by Patricia Grotenhuis, Lifelong farmer and agricultural advocate
Many people wonder why pigs are in individual pens on many farms. There are a variety of reasons.
Pigs are omnivores, and can be quite aggressive, especially at feeding time. While competing for food, pigs have been known to bite each other. Individual pens protect against this by removing competition for food and water.
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Posted by FFC on September 1st, 2011 :: Filed under
Animal care,
Animal health,
Housing,
Innovation and technology,
PigsTags ::
animal care,
Housing,
pigs,
technology
by Patricia Grotenhuis, lifelong farmer and agricultural advocate
Hot summer days are part of the routine for all of us. For some, it means a chance to relax by a pool, or to enjoy it from the comfort of air conditioning. Those options do not work for our farm animals, so what do farmers do to help them?
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Posted by FFC on August 11th, 2011 :: Filed under
Animal care,
Barns,
Housing,
Innovation and technology,
Ventilation,
WeatherTags ::
animal care,
animal welfare,
barns,
Farmers,
Housing,
livestock,
technology
By Leslie Ballentine, Farm and food commentator
Genomics is a touchy subject, whether we are talking human or plant and animal. That is why the biotechnology debate can get so heated. In my opinion, and in the opinion of most in the farm and food sector, biotechnology gets a bad rap in these debates.
To use an old cliché, biotechnology is just one tool in the tool box whether it is used for food production, medical advances or to help the planet. It isn’t perfect all of the time but in my experience, the end results are rarely dangerous and usually beneficial.
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Posted by FFC on August 2nd, 2011 :: Filed under
Animal health,
Chickens,
Feeding the world,
Innovation and technology,
ResearchTags ::
chicken,
Research,
sustainability
By Leslie Ballentine, Farm and food commentator
When we think of cattle, pigs or poultry we may think of our next meal. But what many don’t know is that farm animals provide more than just sustenance. They also save lives in other ways too.
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Posted by FFC on July 4th, 2011 :: Filed under
animal by-products,
Beef cattle,
eggs,
Innovation and technology,
Pigs,
ResearchTags ::
animals,
antibiotics,
cattle,
eggs,
pigs
By Leslie Ballentine, Farming and food commentator
Many of us have air purifiers in our homes or workplaces. They seem to be a big seller in the city where I live. Well here’s a news flash. This technology is now moving to the barn.
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Posted by FFC on May 29th, 2011 :: Filed under
Animal care,
Animal health,
Housing,
Innovation and technologyTags ::
agriculture,
farm,
Farmers,
Housing
by Patricia Grotenhuis, Lifelong farmer and agricultural advocate
Storms have always filled me with awe. I love sitting, safe and secure, in my house or in the barn while the wind howls around us, snow or rain coming down with no end in sight. There is always one big fear with storms, though: what if the power goes out?
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Posted by FFC on May 10th, 2011 :: Filed under
Animal care,
Farm life,
Farm Safety,
Innovation and technology,
Uncategorized,
Weather,
winterTags ::
animal care,
animal welfare,
Canada,
Farmers,
Research,
weather
By Leslie Ballentine, Farming and food commentator
I am not committed to any particular political party and, like many Canadians, tend to cast my ballot based on election platforms. Not that I necessarily expect them to be honoured, but sometimes party platforms devolve into nonsense.
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Posted by FFC on April 14th, 2011 :: Filed under
Activism,
Innovation and technology,
Organics,
RegulationsTags ::
activists,
agriculture,
Canada,
regulation
by Patricia Grotenhuis, lifelong farmer and agricultural advocate
There is a lot of studying which goes into farming.
Many farmers today have a college diploma or university degree. Some even have graduate degrees. Even after school, though, farmers have to constantly update their knowledge to stay on top of the latest research findings and newest technology.
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Posted by FFC on April 12th, 2011 :: Filed under
Dairy cattle,
Education and public awareness,
Environmental Farm Plan,
Farm life,
Innovation and technologyTags ::
animal care,
environment,
farm tours,
Farmers,
technology
By Leslie Ballentine, Farming and food commentator
I remember the days of howling kids in the doctor’s office when mine and other little ones had to face their annual vaccinations. Although the needle jab was really no big deal, little kids never seem to see it that way. Well, they would be envious of pigs and chickens. That’s because livestock and poultry can now get some of their vaccinations needle-free.
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Posted by FFC on March 28th, 2011 :: Filed under
Animal care,
Animal health,
Innovation and technologyTags ::
animal care,
farm,
pigs,
Poultry
By Leslie Ballentine, Farming and food commentator
My teenager spends countless hours on Facebook and YouTube. Apparently she isn’t alone. YouTube has announced that its users have uploaded more than 13 million hours of video content to its servers in the last 12 months, resulting in more than 700 billion YouTube video views. I am sure my daughter has been a big contributor to those stats. But apparently so have farmers and ranchers.
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Posted by FFC on March 10th, 2011 :: Filed under
Consumers,
Education and public awareness,
Farm life,
Innovation and technologyTags ::
Consumers,
education,
farm tours
