Demographics of the Canadian dairy industry from 1991 to 2011

A retrospective study of the demographics of the Canadian dairy industry was conducted using data derived from Statistics Canada’s Census of Agriculture from 1991 to 2011. This longitudinal study shows that Canada’s dairy industry has undergone considerable consolidation. From 1991 to 2011, the number of dairy producers and dairy farms decreased by 48.9% and 61.9%, respectively. Furthermore, this trend in consolidation is likely to continue; nearly half (45.8%) of all dairy producers in Canada were ≥ 50 y of age in 2011. Not only will most of these producers be retired by 2021, but younger producers will also exit the industry for other reasons. These findings mirror what is occurring in Canada’s cow-calf industry, underscoring that supply-managed sectors experience demographic consolidation similar to non-supply managed sectors. These substantial changes will have ramifications for the veterinary profession. There will be fewer but larger farms, and the services and knowledge demanded of veterinarians will change accordingly, which has implications for food animal veterinary education.     

Retrospective analysis of western Canada's veterinary profession for the period 1991 to 2007

Veterinary directories from Canada's 4 western provincial veterinary associations provided source data for compiling demographic profiles of the veterinary profession for the years 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2007. From 1991 to 2007 the number of veterinary practitioners in western Canada increased by 1197 (79%), for a net gain of 75 veterinarians/y. Of these, 786 (66%) were companion animal (CA) practitioners, 184 (15%) mixed animal (MA) practitioners, 96 (8%) food animal (FA) practitioners, and 131 (11%) were classified as "Other." The number of veterinary clinics also increased over this same period by 301 (38%), of which 266 (88%) were CA practices, 5 (2%) MA practices, and 31 (10%) FA practices. The majority of CA (75%), MA (68%), and FA (86%) practices had ≤ 2 veterinarians.     

Demographics and career path choices of graduates from three Canadian veterinary colleges

The classes of 2007 from the Atlantic Veterinary College, Ontario Veterinary College, and Western College of Veterinary Medicine were surveyed to determine what factors influenced the respondents’ career path choices. Seventy percent (166/237) of those contacted participated in the survey of which 89.1% were female, 62.7% had an urban upbringing, and 33.0% expected to be employed in a small center (population ≤ 10 000). Half (52.5%) of the respondents reported that they were interested in mixed or food animal practice at the time of entry into veterinary college, but this proportion declined to 34.2% by the time of graduation. Three factors were significantly associated with choosing a career in mixed or food animal practice: having been raised in a small center, being a male, and having a good to excellent knowledge of food animal production at the time of entry into veterinary college, as determined by a self-assessment.     

2011年大豆产业政策需“思变”

1调控政策实施以来产业发展现状 在已经过去的2010年是中国实施大豆政策性收储以来的第三年。自2008年四季度以来。为稳定大豆市场价格、保护农民利益。确保国内大豆种植产业安全．国家在东北三省一区实行政策性大豆收购工作。然而从市场的监测情况来看．除了2008年秋季大豆播种面积同比略增外．     

Forage systems for cow-calf production in the Appalachian region

Small cow-calf operations are common in the Appalachian region. Tall fescue [Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) S. J. Darbyshire] is the dominant forage in these systems for direct grazing as well as for stockpiling. The present study was conducted from 2001 to 2005. A total of 108 Angus and Angus crossbred cows were allotted randomly to 6 forage systems and then to 3 replicates within each system. In brief, system 1 had a stocking rate of 0.91 ha/cow in a Middleburg 3-paddock (A, B, and C) system. System 2 was similar to system 1 except for a stocking rate of 0.71 ha/cow. A stocking rate of 0.71 ha/cow also was used in systems 3 through 6. All A paddocks had tall fescue, whereas B paddocks had tall fescue/white clover (Trifolium repens L.) except in system 6, which had tall fescue/lespedeza [Lespedeza cuneata (Dum. Cours.) G. Don]. System 3 evaluated a 2-paddock (A and B) rotational grazing system, and system 4 evaluated a 3-paddock (A, B, and C) rotational grazing system, with paddock C containing orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Systems 5 and 6 differed from system 2 in the areas of paddocks B and C as well as in the forage mixtures used. In paddock C, system 5 had switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and system 6 had tall fescue and birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.). System 1 had the greatest average herbage availability from weaning until breeding (P < 0.05) with the least amount of hay fed (P = 0.03) when compared with the remainder of the systems. Differences (P > 0.05) in percentage of ground cover were not detected among systems. There was no year x system interaction effect on the cow or calf performance variables evaluated and no treatment effect on cow performance variables. There was a treatment effect on calf performance variables. System 2 produced the greatest adjusted weaning weight, kilograms of calf weaned per hectare, and kilograms of calf per kilograms of cow at weaning (P < 0.05). Numerical ranking for total calf production per hectare from the greatest to least was system 2, 6, 3, 5, 4, and 1. Systems evaluated did not affect cow performance although differences in calf performance and overall productivity of the systems were observed.     

