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N’ewesletter
January 2018
Congratulations to the 2017 Photo Contest Winners
Farm Life (top)Winner: Kai Holtkamp, Tees; Runner up: Julia Los, Yellowhead CountySheep and Shepherds (bottom)Winner: Renee Gore, Swalwell; Runner up: Lorriane Miller, Hanna
Table of ContentsALPMessage From the Chair 1Find Alberta Lamb Producers on Social Media 1Around the Zones 2Webinars! 3ALP On-Farm Euthanasia Workshop 3Optimizing Lamb Performance and Meet the Board 4Chops and Crops 2017 5Thank You Bill Gibson! 5ALP 2017 Photo Contest Winners! 6
Producer ResourcesHow’s Your Farm Business’s Health? 7Was Your Farm Profitable in 2017? 8Accrual and Changing Inventory Value 9Shearing School - March 23 and 24 9Neonatal Lamb Management Kit 11Unplanned Pregnancy in Market Ewe Lambs 12When Is Euthanasia the Best Option? 14
Industry InformationGlobal Lamb and Mutton Production 15Sheep Value Chain Roundtable (ShVCRT) 15Pink Ketchum Kurl-Lock #3 Revoked from CSIP 16Canadian Sheep Breeders’ Association 16SheepBytes Workshop 17Farm and Ranch Safety Update 18Local Events/Volunteers Help Tell Our Story 19CCWG Wool Market and Business Update 20Changes Regarding the Sale of Antimicrobials 21
Classifieds 22Sheep Calendar 24ALP Contacts 24
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January 2018 1
Alberta Lamb Producers .
Message From the ChairDarlene Stein
Phone: 780-674-3732 E-mail: [email protected]
Happy New Year.
Another year has passed us by and the New Year brings with it a few changes. I would like to take this time to thank Bill Gibson for his service on the ALP board. At the same time that we bid Bill farewell, we welcome long-time sheep producer Lianne Reid from Zone 7 to join our board. Lianne is keen to do a good job representing producers and has many years of experience to bring to the board. Erin, Neil, and Elaine will be finishing the remainder of their terms and I look forward to continuing to work with each of them. I would also like to thank both Robyn and Beth for the hard work they do in the office to keep everything flowing smoothly.
We had three Zone Meetings this year, one in Zone 7, another held in Camrose for Zones 4, 5 and 6, as well as another in High River for Zones 1, 2 and 3. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to chair the meeting in the south this year. It was great to meet a new group of producers from a different part of the province. The meeting was filled with a wonderful group of producers with enthusiasm, great ideas and thoughtful questions. As I talk to producers from across the country I’ve come to realize that there are very few differences in the challenges we face as producers. If you’ve had a problem, chances are you won’t have to talk to many producers to find someone else who has faced the same challenge. While we didn’t have an election in Zone 1 this year, we did have two producers put their names forward after the meeting so by the time you are reading this, Marilyn Neville has been appointed to the board. We haven’t yet had anyone step forward to represent Zone 4 and would love to have a passionate, dedicated producer fill that spot. If you think you fit that description, please contact Robyn at the office.
I just wanted to mention that at the Zone meetings we gave out flow charts for Neonatal Lamb Management on Stomach Tubing and Intraperitoneal Injections and how to know when to ap-ply either treatment, as well as Neonatal Lamb post-mortem examination guides—great tools for producers to use themselves or post in the barn for staff. You can get them by contacting the office. Every lamb you save impacts your bottom line. Let these tools help you improve your bot-tom line and keep more lambs alive in 2018.
Cheers,Darlene Stein
N'ewesletter is published by the Alberta Lamb Producers. Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Alberta Lamb Producers, the Board of Directors or its officers.
When reprinting articles from N'ewesletter, credit must be given to the ALP and/or the author, if applicable. No changes may be made with-out ALP’s, or the author’s, writ-ten permission.
Alberta Lamb Producers does not endorse or promote any of the advertisements or adver-tisers in the N’ewesletter.
For full Advertising Terms and Conditions see the Media Kit at http://www.ablamb.ca/in-dex.php/news-advertising/advertising.
Phone: 403-948-8533 Email: [email protected] Websites: www.ablamb.ca and
www.albertalamb.ca
Cover photos: Photo contest winners
Credit: Julie Los, Kai Holtkamp, Lorraine Miller, and Renee Gore
Find Alberta Lamb Producers on Social MediaWe’re now on Facebook!
“Like” or “follow” us to keep up to date:https://www.facebook.com/AlbertaLambProducers/
Twitter: Follow us @ABLambProducers https://twitter.com/ablambproducers for industry news and resources. Twitter account for consumers: @youralbertalamb https://twitter.com/youralbertalamb
2 January 2018
Alberta Lamb Producers
Zone 1 The Zone 1 Director position did not receive any
applications at the AGM. In December, the ALP Board appointed Marilyn Neville to the Zone 1 Director position for a one year term, pending the approval of Marketing Council. Marilyn lives in Lundbreck and has been farm-ing with her husband Rick since 1979. She is currently the President and principal biologist of Gramineae Services Ltd. The firm has been very successful assessing and developing restoration plans for industrial disturbances in native grasslands throughout western Canada, par-ticipating in field data collection for detailed range plant community inventories for large ranches for Alberta government agencies and the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Marilyn is also a collaborative author of several publications for Alberta Environment. She continues to assist in all aspects of the family sheep operation.
Marilyn Neville Phone: 403-628-2354 E-mail: [email protected]
Zone 2
Zone 3Here we are with another year closing. Like most of
South and Central Alberta our area was very dry in July and August. The haying went well with a short dry down time, but also a reduced yield and very little re-growth. Many livestock producers have to start feeding earlier this fall.
I would like to thank those producers who came out to attend the Zone 1, 2 and 3 meeting in High River. We had good input about industry concerns. Everyone has a positive outlook for the lamb industry.
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Neil Caskey Phone: 403-664-6114 E-mail: [email protected]
Zone 4The Zone 4 position did not receive any application at
the AGM. An interested producer in Zone 4 can be ap-pointed to the ALP Board. For more information, please contact the ALP office.
Zone 5Hello! Thank you to everyone who came out to the
Zone 4,5,6 meeting on November 18 for your input and commitment to our industry. We had a great meeting with lots of discussion and engagement and great ideas coming forward. It was very uplifting and exciting to see the passion in our producers.
How about those prenatal lambing kits, eh? Pretty awe-some tools created for your businesses,everything you need at your finger tips, with a step by step guide.
It never fails and it always seems that the snow and cold come too early each year; flocks are making their way back into the yards for winter feeding and on some farms are in for lambing. At this time of year please don’t underestimate the value of a feed test to the overall health of your flock and pocket book. Many problems that occur can be related back to feeding errors. There are many online feed ration programs available and working with a nutritionist can have a great impact on your operation.
Just a reminder: 4-H clubs in some areas will be look-ing for winter born lambs for market projects; if you have some please let your Zone Director or the office know.
I would like to send a shout out to Bill Gibson, retiring zone 4 Director, for his 10 years of service on the ALP board and many, many, many years of service to the industry. Happy retirement Bill.
Keep warm and safe until spring everyone!Erin Yaremko Phone: 780-645-6550 E-mail: [email protected]
Zone 6See Message From the Chair, page 1.
Darlene Stein Phone: 780-674-3732 E-mail: [email protected]
Zone 7I decided that maybe it was my turn to do my part in
support for our industry when I saw that the position for our Zone 7 director was vacant. For those of you who do not know me, my husband and I run a mixed ranch (sheep, cattle and horses) in Silver Valley. We started out with sheep over 24 years ago. Our flock numbers have gone up and down throughout the years, with a high of 600 head to a low of 50. The flock is starting to grow again, with 106 head going to the ram this year. For us our biggest hurdle for success is predator control. I am hoping to be able to have a lot of productive conversa-tions with the producers in my area to help me be a
Around the Zones
January 2018 3
Alberta Lamb Producers .
