Animal Health received a 680,000 pound grant to study the Culicoides midge genome. The Culicoides midge spreads several livestock diseases,...
View ArticleFDA hopes new database will speed pathogen identification in foodborne...
Each year there are nearly 50 million cases of food poisoning in the United States, according to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) press release. The FDA has teamed up with several...
View ArticlePublic Warms to Climate Change and Livestock Genetics
The jury is in: climate change is real and humans caused it. This week saw the leading climate change skeptic, prominent scientist Richard Muller, capitulate and declare global warming is real and that...
View ArticleAnnouncing the Launch of BeefResearch.ca
Announcing the Launch of BeefResearch.ca Calgary, AB - The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) is pleased to announce the launch of BeefResearch.ca. This new website is a dynamic, central resource for...
View ArticleScience helps farmers and ranchers manage drought
As the Mississippi River withers and crops and pastures shrivel across the United States, the agriculture industry is looking for more ways to adapt to drought. Farmers and scientists are testing new...
View ArticleGenetically modified food top of mind for media, federal government this week
This week it seems like every time I pick up the phone or go online, I’m discussing or reading about genetically modified organisms. It started with a conversation about consumer concerns around GMOs....
View ArticleResearchers and industry collaborate to push livestock genetics forward
Modern cattle are much more feed and water efficient than their predecessors, yet a cattle genomics project hopes to improve cattle genetics even more. According to a recent Western Producer article,...
View ArticleChina Aims for Better Steak and Human Breast Milk Production from Genetically...
While most geneticists around the world aim to produce drought-resistant livestock that can survive the spread and prolonged drought periods threatening the food supply globally, Chinese geneticists...
View ArticleResearchers and veterinarians aim to eliminate PRRS in Alberta
Western Canadian researchers and veterinarians are working together to help Alberta achieve PRRS-free status. Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) is one of the most important diseases...
View ArticleUkraine market access means opportunities for livestock genetics industry
Ukraine has opened market access to live Canadian cattle, giving Canadian dairy and beef producers a chance to not only export commodities, but to sell an entire value chain. “We have a reasonable...
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