Management of mineral supplementation programs for cow-calf operations.

Wasting diseases, hair loss, depigmented hair, skin disorders, noninfectious abortion, diarrhea, loss of appetite, bone abnormalities, tetany, low fertility, and pica have all been attributed to dietary mineral deficiencies or excesses in beef cattle diets. When discussing the mineral nutrition of beef cattle, it is common to focus on readily observable problems such as these. It is a fact, however, that the probability of a particular beef operation ever encountering one of these classical symptoms of deficiency or excess is vanishingly small. Most economic losses associated with mineral nutrition stem from less obvious circumstances (ie, sub-clinical deficiencies or toxicities). Problems with animal health or performance are frequently the result of interaction between one or more minerals in the diet and not due to deficiency or excess per se. Even more likely to cause economic harm is a mineral supplementation program that is mismanaged or overpriced. This article will attempt to distinguish between facts and perceptions regarding mineral nutrition of beef cattle and to make suggestions on cost effective supplementation practices.     

Impact of trichomoniasis on the cow-calf producer's profitability

Using current knowledge of bovine trichomoniasis, a computer spreadsheet simulation model was developed to contribute to the understanding of the disease dynamics and the disease's impact on calf crop, weaner calf production, and revenue returns. Two disease prevalence simulations were generated with the model. In each simulation, 200 susceptible cows were confined with 5 fertile bulls. In simulation 1, one bull was infected with Tritrichomonas foetus (prevalence, 20%); in simulation 2, 2 bulls were infected (prevalence, 40%). The remaining bulls in these groups were designated noninfected. The disease simulation outcomes for breeding and calving variables were compared with a similar but noninfected model group, simulation 0. The disease model predicted a reduction of 14 to 50% in annual calf crop, a prolonged breeding season, a reduction of 5 to 12% in the suckling/growing period, a reduction of 4 to 10% in pounds of marketable calf crop at weaning, a reduction of 4 to 10% in monetary return per calf born, and a substantial reduction of 5 to 35% in the return per cow confined with a fertile bull.     

Choosing which metrics to use when reporting antimicrobial use information to veterinarians in the Canadian swine industry

The objective of this study was to evaluate preferences for various metrics and denominators among Canadian swine veterinarians, in order to improve reporting of antimicrobial use (AMU) information to these stakeholders and to facilitate enhanced stewardship decisions. An online survey was made available to swine veterinarians across Canada; 12 responses (estimated response rate 17.6%) were submitted and analyzed. Responses represented veterinarians from every major pig-producing province and from a range of year of graduation from veterinary college. Participants self-evaluated their understanding of dose-based metrics as higher than weight- and frequency-based metrics and interpreted most results of AMU analyses correctly. Participants preferred dose-based metrics over others, and had various objectives for AMU information, including improving AMU on their clients’ farms and enabling comparisons with other farms. The results are useful to those making decisions about which AMU metrics to use in reports targeted to swine veterinarians.     

Managing lead exposure and toxicity in cow-calf herds to minimize the potential for food residues.