Webinars!WebinarsMore webinars, on a variety of topics, are planned
for 2018. Watch ablamb.ca or sign up for N’ewesline to be alerted to join them when they are scheduled. Remember, all you need is a computer and internet to connect to a webinar!
Don’t forget that you can view previously recorded webinars on ALP’s YouTube channel Sheep Central Alberta: https://www.youtube.com/user/SheepCentralAlberta
NEW – order a USB with the webinars loaded onto it. This option is perfect for producers without reliable in-ternet at their farm. The cost is $5 and shipping is free when shipped to a local Alberta Agriculture building. Contact the office for more information.
Recent recorded webinars include:On Farm Euthanasia of Sheep – Jennifer WoodsAll livestock producers will eventually be faced with
a situation when euthanizing a compromised animal is the most humane option. Based on the Code of Practice requirements, this webinar covers topics that will help producers make sound decisions relating to on-farm euthanasia for maintaining animal welfare and handler safety.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64-x3vlFlhU
ALP On-Farm Euthanasia WorkshopSaturday January 20, 201810 a.m. to 3 p.m.Lethbridge Sandman, 421 Mayor Magrath Dr. S.,
Lethbridge
All livestock producers will eventually face a situa-tion when euthanizing a compromised animal is the most humane option.
Being able to make informed decisions about effec-tively and safely performing euthanasia on-farm decreas-es the length of time an animal suffers while maintaining a high level of animal welfare.
This is the third and final workshop around the prov-ince to help producers make sound decisions relating to on-farm euthanasia. Based on the Code of Practice requirements, the workshop includes a combination of classroom and hands-on learning designed to give pro-ducers the skills and knowledge they need to maintain animal welfare and handler safety.
The workshop will include:• Making the decision to perform on-farm euthanasia.• Approved methods of euthanasia for different types
of sheep (i.e. age, size, etc.).• Hands-on training to perform euthanasia by captive-
bolt gun, using sheep models.• A take away reference manual filled with all the work-
shop information.Workshop instructor, Jennifer Woods, is a livestock
handling specialist based out of Blackie, Alberta. Jennifer obtained her undergrad degree in Animal Science at Colorado State University and her Master’s degree in Vet-erinary Preventative Medicine from Iowa State University. Jennifer has over 25 years’ experience in the livestock industry and has worked as a consultant to the industry since 1998. Her areas of expertise include euthanasia, animal handling and behaviour, animal welfare auditing and assessing (slaughter, farm, feedlot and transporta-tion), livestock emergency response, transportation, and facility design. Jennifer’s work has taken her all over North America, across Europe and down to Australia.
Please contact the ALP office for more information and to RSVP by January 15.
Registration is free and lunch is provided. Can’t make it? Watch the webinar on this topic with
Jennifer on our YouTube channel SheepCentralAlberta.
beneficial ALP board member. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with me for any thoughts or questions you might have; I look forward to hearing from you. I also want to take this opportunity to thank Bill Gibson, who is retiring from the ALP Board this Fall. I enjoyed my time serving with him. I hope everyone had a great Christmas holiday, and wish everyone a prosperous New Year.
Lianne Read Phone: 780-351-2091 E-mail: [email protected]
4 January 2018
Alberta Lamb Producers
Optimizing Lamb Performance and Meet the Board
Saturday, February 3, 201810a.m. to 3p.m.Airdrie Agriculture Building, Theatre Room 97 East Lake Ramp NE, AirdriePlease join the ALP Board for a “Meet the Board” as well as an educational presentation by internationally re-
nowned sheep expert, Lesley Stubbings. Lesley will be presenting on Optimizing Lamb Performance. Learn about maximizing performance in lambs from birth to eight weeks of age and onwards. Optimizing
lamb performance in the early stages of life can have a large impact on farm profitability. There are many fac-tors that influence lamb performance, including ewe milk yield, energy and protein requirements of lambs up to weaning, disease control and performance targets.
Lesley Stubbings is an independent sheep consultant with 38 years experience, hav-ing graduated,in Animal Production,from Nottingham University. Lesley started up her own business (LSSC Ltd) in 1997, following 18 years with the UK advisory service, ADAS. LSSC provides specialist advice on all aspects of sheep production to farmers, corporate bodies, vets, government and NGOs. Lesley continues to play a central role in SCOPS (Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep). In 2016 she was joint author of the book Feeding the Ewe.
This premiere event is free to attend and lunch is included. RSVP by January 26 to reserve your spot. Can’t make it in person? Don’t worry, ALP has arranged for this session to be filmed. It will be posted on our YouTube channel in the weeks following.
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January 2018 5
Alberta Lamb Producers .
Chops and Crops 2017This formal MLA reception is held every year in Edmon-
ton and provides the opportunity for farmers and produc-ers to network with MLAs. Chops and Crops is hosted by several commodity groups, including: Alberta Pork, Alberta Canola Commission, Alberta Wheat Commission, Alberta Barley, Alberta Pulse Growers, Alberta Oat Growers Com-mission, Potato Growers of Alberta, and Alberta Lamb Producers. This year it was held on November 1, and ALP sent two directors (Darlene Stein and Erin Yaremko) to bring awareness to the Alberta lamb industry forward to MLAs. Alberta lamb was also featured on the menu as a lamb taco and lamb cheese burger.
Thank You Bill Gibson!Zone 4 Director, Bill Gibson, completed his second consecutive term and
retired from the ALP board this fall. ALP would like to send him a huge ‘thank you’ for his commitment to our organization. In addition to his latest 7-year term, Bill also served on the board between 1999 and 2002, for a total of 10 years of service to ALP. During this time, Bill took on many additional commitments,including representing ALP at meetings and on committees such as: Biosecurity Champions,Crops and Chops,Canadian Human Resources Council meetings, Canadian Sheep Federation, Alberta Farm Animal Care, and Canadian Cattle Identification Agency. Bill states, “I feel that [being an ALP Director] is a way to payback to an industry that has given Lorna and me a wonderful lifestyle among some truly outstanding people.”
From all of us at ALP, THANK YOU BILL and enjoy a wonderful “retirement”!
6 January 2018
Alberta Lamb Producers
ALP 2017 Photo Contest Winners!
Once again, we were delighted to receive a large number of great pictures for our annual photo contest. An external commit-tee of judges made the choices for Win-ner and Runner Up in the Farm Life and Sheep and Shepherds categories. These photographers will each receive a CCWG gift certificate. We decided all entries in the Kids Contest deserved to win and the photographers will receive ALP ‘Baa is the New Moo’ T-shirts. Go to the ALP website to see more contest entries.
Congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone who submitted pictures.
Watch N’ewesline, the April N’ewesletter and ablamb.ca for details of the ALP 2018 Photo Contest.
Farm Life - Winner (left): Kai Holtkamp, Tees. Runner up (right): Julia Los, Yellowhead County
Sheep and Shepherds - Winner (left): Renee Gore, Swalwell. Runner up (below): Lorriane Miller, Hanna
Kid’s Contest - (Above) Robert Slingerland, (14), Lethbridge; (Centre) Emma Vuylsteke (3), Wetaskiwin; (right) Joey Dueck (13), Westlock
January 2018 7
Alberta Lamb Producers .Producer Resources .
How’s Your Farm Business’s Health?Rick Dehod 780-427-4466, [email protected]
Alberta Agriculture and Forestry’s Agricultural Business Analyzer, and Simple Farm Ratio Analyzer, can give users a quick idea of the financial status of their farm or ranch as well as a comparison of their businesses’ ratios to industry benchmarks.
“The Simple Farm Ratio Analyzer is a short cut Excel pro-gram that takes just eight key financial entries and calcu-lates financial ratios for the farm/ranch and colour codes them in comparison to industry benchmarks,” says Rick Dehod, farm finance specialist, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Edmonton. “These eight key financial numbers can be taken from your accountant prepared financial statements for the past year and entered into the various open cells in the one page spreadsheet.”
The eight key numbers are farm gross revenue, farm gross expenses, depreciation, debt servicing payments, current assets, long term assets, current debt and long term debt.
“With these eight quick entries you will know how your farm is doing financially,” says Dehod. “You can then consult with your accountant or an agricultural finance specialist to come up with plans to mitigate and improve those areas where your financial ratios are weak.”
Compare your net worth statement for the beginning of the 2017, to your closing net worth statement for 2017, says Dehod. “You can generate the year-end financial ratios, and compare them to the ratios you generated from your beginning net worth statement. This will give an indication if your 2018 operating plan increased your farm business’s financial viability and the health of your farming operation. Benchmarking will give you valuable information on how you are doing financially and how your business plan affected your financial health.
“It all seems like a lot of work, but it will help you create an awareness that can help you make better decisions to increase the viability and success of your farm business in 2018.”
Dehod says the Agricultural Business Analyzer is another great tool to help develop an operation’s 2018 business plan. It is a financial analysis tool designed to aid users to review up to five years of historical financial data and prepare and analyze a financial plan for the upcoming year.
“Projections done start with an opening net worth statement, and look forward for one year. Incomes and expenses are considered along with expected cash flows. From this data, the Agricultural Business Analyzer cre-ates a closing financial statement illustrating what the financial situation of the farm operation will be at the end of one year based on the projections. In addition, the program calculates key ratios in the areas of liquidity, solvency, profitability and efficiency for both the past and projected income and financial statements, and compares them to industry benchmarks.”
The Simple Farm Ratio Analyzer (http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/softdown.nsf/main?openform&type=ABASimple&page=information) and Agricultural Business Analyzer (http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/softdown.nsf/main?openform&type=ABA&page=information) are available from AF’s web-site.
For more information, contact Rick Dehod or visit the Farm Manager homepage at (www. agriculture.alberta.ca/farm-manager)
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8 January 2018
Producer Resources
Was Your Farm Profitable in 2017?Rick Dehod 780-427-4466, [email protected]
“With the 2017 financial year coming to an end, in early January 2018, it’s a good time to gather information to convert your cash statements to accrual income and ex-penses statements for 2017,” says Rick Dehod, agriculture farm financial specialist, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Edmonton.
“Unfortunately, farmers really don’t know if their farm was profitable in 2017. The majority of farms still report their incomes and expenses on a cash basis via their annual income tax returns with the goal of avoiding or postponing income tax. Very few actually have an accu-rate accrual statement prepared to give them a true pic-ture of profitability, and if their farm made a profit. The goal, after all, is to make a profit. Accruing your income and expense statement also gives you the information so that you can drill down and really know your cost of production for each crop.”
So, how do you know if you made a profit in 2017?
“With the right information you can convert those cash statements to accrual,” says Dehod. “This will give you a true picture of income and expense for your farm and if you made a profit. This information is invaluable in devel-oping your projected income statements and marketing plan for 2018. It will allow you to make better decisions into the future and fully understand your cost of produc-tion. You will have a better understanding of what your breakeven points are and when you can take a profit. This knowledge will direct your marketing plans, and your adoption of risk management tools to protect that profit. If you are currently operating as a corporation, the financial statements generated will include an accrued income statement.”
Items that will affect the calculations are year-end numbers for inventories of livestock, crops for sale, feed on hand, purchased supplies, accounts receivable, ac-counts payable and accrued interest. “Now is the time to collect those numbers. Most farmers will have these numbers available either from the year-end statement that they provide to their banker or accountant or from their annual AgriStability returns. The only number that may not be readily available is the accrued interest at year-end, so that number can be requested or calculated at this time. Producers need to have the required num-bers for the beginning of the year and end of the year for the accrual adjustments to be calculated properly for any given year. 2017 year-end numbers become 2018 begin-
ning year numbers. Ask your accountant or business advisor to assist you in accruing your cash statement.”
Depreciation is the tricky one, says Dehod. “Income tax returns may have capital cost allowance (CCA) numbers, but those can be quite different from the actual depre-ciation numbers that should be charged as a business expense. For the historical accrued net farm income numbers to be meaningful, depreciation amounts must reflect true depreciation of the assets used to gener-ate an income. This may be close to 16 per cent for your equipment line and two to four per cent for your grain and machinery storage. If you are in an intensified livestock operation, depreciation on building and equip-ment could be higher.
“The primary goal of any business is to generate a posi-tive net income and make a profit. Profit is not a dirty word. Once you make a profit, the issue is how to invest it and protect it from being taxed.”
To learn how to accrue income and expense state-ments go the The Income and Expense Statement (http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/deptdocs.nsf/all/bus14721)
For more information, visit the Farm Manager Home-page (agriculture.alberta.ca/farm-manager) or call the Ag-Info Centre toll-free in Alberta at 310-FARM(3276).
R. R. 1 Carstairs, Alberta
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January 2018 9
Alberta Lamb Producers .Producer Resources .
Accrual and Changing Inventory ValueRick Dehod 780-427-4466, [email protected]
When it comes to doing an accrual, an Alberta Agri-culture and Forestry (AF) specialist says it’s important to remember that a change in value for an inventory item can have a dramatic effect in calculating the ac-crual adjustments.
As an example, if you have 500 ewes with a value of $200 each on Dec 31, 2017, and then with the rising livestock prices their value is increased to $250 each at the end of 2018, there would be an accrued gain due to inventory valuation increase of $25,000. Conversely, if the value of those ewes was $225 at the end of 2017 and they were valued back at $175 each at the end of 2018 for whatever reason, the adjustment would show a loss of $25,000 due strictly to the drop in value.
“This issue is most prevalent when valuing the breed-ing stock,” says Rick Dehod, agriculture farm financial specialist, AF, Edmonton. “Although this could easily be the real case, the farmer who just carried on with no other changes would show large fluctuations in accrued income due only to this adjustment. If a historical review is being done, it might be more meaningful to record the per unit value of breeding stock the same each year so as not to adversely affect the accrued income calculation. The income would still include an appropriate adjust-ment for a change in numbers of breeding stock.”
This may also be applicable to other inventories such as feeds or grains but normally has less of an effect, says Dehod. “If you do not have the actual market values of
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the commodities you can record an average value each year for the specific commodity and then again, the ac-crual adjustment will only be affected by the volume of product.”
To learn how to accrue an income and expense state-ment, go the The Income and Expense Statement (http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/deptdocs.nsf/all/bus14721).
For more information, visit the Farm Manager Home-page (agriculture.alberta.ca/farm-manager) or call the Ag-Info Centre toll-free in Alberta at 310-FARM(3276).
Shearing School - March 23 and 24Lethbridge
Contact us if you are interested in learning how to properly shear sheep from an expert teacher, Shaun Fajnor. Visit our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/events/593996550787501), phone (403.317.0330), or email: [email protected] (mention ~ ”Sheep Shearing School”).
This 2-day course will take you on a journey learn-ing how to shear your own sheep or shear for oth-ers. The cost is $275 + GST and you can register by contacting us and sending in your non-refundable deposit to save your place.
Only 14 students maximum will be accepted. Snacks and lunch will be provided for the two days. No dogs may come with you and you must have
“clean and comfy clothing” that enables you to ma-noeuvre as you learn. Remember you are coming to someone else’s farm and etiquette will be expected.