Lead poisoning is commonly diagnosed in cattle. In this study, 3 groups of cattle from different herds accidentally exposed to discarded lead batteries on pasture were intensively studied to determine the extent and severity of exposure. The losses from acute death due to lead toxicity were substantial in all the 3 study groups at 12%, 17%, and 4%. Blood samples were taken from all cattle around the time of the first diagnosis and then later in 2 of the 3 herds to monitor the change in lead concentrations over time. Asymptomatic lead toxicosis was observed in these herds. In these 3 groups, between 4% and 12% of asymptomatic cattle had blood lead concentrations consistent with acute lead poisoning (> 0.35 ppm), and between 7% and 40% of these asymptomatic animals were in the high-normal range (0.1-0.35 ppm). Because of the consistently high number of asymptomatic cattle with elevated lead levels, all cattle potentially exposed to a lead source should be tested before sale or slaughter to minimize the entry of lead into the food chain. The blood lead concentrations, which were monitored for months after the initial diagnosis, decreased slowly after the cattle were removed from the lead source. The prolonged retention of lead may be due to continued release and absorption of lead from metal particles in the reticulum or rumen. The mean reduction in the lead level was 0.046 ppm (95% CI, 0.017-0.075 ppm) every 30 days for these 2 herds. Using a single-component exponential model, the half-life of lead in the animals retested from Herds 1 and 2 was highly variable. The median half-life was 63 days (interquartile range, 34-107 days). One out of 8 pregnant heifers with high blood levels had a stillborn calf. There were no abortions or calf mortalities in this group. Blood samples were'collected from the calves around the time of birth. The concentrations of lead in the blood of the calves exposed in utero were low (0.010-0.095 ppm).     

Prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in fecal generic Escherichia coil isolated in western Canadian cow-calf herds. Part I--beef calves.

The objective of this study was to describe antimicrobial resistance patterns in fecal generic Escherichia coli obtained from calves in western Canadian cow-calf herds. Susceptibility testing was completed on 1677 isolates obtained from 480 beef calves in 91 herds in the spring, and from 1187 isolates obtained from 394 calves in 45 herds in the fall of 2002. Resistance was rare to antimicrobials classified as being of very high importance to human health. Isolates were most commonly resistant to tetracycline, sulphamethoxazole, and streptomycin. Resistance to at least one antimicrobial was identified in 48.8% of the isolates collected in the spring, and 7.0% of those collected in the fall. Spring or fall calf resistance status was not associated with calf gender, breed, age of the dam, or if the calf was treated before sample collection. Calves < or = 3 days of age were less likely to be resistance positive than calves > 10 days of age.     

加拿大饲料行业HACCP管理

20 0 2年 1 0月 1 5日至 1 1月 4日 ,由中国饲料工业协会组织的包括部分饲料质检单位与饲料企业人员共 1 3人赴加拿大进行了为期 3周的ＨＡＣ ＣＰ技术考察和培训 ,系统地学习了饲料行业ＨＡＣＣＰ管理原则和方法 ,完成了ＨＡＣＣＰ师资培训课程和审核员培训课程学习 ,参观了已获ＨＡＣ ＣＰ认证或正在认证的Ｗａｌｌｅｎｓｔｅｉｎｆｅｅｄ＆ｓｕｐｐｌｙＬＴＤ .、ＡｇｒｉｂｒａｎｄｓＰｕｒｉｎａＣａｎａｄａＩｎｃ .(Ｐａｌｍｅｒｓｔｏｎ)、ＡｇｒｉｂｒａｎｄｓＰｕｒｉｎａＣａｎａｄａＩｎｃ .(Ｓｔｒａｔｈｒｏｙ)、ＢＡＳＦＣａ…     