10 January 2018
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January 2018 11
Alberta Lamb Producers .Producer Resources .
Neonatal Lamb Management KitContact the ALP office for your FREE Neonatal Lamb
Management Kit. Included in the kit are instructions and supplies for performing intraperitoneal injections, stom-ach tubing, and post-mortems. Shipping is free to your closest Alberta Agriculture building.
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12 January 2018
Producer Resources
Unplanned Pregnancy in Market Ewe Lambs
By Susan Hosford
Until the 1970s few ewe lambs were bred to lamb in their first year. Prolific genetics produce lambs that reach puberty younger, often before they reach market weight. This is a reproductive asset as well as a management challenge. Not all ram lambs or ewe lambs are destined for breeding stock and precautions must be taken to prevent unplanned pregnancies in market ewe lambs. Unplanned pregnancies result in stress, physical trauma and deaths in the ewe lamb and, almost certainly, in her lambs. These add up to serious animal welfare issues that good managers go to great lengths to avoid.
There are different and evolving perspectives on animal welfare.
Canadian consumers want assurance food is safe, that food-producing animals are well-cared for, and that the people caring for food animals follow acceptable stand-ards of care. The Canadian lamb sector, veterinary and animal welfare specialists and governments have worked to develop a guide for lamb producers. The Canadian
“Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Sheep”1 provides the best of current knowledge combining farm experience and scientific research.
Animal welfare begins on farms. Temple Grandin wrote that American farms still have
work to do in improving animal welfare2. Animal care depends on the skills of all the people who work with the animals. Experienced flock owners know their sheep. They know how to care for them, how to recognize normal behaviour, how to diagnose and remedy health problems. Their goal is to ensure that only healthy, fit sheep and lambs move off farms,are loaded on trucks, arrive at auction yards, at feeding facilities, and at proces-sors.
Traceability is a tool. Every industry stakeholder knows that when sheep
are mixed in new flocks, at auctions, or in feed yards,a small problem in one animal can explode into problems for many. Electronic animal identification and animal tracking systems now have the capability to collect data on sheep and their movements. Having good data helps identify flocks producing high quality lambs, as well as the ones that need to do better.
To survive, lamb businesses must produce products that meet consumer criteria as well as their own financial reality.
Lamb production systems, facilities, feeding, health care, handling and even the types of sheep are changing. Producers manage flocks to achieve successful breed-ing, pregnancies, lambing and lamb survival. Avoiding unplanned pregnancies in market ewe lambs is manage-able.
Ewe lambs destined for market were never intended to be bred or give birth. • Most weigh less than they should for breeding and
lambing. Young and lightweight ewe lambs require as-sistance in up to 20% of births3 and have a greater risk for dystocia4. Difficult births compromise both ewes and newborns at the best of times.
• Moving ewe lambs from their familiar environment and peer group adds stress. Trucking, auctions, sales yards, feed facilities all add stress and trauma. Trauma is known to compromise pregnancy, birthing, mother-ing and lamb survival.
• Lamb feeding facilities are specialized. They don’t have rations, health care, facilities or worker skills re-quired for successful pregnancies and lambing.
• Lambing facilities are also specialized. They are planned, designed, and equipped to support lambing, lamb survival and healthy ewes and lambs. Unplanned pregnancies in feeder ewe lambs make the odds for animals suffering just too high.
The goal of the industry is to continuously im-prove lamb production and lamb products.
For many producers, unplanned pregnancies in market ewe lambs are not an issue. The producers who don’t manage, or don’t know to avoid unplanned pregnancies in market ewe lambs,create serious problems for the buyers of their feeder lambs. Frequent turn-over of flock owners can contribute to limited management skill and production experience. New producers must get advice on facilities and good management practices before going into sheep. Alberta Lamb Producers management modules5, experienced sheep producers and veterinar-ians are all good resources for new producers. Owners of very small flocks must be able to provide separate pens for the one or two ram lambs or castrate all ram lambs at birth. Producers with, or setting up, feeding facilities must plan for the welfare of every animal in their opera-tion. Very large flocks with numbers of lambs also have challenges, not the least of which is having all the right lambs in the right pens. No matter the size of flock, good management, appropriate facilities, efficient handling,
ALP management modules are free to download from www.ablamb.ca
January 2018 13
Alberta Lamb Producers .Producer Resources .
regular monitoring and rapid remediation all contribute to improved animal welfare.
Ram lambs are driven to reproduce. Flock managers have to take that into account and
avoid unplanned pregnancy in market ewe lambs. Cas-tration is simple and certain. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association6 supports early castration using pain medication appropriate for lamb age and the correct technique. The Code of Practice outlines castration meth-ods and pain management approved for lambs of various ages. Other management strategies to follow: • Ensure all animals are correctly identified. • Have adequate records on lambing, health care and
management practices like castration.• Routinely castrate ram lambs at a young age. Follow-
ing Code of Practice requirements when castrating ram lambs will help minimize animal stress, health complications and growth setbacks due to the proce-dure.
• Wean before five months of age (i.e. prior to lambs reaching sexual maturity).
• In circumstances when ram lambs are kept intact, such as to fill niche markets or for breeding stock, ensure you have separate pens for uncastrated ram lambs and ewe lambs after weaning.
• In addition to the risk of unwanted pregnancies, mixed gender groups of lambs on feed have added costs due to sexual activity, resulting in reduced feed intake and growth rates. Separate penning improves the growth performance of both male and female lambs. When lambs are managed separately, intact ram lambs can achieve higher growth rates and better feed conver-sion.
• When buying feeder lambs, check carefully for gender, sort rams lambs from ewe lambs, and ensure there are adequate facilities for both.
• Have adequate facilities to accommodate multiple groups of lambs. Maintain fences and corrals to keep determined ram lambs in the right pen. Employ ef-ficient sorting and handling systems.
Good animal welfare on farms is not optional. The sheep industry can’t afford the waste involved in un-planned pregnancies, both in terms of the welfare of the ewe lamb and her newborns and in wasted inputs. Im-ages of newborn lambs in feedlots, during transport, or at auction are not ones the sheep industry can afford to project. Unplanned pregnancy in market ewe lambs seri-ously jeopardizes animal welfare and the good standing of our industry and costs the entire sheep industry.
In 2016 the British Farm Animal Welfare Committee further defined welfare as: “Giving an animal a life worth living requires good husbandry, considerate handling and transport, humane slaughter and, above all else, skilled and conscientious stock handlers.” There isn’t any generally accepted research that defines “happy sheep.” Healthy, bouncing lambs do come to mind and all good flock managers know what contented sheep look like.
References:1 Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Sheep2013, www.nfacc.ca.2 The Shepherd, February, 2015.3 Dwyer, C. 2003 Theriogenology 59:1027-1050.4 Dawson and Carson, 2001 Journal of Agric. Science, 139:169-1815 Alberta Lamb Producers, www.ablamb.ca.6 Canadian Veterinary Medical Association - www.canadianveterinarians.netCockram, Menzies, Barrett, Hemstead, “Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Sheep: Review of Scientific Research on Priority Issues”, National Farm Animal Care Council, 2012.
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14 January 2018
Producer Resources
When Is Euthanasia the Best Option?Excerpts from: ‘On Farm Euthanasia’ manual by Jennifer Woods
Stockpersons who are responsible for the care of livestock have a moral obligation to ensure the welfare of the animals in their care. Part of this obligation is to make certain animals do not experience unnecessary pain and suffering, even in death. Therefore, when disease or injury conditions arise that diminish the quality of life or create pain and suffering—conditions that cannot be effectively or economically relieved—euthanasia is indicated.
Euthanasia is derived from the Greek for “good death” and is accomplished when death results in a minimum of pain, fear and distress to the animal. This is achieved by utilizing techniques that induce an immediate loss of consciousness followed by, or in conjunction with, car-diac and respiratory arrest that ultimately results in loss of brain function. For persons performing euthanasia, a certain degree of technical proficiency, knowledge and appropriate equipment are required.
Individuals are morally, ethically and legally responsi-ble for the welfare of the animals in their care. Although the financial implications are part of the decision process, an animal’s welfare must never be compromised for financial reasons.
Indications for euthanasia of livestock include poor health, disease, injury, loss of productivity, economics and safety. There are three possible treatment options for stockpersons when faced with each of these situations:• Ship the animal for meat processing, IF the animal is fit
for transport and human consumption;• Treat the animal;• Euthanasia.
Just because there is a chance for recovery, it does not mean treatment is always the optimal choice for the pro-ducer or the animal. When deciding which option is best, there are several questions a handler has to ask in order to make a responsible decision.• Is the animal experiencing a high level of pain?• Will it require continual medication to alleviate the
pain and suffering?• Will the animal have to endure a painful and lengthy
recovery?• Is the animal likely to return to normal function post
recovery?• Can the required care be provided during the conva-
lescent period?
• Is the animal likely to suffer chronic pain or immobility following recovery?
• Will weather extremes create inhumane conditions for this animal during and/or after recovery?
• Will the animal be unable to access, or have difficulty accessing, feed and water.
• Will the cost of therapy outweigh financial return?• Is the animal contagious and can it spread disease or
illness to other animals, adversely affecting the wel-fare and the economics of the facility?
One of the biggest challenges, though, is determining: How long should an animal be given to recover? Current industry literature and guidelines would suggest that ani-mals should show evidence of significant improvement within 24 hours from the onset of treatment.
Simply leaving an animal that is suffering to die of natural causes, or in other words, “letting nature take its course” is unacceptable. Furthermore, it is NOT accept-able to prolong an animal’s misery by delaying euthana-sia for reasons of convenience. It is important that when euthanasia is indicated, it be conducted in timely manner.
The ‘On Farm Euthanasia’ manual by Jennifer Woods was developed in conjunction with the ALP On-Farm Euthanasia workshops. The manual covers: making the decision to euthanize an animal, acceptable euthanasia methods, the euthanasia process, and disposal of dead-stock.
Free print copies of the On Farm Euthanasia manual are available from the ALP office and a pdf version is posted on www.ablamb.ca.
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January 2018 15
Industry Information .
Global Lamb and Mutton Production Jason Wood December 1, 2017
Global lamb and mutton production continues to in-crease; however, the largest increases are taking place in African and Asian countries. Currently, complete global lamb and mutton production data from the FAO is available to 2014. Between 1990 and 2014 total produc-tion increased 27.4%.
Comparing the top five lamb and mutton producers shows very different results. Between 1990 and 2014 sheepmeat (lamb and mutton) production increased 15% in Australia, 3% in Turkey and 300% in China. How-ever, production decreased in the UK and New Zealand by 20% and 8%, respectively. While Australia and New Zealand may account for the largest lamb and mutton exports, China has been largest producer since 1993. Be-tween 1993 and 2016 China’s lamb and mutton produc-tion has more than tripled and by 2025 is forecasted to increase a further 28% or 625,000 tonnes to 2.86 million tonnes per year. On a percentage basis, Australia is fore-casted to see sheepmeat production increase by 29% between 2016 and 2025; however, the total production increase is 188,000 tonnes or about a third of the Chinese increase.
Additional sheepmeat production growth is possible in China as consumer demand for lamb and beef is increas-ing. This increased demand is in response to Chinese consumers looking for alternative protein options, but increased Chinese sheepmeat production will not be enough to satisfy demand. China is the largest global importer at an estimated 250,000 tonnes of lamb and mutton in 2016, and imports are estimated to grow to 300,000 tonnes by 2025. One factor that may affect Chinese sheepmeat demand is a government policy aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions through a
reduction in total per capita meat consumption from the current 63 kg per year to 27 kg per year by 2030.
Local price updateLocally, Alberta’s slaughter lamb market price remains
steady. The average estimated 120 lb. live slaughter lamb price for November is just over $234/head. Year to date slaughter lamb prices have averaged $236 per head, up 7% from 2016 and 28% higher than the 5-year average. Slaughter lamb prices are being supported by stable de-mand, tighter supplies and lower lamb/sheep inventories.
Sheep Value Chain Roundtable (ShVCRT)
From November 8-10, two representatives from ALP attended the Sheep Value Chain Roundtable in Ottawa. The Roundtable brings together key industry and gov-ernment members to discuss market challenges and opportunities facing the industry, and to develop and implement action plans designed to improve the indus-try’s competitive position. Once the Record of Discussion is published, ALP will circulate it.
For more information about ShVCRT, please visit their website http://www.agr.gc.ca/eng/industry-markets-and-trade/value-chain-roundtables/sheep/?id=1385758986961
16 January 2018
Industry Information
Pink Ketchum Kurl-Lock #3 tag (OVI-07-01) Revoked from CSIP
Effective ImmediatelyOttawa, ON (November 23, 2017) – Earlier today, the
Canadian Food Inspection Agency officially revoked the Ketchum Kurl-Lock #3 tag (OVI-07-01) with published updates to the list of animal indicators approved under the Livestock Identification and Traceability (TRACE) program. In a news release issued September 15th, the Canadian Sheep Federation notified Canadian sheep farmers and ranchers that the pink metal Ketchum Kurl-Lock #3 tag was poised to be revoked from the Canadian Sheep Identification Program (CSIP), in preparation for today’s announcement.
Now that the Ketchum Kurl-Lock tag is officially re-voked, producers are reminded that an animal may not be shipped from its current location bearing only the pink Ketchum tag. New, currently approved, CSIP tags will need to be added to animals leaving their current premises even if they have pink Ketchum tags in their ears. You will also need to report the new tag numbers to Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA), along with the numbers of the pink tags already on the animals. You MAY NOT remove a pink metal Ketchum tag from a sheep or lamb even after the tag has been revoked; it is illegal.
For more information about the Canadian Sheep Identification Program, visit the Canadian Sheep Federa-tion’s website at: www.cansheep.ca or give us a call at 888.684.7739.
For detailed information about regulated national animal identification programs, including up to date lists of approved identifiers for all regulated species, visit the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website: http://inspec-tion.gc.ca/animals/terrestrial-animals/traceability/indica-tors/eng/1331582406844/1331582476216
To report information to the CSIP database, including the application of a new tag to an animal with a pink metal Ketchum Kurl-Lock tag, access your online account at https://www.clia.livestockid.ca/CLTS/secure/user/home.do. If you’re having trouble accessing your online account, give CCIA a call at 877.909.2333.
Canadian Sheep Breeders’ AssociationLa SociétéCanadienne des Éleveurs de Moutons
CSBA hires a new general manager
The Canadian Sheep Breeders’ Association is pleased to announce the appointment of Linda Brandes as the new General Manager, effective December 1, 2017. The CSBA would like to extend their appreciation to Stacey White for all of his dedication during his term and wish him continued success during this transition.
Originally from Ontario, where she graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Science Degree (Agr) in 1995, Linda currently resides in St Albert, Alberta. She has been actively involved with the CSBA for the past four years, providing support in media relations as well as holding the position of Secretary/Manager for the Alberta Sheep Breeders’ Association. She is also bilingual and hopes to have an opportunity to expand her French language abilities while working with the CSBA. Linda brings a wide variety of organisational, technical and administrative skills to the organization and hopes to bring her experience and values to the Canadian Sheep Breeders’ Association in helping them to continue with their objectives and goals.