Long-term trends in greenhouse gas emissions from the Canadian poultry industry

As people become more aware of the environmental footprint of different foods, consumers may modify their diets to reduce the impact of their diets on the environment. For this to occur, it is necessary to know the impact that individual food types have on the environment. This publication presents the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as well as the GHG emission intensity associated with various types of poultry production in Canada for the census years 1981 to 2006. Greenhouse gas emissions were calculated using the methodology from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change adjusted for conditions in Canada. Direct emissions of CH₄, N₂ O, and CO₂ from birds, their facilities, and the avian crop complex, corresponding to the area used to grow the crops that feed Canadian poultry, were estimated using poultry diet surveys. Between 1981 and 2006, because of the strong growth of broiler production, GHG emissions from the poultry industry increased by 40%. The main GHG was N₂ O, representing approximately 57% of the total emissions. Fossil fuel CO₂ accounted for approximately 38%, whereas CH₄ accounted for 5%. In western Canada, GHG emission intensities decreased owing to a reduction in the consumption of fossil fuels associated with the adoption of reduced- and no-tillage cropping systems, whereas in eastern Canada, the reduction was due to lower N₂ O emissions. The emissions of all 3 GHG from turkeys decreased because of the more rapid turnover of a marketable product (shortened life span) in later census years. Compared with other Canadian meat protein commodities in 2001, poultry emitted only 47% as much GHG per unit of live weight as pork and only 10% as much GHG per unit of live weight as beef.     

An examination of the prevalence of and risk factors for shedding of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. in cows and calves from western Canadian cow-calf herds

The primary objectives of this study were to describe the prevalence and risk factors for Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. infection in cows and calves during the calving season in western Canadian cow-calf herds. Through the calving season of 2002, fresh fecal samples were collected from 560 beef cows and 605 calves in western Canada. Feces were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. using a quantitative sucrose gradient immunoflourescent antibody test. Samples were collected from mature cows on 59 farms and from calves on 100 farms. Only 1.1% (5/560) of the cows were positive for Cryptosporidium spp. whereas 3.1% (19/605) of the calves were positive. Prevalence for Giardia spp. was much higher; Giardia spp. was detected in 17.0% (95/560) of the cow and 22.6% (137/605) of calf fecal samples. Data describing herd management practices, treatment and disease history, age, gender, breed and fecal consistency were gathered to assess potential risk factors associated with shedding. The association between the risk of shedding and average precipitation from December to June and ecological region were also evaluated. Risk factors for infection with Cryptosporidium spp. in either cows or calves could not be evaluated because the multilevel model would not converge due to the relatively low prevalence of the organism in this sample. The prevalence for Giardia spp. was sufficient to explore potential risk factors in both cows and calves. No risk factors were identified for Giardia spp. in beef cows following calving. After the construction of a multivariable model, the only significant predictors for Giardia spp. presence in beef calves was dam age and calf age. Calves born to 2-year-old heifers were 2.3 (95% CI, 1.09-5.06; P = 0.031) times more likely to be shedding Giardia spp. then calves born to cows that were 4-10 years of age. Calves that were 9-18 days of age and calves that were > 18 days of age were 22.4 (95% CI, 5.88-88.18; P < 0.001) and 150 (95% CI, 39.72-603.19; P < 0.001) times more likely, respectively, to be shedding Giardia spp. than calves < or = 4 days of age.     

Prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in fecal generic Escherichia coil isolated in western Canadian beef herds. Part II--cows and cow-calf pairs.

The objective of this study was to describe antimicrobial resistance in fecal generic Escherichia coli isolated from cows and cow-calf pairs from western Canadian beef herds. Susceptibility testing was completed on 1555 E. coli isolates (n = 533 cows from 69 herds) harvested from fresh fecal samples in the spring of 2002, and 630 isolates (n = 105 cow-calf pairs from 10 herds) collected in the spring of 2003. Only 1 cow isolate was resistant to an antimicrobial classified by Health Canada as being of very high importance to human medicine. Resistance to at least 2 antimicrobials was detected in 7.1% of the 2002 cow isolates, in 3.4% of the 2003 cow isolates, and 23.2% of the 2003 calf isolates. In the cows, resistance to at least 1 antimicrobial was not associated with cow breed (P = 0.16), cow age (P = 0.14), or previous cow treatment (P = 0.56). In the calves, resistance to at least 1 antimicrobial was not predicted by whether or not its dam was resistant to at least 1 antimicrobial (P = 0.36).     