Having always enjoyed being involved within the animal and agricultural industry, Linda is looking forward to being a part of the CSBA and transitioning to the posi-tion of General Manager. She can be reached at the CSBA toll free number 1(866) 956-1116 or by email at [email protected].
The new mailing address for the CSBA office will be Box 7, St Albert AB T8N 1N2
January 2018 17
Industry Information .
SheepBytes Workshop
A SheepBytes Ration Balancing workshop was held on October 20th in connection with the Alberta Sheep Breeders Association Sheep Symposium. The workshop was given by two well-known and experienced ruminant nutritionists, Dale Engstrom and Barry Yaremcio. Dale
and Barry’s tag-team presentation provided an overview of SheepBytes features, including basic ration balanc-ing, importance of water analysis, and more advanced features such as working with batch mixes. Attendees of the sold-out workshop worked on their own laptops to create a ration. This included feed selection, input and interpretation of nutrient imbalance alerts. During the in-formal and interactive workshop, Dale and Barry shared their knowledge and experience,answering participant questions covering a wide range of nutritional issues.
The session was held to help SheepBytes account hold-ers ensure they are getting the most from the program, and to provide an opportunity for anyone interested to try the program for the first time. Future workshops can be arranged if there is sufficient interest. Please contact ALP to learn more.
In-person workshops are not the only help available to SheepBytes users. An extensive video tutorial series and print reference materials covering program features are available on the SheepBytes website. To access these resources and to learn more about SheepBytes, please visit www.sheepbytes.ca.
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18 January 2018
Industry Information
Farm and Ranch Safety UpdateThe Government of Alberta has opened a public
consultation period regarding proposed changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Code. The techni-cal working groups studying occupational health and safety rules as part of the Bill 6 industry consultations have submitted their recommendations outlining how provincial legislation could apply to farms and ranches. The proposed changes apply only to farms and ranches with waged, non-family employees. Producers are en-couraged to review the recommendations and provide feedback in writing to the government by January 15, 2018. The recommendations are available on the Alberta Government website at www.alberta.ca/farm-and-ranch-consultations.aspx or call the Ag-Info Centre at 310-FARM (3276).
The consultation continues the process of amending Alberta’s farm and ranch workplace legislation enabled by the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act, 2015 (Bill 6). The Fair and Family-Friendly Workplaces
Act was passed on June 5, 2017, mandating changes to the Employment Standards Code and the Labour Rela-tions Code. Most of the changes will come into effect on January 1, 2018. As with the proposed changes to the Occupational Health and Safety rules, this only applies to farms and ranches with waged, non-family employees. For details go to www.alberta.ca/farm-and-ranch.aspx or call the Ag-Info Centre at 310-FARM (3276).
Farm and ranch safety training
The Ag Coalition has moved ahead with an industry-led safety association for farms and ranches in Alberta. The newly founded AgSafe Alberta Society Board develops and delivers farm safety management tools, resources and programs for farmers and ranchers in the province of Alberta. To learn more visit the AgSafe website (www.agsafeab.ca) or call 403-348-9321.
Check out the AgSafe Alberta TIP video series at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfO72hwJwnRbvfBIsY9FfzQ.
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January 2018 19
Industry Information .
Local Events and Volunteers Help Tell Our Story
The vast majority of consumers today have little direct experience with food production or rural life. How better to get the word out about agriculture than to take the message directly to the public? Local events in Alberta of-fer opportunities to learn more about where food comes from and how it is produced. These events are also ideal venues for highlighting great local products, like Alberta Lamb.
Volunteers are at the heart of ensuring the sheep in-dustry is represented at these events. ALP offers support to volunteers through the loan of ALP displays, and the donation of educational and promotional materials.
Some events that include sheep industry displays are highlighted below.
Calgary Aggie Days will be held at the Agrium West-ern Event Centre on Stampede Park on April 11-15, 2018. The first three days are dedicated to giving local school classes a day of adventure and learning through explor-ing displays presented by agriculture groups. The Calgary Stampede Sheep Committee hosts a great display of ewes with lambs, daily shearing demos, wool display and industry information. The event is open to the general public on the weekend,with an additional kid’s activity centre and the ‘Clock, Stock and Barrel’ stock dog compe-tition.
Lethbridge Aggie Days will be held April 24 and 25, 2018 at Exhibition Park in Lethbridge. This 2-day educational agricultural trade show is free of charge to the public and all schools that register to attend as a class. The agriculture trade show is interactive and educational for young people to learn and experience all aspects of agriculture. School classes are primarily from Grades one to nine and come from Lethbridge and Southern Alberta schools. On average over 30 schools attend Aggie Days.
Amazing Agriculture will be held at the Edmonton EXPO Centre in Edmonton on May 1-3, 2018. Amazing Agriculture is a free educational experience designed to teach Grade Four students from the greater Edmon-ton area about Alberta’s vibrant agricultural industry. Through interactive learning stations, students will de-velop new awareness and understanding of where their food comes from and how it is produced.
The Calgary Stampede, with attendance topping 1.2 million visitors in 2017,offers large venue for educating the public and highlighting local products. The Calgary Stampede Sheep Committee organizes a sheep display during the 10-day event that includes a breed display, wool display, interactive opportunities, shearing com-
petition, stock dog competition, lamb cooking demon-strations at Kitchen Theatre and a great Alberta Lamb display. All great things to visit and show your industry support for as it puts the sheep industry in front of a lot of potential lamb consumers! Stampede will be held July 6-15, 2018.
Other events offering sheep industry displays include:• Lloydminster Colonial Days: July 11 – 14, 2018• Vermilion Fair: July 26/27, 2018• Priddis and Millarville Fair: August 18/19, 2018
Thank you to all the volunteers who help represent the sheep industry at these events! Contact ALP if you are interested in volunteering your time and we will put you in contact with organizers.
Are you interested in representing the sheep industry at an event not listed above? Contact ALP for information on booking the ALP display and to request educational materials and promotional items.
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ALP Meet the Board and presentation by Lesley Stubbings, Optimizing lamb Performance. February 3. Airdrie AB. See page 4 for details.
20 January 2018
Industry Information
CCWG Wool Market and Business Update
Fall 2017During the 2016/17 wool marketing season there has
been a very significant contrast between the fine and coarse wool markets. Fine wool has experienced solid global demand and record prices have been achieved for many wool types 22 micron and finer. A number of factors contributed to this success, including the positive international branding of Merino wool. As well, new and innovative wool products such as double faced and fake fur fabrics being manufactured in China have created new consumers for wool, and these products require significant quantities of fine wool to produce.
The specifications for Chinese government uniforms, including military, railway and postal, have recently been changed to favour more fine wool content and huge quantities of wool are required for these contracts. In China, mills are currently focused on increasing produc-tivity and product quality; they have also made signifi-cant capital investment in order to comply with new stringent government environmental regulations.
The broader crossbred wool market has struggled over the past 18 months and up to now has not been able to ride the coat tails of the rising fine wool market. The main driver of price trends continues to be China, which in 2016/17 accounted for 63% of exports from the five major wool exporting countries. Excess stocks of coarse wool products that had built up in China throughout the supply chain, from greasy wool through to finished fabric, are slowly being consumed. Current projections are a little more positive, with predictions that demand and market prices for crossbred wool will soon start to improve.
The wool trade seems to be firmly committed to the need for further industry programs within the educa-tion, promotion and innovation fields. The International Campaign for Wool is an excellent example of collabora-tion between all members of the supply chain, including farmers, retailers, designers, manufacturers and consum-ers. The objective of this organization is to promote the incredible benefits and versatility of wool, which in turn supports many small businesses and farmers whose livelihoods depend on the wool industry. The Dumfries House Wool Declaration (https://wool.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b8c58bf2cc184b6f649a4d3ea&id=6b48763a84&e=65972b3cf4) is a 10 point declaration in which the global wool industry commits to protect the environ-ment, to care about the welfare of sheep and to uphold the best possible practices in growing, trading, manufac-turing and marketing wool fibre and its related textiles.
In Canada our wool volume has slipped after many years of marginal growth; we hope that this is only a tem-porary situation. This can be directly attributed to lower sheep numbers, which may be mainly due to drought conditions and expensive feed in some provinces the previous year. We continue our practice of orderly wool marketing throughout the year of our graded, value added, and objectively measured wool types. Due to the recent weaker demand from China for coarser wool types, we have reached out to develop new market op-portunities for Canadian wool in Europe and the Middle East. In addition to our wool sales in Canada, export des-tinations for Canadian wool currently include China, USA, Czech Republic, Egypt, Bulgaria and India. Canadian wool enjoys an excellent reputation in these markets due to our consistent quality deliveries, which is a credit to our wool grading staff. Our Shareholder Wool Shipper Loy-alty Reward Program (SWSLRP) continues again this year at the rate of seven cents per pound to our shareholder/wool shipper consigners. The annual dividend will be 7% for shareholders of record on December 31, 2016.
In September I again travelled to China along with Ontario Board member Gary Fox to participate in the Nanjing Wool Market Conference and International Trade Fair. Over 600 delegates participated, which gave us an excellent opportunity to display Canadian Wool to the global wool trade. Prior to the conference we travelled with our agent and visited numerous customers, success-fully selling several containers of graded Canadian wool for prompt and forward shipment.
Our sincere thanks again to all CCWG staff and direc-tors for your efforts that are contributing to the success of our organization. In 2018 we look forward to reaching a major milestone, 100 years in business, and we thank our many loyal customers for their continued patronage.
Respectfully Submitted, Eric Bjergso, General Manager
(Update edited for space. The full update can be found at http://www.wool.ca/Wool_Market_Reports )
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January 2018 21
Industry Information .
Changes Regarding the Sale of Livestock Antimicrobials Set for December 2018
Efforts to control antimicrobial resistance will soon impact how producers can access commonly used medi-cations. Antimicrobial resistance occurs when microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi) are exposed to naturally occur-ring or human-made antimicrobials. Overuse and misuse of antimicrobial medications amplifies the rate of resist-ance. Once resistance to a drug occurs, it loses effective-ness in combating disease and infection. In response to the threat of antimicrobial resistance, many countries are adopting policies to increase control of antimicrobial use in both humans and animals. The ‘Federal Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance and Use in Canada’ details the federal approach to implementing changes in Canada (www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/drugs-health-products/federal-action-plan-antimicrobial-resistance-canada.html). Under this framework, a series of changes affecting the production, labelling, importation and access to antimicrobial drugs for food-producing animals have been implemented or are scheduled to come into effect in the coming months.
For livestock producers,the most notable change will occur as of December 1, 2018 when policy changes come into effect regarding the sale of medically important antimicrobials (MIAs) for use in food-producing animals. MIAs are designated as important for human medicine. In anticipation of the December deadline, changes to some product labels have been made and more can be expected in the coming months. After December 2018, these drugs will be included on the ‘Prescription Drug List – Products for Veterinary Use’. This means they will only be available with a veterinary prescription, and will be dispensed through a veterinarian, pharmacist or a feed mill as a mixed medicated feed. MIAs will no longer be available at locations where over-the-counter animal medications are currently sold. Access to many com-monly used medications will be affected (e.g. sulfa drugs, tetracycline, penicillin). A list of MIA drugs is provided in Table 1. The changes include all forms of drug adminis-tration (i.e. in feed or water, injectables, implants, topical, dusting powder, intramammary, intrauterine, oral, otic). The restrictions do not affect the sale of ionophores (e.g. Monensin), as they are not used in human medicine and are not classed as MIAs.
Options for changing Alberta’s provincial veterinary product dispensing regulations are being explored, but it is unclear what, if any,changes may be made. The onus will increasingly fall on producers to carefully plan flock health programs, ensure they have a valid veterinarian-
client-patient relationship, and, if possible, have prescrip-tions on-hand when needed.
Removal of growth promotion claims from MIA prod-uct labels will also be required by December 1, 2018. Over the last year, manufacturers have been voluntarily removing these claims from MIA product labels. No new MIA products will be approved with a growth promotion claim after December 2018.
Details of these changes are available at www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/antibiotic-antimicrobial-resist-ance/animals/actions/responsible-use-antimicrobials.html.
Table 1: The following MIA ingredients will require vet-erinary prescriptions as of December 1, 2018.
Please note that this list does not include all commercially available products that contain these drugs (e.g. Liquamycin contains oxytetra-cycline). Check product labels for MIA ingredients.
Regulatory changes regarding antimicrobial importation effective November 13, 2017
On November 13, 2017 mandated changes came into effect restricting ‘own use importation’ (OUI) of medica-tions for animals used for food-production. Medically important antimicrobials may no longer be imported into Canada for use in food-producing animals. Drugs determined not to pose a risk to human health or food safety can be imported in controlled amounts as author-ized by Health Canada. Health Canada has published a list of products that may only be imported for ‘own use’ and are not to be resold or given away. Five Ivermectin-based products for use in sheep are included on the list: Bimectin, Ecomectin, Ivomec Liquid, Noromectin and Privermectin Drench. For complete details of these products and how to apply to import drugs on ‘List B’, visit www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/antibiotic-antimicrobial-resistance/animals/personal-importation-certain-drugs-food-producing-animals.html.
Further changes scheduled include enhanced over-sight of the manufacturing, packaging and testing of active pharmaceutical ingredients for veterinary use, and mandatory reporting of MIA sales. For details visit www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/antibiotic-antimicrobi-al-resistance/animals/actions.html.
Apramycin Penicillin G Tiamulin
Bacitracin Spectinomycin Tylosin/Tylvalosin
Erythromycin Streptomycin/ Dihydrostreptomycin
Virginiamycin
Lincomycin Sulphonamides Tetracycline/ Chlortetracycline/ Oxytetracycline
Neomycin Tilmicosin Or their salts or derivatives
22 January 2018
Industry Information
Alberta Sheep Breeders’ Association (ASBA) mem-bers are your source for registered breeding stock in Alberta. Join today! 1-866-967-4337, www.albertasheepbreeders.ca.
Parker Stock Farm. Glen and Kathy Parker. Gen Ovis performance tested breeding stock. 403-443-7220, www.parkerstockfarm.com, [email protected] .
Need More Lambs? Romanov & Charollais rams, ewes & crossbreds. Performance based selection OPP-Neg, [email protected] or 403-224-2463.
American Blackbelly Sheep for sale. All purebred and registered. Checkout our website www.rustyironacres.com to see what’s available and for pricing. Doug and-Tina Noyes 403-396-4705.
SHEEP & LAMBS: WANTED
Wanted: Feeder or fat lambs, cull sheep and all classes of goats in Acme or Stony Plain, AB. Email Roger Albers at [email protected] or call 780-777-7416.
Wanted: Feeder lambs and culls in High Prairie area. All sizes and types. Animals weighed,no shrink. Clients emailed price/lb weekly and can decide if they want to deliver. Hauling possible. No commission fees. Call Eric Verstappen 780-536-6740, pref. 8-9 p.m.
DOGSPurebred Great Pyrenees puppies for sale. Three females and two males. Puppies available after Decem-ber 8th when they are 8 weeks old and will have their shots. Call or text 780-864-8924.