依托产业谋发展服务行业求壮大

为加强行业管理．经省编委批准。1986年3月，江苏省饲料工业协会正式成立．归口省计经委管理，与省计经委食品饲料处合署办公。2000年底，江苏省省级机关进行机构改革．按照“精简、效能、统一”的原则，省饲料管理职能由原省计经委划入省农林厅。省编委于2002年5月批复，将省饲料工业协会划入省农林厅，省农林厅决定协会与省饲料站合署办公。2003年3月，     

高成本时代家禽业的发展方向

据报道称．目前世界各地．特别是西方发达国家的消费者在选择肉类蛋白时．对鸡肉的兴趣正在超过牛肉．在澳大利亚这个以牛羊肉为动物蛋白质主要来源的国家．2007年鸡肉的年人均消费量已经达到了37．4kg;在美国．鸡肉的年人均消费量高达53．3kg．占肉类消费的40％．超过了牛肉和猪肉的消费水平;日本人均鸡肉年消费量达40kg以上,占肉类的47％;     

Strategic use of anthelmintics to prevent parasitic gastroenteritis in cow-calf herds in California

On the basis of the hypothesis that the peak numbers of infective nematode third-stage larvae (L3) on herbage in winter months results from fall contamination of pastures, 2 methods to reduce fall contamination were tested. In trial 1, morantal sustained-release boluses were administered to 15 fall-calving cows on Sept 7, 1982. Fifteen untreated cows (controls) were placed on separate pastures. Numbers of L3 on herbage during the winter and spring were assessed by use of worm-free tracer calves. In trial 2, 19 cattle due to calve in the fall were administered 200 micrograms of invermectin/kg of body weight, SC, on Sept 2, 1983. Also, 17 cattle similarly were given a placebo injection and served as control animals. Treated cattle were placed on the pasture used by control cattle in trial 1 and control cattle on the pasture used by treated cattle in trial 1. Worm-free tracer calves were again used to assess numbers of L3 on herbage. In trial 1, tracer calves grazing the control animal pasture from January 14 to 28 acquired 37 times as many nematodes as did those grazing the treated animal pasture. In trial 2, the greatest difference observed was a 10-fold increase of nematodes in calves grazing control animal pastures, compared with worm numbers in tracer calves grazing the treated animal pasture.     

A stochastic model to assess the risk of introduction of bovine viral diarrhea virus to beef cow-calf herds

A spreadsheet model using Monte Carlo simulation was designed to evaluate the introduction of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) to cow-calf farms and the effect of different testing strategies. Risks were modeled to include imports to the cow-calf herd and stocker calves imported to adjacent pastures. The number of persistently infected (PI) animals imported and the probability of BVDV introduction were monitored for three herd sizes, four import profiles, and six testing strategies. Importing stockers and importing pregnant heifers were the biggest risks for introduction of BVDV. Testing for PI animals in stockers decreased the risk they posed, but testing pregnant heifers was not sufficient to decrease risk unless their calves were also tested. Test sensitivity was more influential than PI prevalence on the likelihood of BVDV introduction, when all imports were tested. This model predicts the risk of BVDV introduction for individual herds based on management decisions, and should prove to be a useful tool to help cow-calf producers in controlling the risk of importing BVDV to a na?ve herd.     

The European College of Veterinary Surgeons 1991-2011: a 20-year success story

The first meeting leading to the formation of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons (ECVS) was held August 30/31, 1990 in Lenzburg, Switzerland. Specialists in small animal and large animal surgery from practice and academicians from many European countries were invited. The constitution was developed based on that of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS). ECVS was founded during the ACVS European Surgical Forum in Nice in 1991. The provisional Board elected at this meeting stayed active during the initial 4 years to provide stability. For the 146 Charter Members to become a Diplomate, they had to pass an examination. Therefore, the ECVS is the only Specialty College that does not have a "Grand Father Clause." In 2000 ECVS, was the first College to acquire full recognition-status by the European Board of Specialization (EBVS), which underlines the leading role the surgeons play in the development of the European veterinary specialty colleges. Like its American Sister College, ECVS maintains high standards for surgical training programs for Residents and administers rigorous certifying examinations. It is appropriate to recall the facts that lead to foundation of ECVS on its 20-year anniversary.