Border Collie Puppies for sale. Parents are working dogs. Great with kids. Contact: 780-832-1783.
Pyrenees Puppies for sale. Parents are sheep guard-ian dogs. Raised in the field. Contact: 780-832-1783.
Purebred border collie puppies for sale: 1 male, 3 females. Born September 15, 2017. Both parents are hard-working ranch dogs on sheep and cattle. Puppies are microchipped and have their first shots. Contact Ken at 403-575-5470.
Isle of Skye Cheviots has available one top quality registered Border Collie puppy. Quality proven blood-line. www.isleofskyecheviots.ca, 403-588-3808.
Maremma guard dogs. Various ages. Raised on-farm and on-pasture with sheep. Outstanding, good-na-tured parents. Very reliable. The coyotes are the ones with the problems! Call 403-586-5638.
CLASSIFIEDSClassified ads are available free to Alberta produc-ers. In addition to being published in the newsletter, they are available on-line under News and Advertis-ing at http://www.ablamb.ca/index.php/news-advertis-ing/advertising.
Email [email protected] or fax 403-912-1455 or call 403-948-1522 to place, amend or delete your classi-fied ad. Alberta Lamb Producers does not endorse or promote any of the advertisements or advertisers in the N’ewesletter.
4-H LAMBS
Contact your zone director if you have lambs suit-able for 4H project lambs or are looking for 4H lambs.
SHEEP & LAMBS: FOR SALE
Isle of Skye Cheviots pedigree yearling North Coun-try Cheviot ram available. Halter broke, tame, and is a half-brother to my Classic ram. Call Susan at 403-588-3808 or visit www.isleofskyecheviots.ca.
Purebred Suffolk yearling & lamb rams for sale. Year-lings have been semen & vet checked. Long, deep bodied, well-muscled rams. Charles Iwan, Taber 403-331-7984.
Canadian Arcott registered spring ewe lambs for sale - Joe Stahl. Call 403-575-7794.
Canadian Arcott registered yearling ram lambs for sale - Joe Stahl. Call 403-575-7794.
Katahdin ewes and Katahdin/Dorper ewes for sale. Please contact 587-596-1556 or email [email protected].
Sheep Lake Suffolks. Registered Suffolk ram lambs & ewe lambs for sale. Contact Mike at 780-307-3385.
Moonshine Dorsets. Registered and purebred tradi-tional Dorset ram lambs for sale. All twins, traditional confirmation. Call Raelyn at 403-746-2140.
Clun Forest ram and ewe lambs. Selected from easy lambers and good mothers Glynn Brooks, Lethbridge 403-327-2242, [email protected].
Yearling Suffolk & Rambouillet rams. Top quality rams selected for growth & wool. Jack Braat 403-327- 9757, [email protected].
Peace Country, AB. Purebred Suffolk & Dorset year-ling rams & ram lambs (registration available). Call or text 780-978-4705.
January 2018 23
Industry Information .
EQUIPMENT & MISCELLANEOUS
Wanted: Full-time employee for a lamb and goat feedlot near Acme AB. Sheep experience would be an asset. Contact Roger at 780-777-7416 (cell) or 780-963-4335(fax).
Check out the new to Canada Combi Clamp squeeze for sheep! Allows you to safely process many sheep a day while greatly reducing stress on the sheep and the handler. Checkout the video and more info at huberequipment.com.
Looking for away to control feed grain to your sheep without waste? 3in1 Feeders more efficiently feeds the rumen with the ‘little bit and often’ feeding and saves time and energy. Call Huber Ag Equipment at 1- 800-806-0715 or checkout 3in1Feeders.com.
SHEEP CANADAPage 8
Above: A second addition on the front of the hip-roofed barn measures 24’ x 60’, and provides additional space for lambing. The fenceline feeder is accesible to the TMR mixer. Right: The feeder fence has one board at ground level on the inside of the posts, with higher boards on the outside of the posts. Note block on posts that offsets lower outside board enough to allow ewes to get their heads down far enough to eat, while limiting waste.
Dooglynn Dorpers, Grande Prairie, AB780-933-5638 [email protected] www.bcollie.ca
Fullblood and commercial Dorper rams and ewesWe have the genetic diversity and quality to assist you in building a top end full blood or com-mercial flock. An excellent selection of premium 2 yr old rams and some lamb rams and ewes are available. Should you have any questions give Steve a call at 780 933-5638.
BFG Shearing is a professional crew now booking in western Canada. We specialize in low stress, efficient handling of ewes, and have capacity to do over 500/day. Early booking and volume discounts available. Call John Beasley 403-857-9236, Shawn Fajnor 403-892-9546, or Dwight Galenzoski 403-929-5419.
Integrity Ranch is proud to offer the following ser-vices to the lamb industry: Forage and cover crop seed for lamb finishing and ewe wintering; 24’ freestanding feed bunks, reduce waste, keep lambs in; full line of nutrition products and consulting specifically designed for sheep and goats; buyer of lambs and ewes. Please contact John 403-857-9236 or [email protected] for more details. www.integrityranching.com.
24 January 2018
Sheep Calendar
What Where When
Free ALP On-Farm Euthanasia Workshop
Lethbridge Jan 20, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Lunch included. See page 3.
ALP ‘Meet the Board’ Lesley Stubbings presentation: Optimizing Lamb Performance
Airdrie Feb 3. ALP office. See page 4.
Deadline for ALP’s April N’ewesletter
Feb 28. ALP office.
Alberta Farm Animal Care Conference
Olds Mar 14-15. www.afac.ab.ca, 403-652-5111
Canadian Sheep Breeders Association AGM
Moncton, NB Mar 17. www.sheepbreeders.ca, 866-956-1116
Shearing School Lethbridge Mar 23-24. [email protected], 403-317-0330
Calgary Aggie Days Calgary April 11-15. www.ag.calgarystampede.com/events/aggie-days
Lethbridge Aggie Days Lethbridge April 24-25. www.exhibitionpark.ca
Amazing Agriculture Edmonton May 1-3. www.northlands.com/amazing-agriculture
Please e-mail [email protected] or call 403-948-1522 to provide details of your event for the N’ewesletter and website sheep calendar
Alberta Lamb Producers 2017/2018
Zone #1 – Marilyn Neville, (Nanton, Pincher Creek, Cardston, Fort Macleod, Vulcan) Phone: 403-628-2354 E-mail: [email protected] Zone #2 – Elaine Neale, (Brooks, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Manyberries, Milk River) Phone: 403-332-1481 E-mail: [email protected] Zone #3 – Neil Caskey, Finance (Olds, Calgary, Red Deer, Drumheller) Phone: 403-664-6114 E-mail: [email protected] Zone #4 – Vacant. (Wetaskiwin, Lacombe, Coronation, Rocky Mountain House) Zone #5 – Erin Yaremko, (Athabasca, Wainwright, Vegreville, St. Paul, Lloydminster, Thorhild) Phone: 780-645-6550 E-mail: [email protected] Zone #6 – Darlene Stein, Chair (Barrhead, Edmonton, Drayton Valley, Whitecourt) Phone: 780-674-3732 E-mail: [email protected] Zone #7 – Lianne Read (appointed). (High Level, Grande Prairie, Valleyview, High Prairie) Phone: 780-351-2091 E-mail: [email protected]
ALP OfficeRobyn Moore, Executive Director 403-948-8533 [email protected] Kyle, Project Administrator 403-948-1522 [email protected]: Agriculture Centre, 97 East Lake Ramp NE, Airdrie, AB T4A 0C3Fax: 403-912-1455 www.ablamb.ca for producer information, www.albertalamb.ca for consumer information
Erona Farms Ltd. / Shearwell Canada support & sales780-674-9564
www.eronafarms.ca [email protected]
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