Lamb Price September 2014

Lamb prices continued to recover in 2014. The monthly average price graphs have been updated for lambs <79pounds, 80-94pounds, 95-109pounds and 110+ pounds. As shown in Figure 1, the monthly average price for 80-94 lb lambs has made a complete recovery after the low prices seen in the last half of 2012 and 2013. Prices in winter 2014 followed a similar path to price received in 2010 with the summer prices only falling to those levels seen in 2011. A similar trend can be seen in each of the price graphs in Figures 1 – 4. Figure 1  5 Year Average Market Price by Month 80-94 lb Lambs The monthly price graphs are shown for the 95-109 pound lambs in…

Pricing Corn Silage In 2014

by Joel Bagg, Forage Specialist, & Greg Stewart, Corn Specialist, OMAFRA “What’s corn silage going to be worth this year?” Corn development is delayed for a significant portion of the crop and could be at risk of frost. Farmers may be looking at salvaging frost damaged corn that… – See more about pricing corn silage at Field Crop News.

OMAFRA nutrient management courses now available online

From Jennifer Jarvis, Stakeholder Communications and Marketing Advisor with OMAFRA: The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) offers a range of training courses to provide information on nutrient management and the Nutrient Management Act (NMA).  These courses are now available on line! OMAFRA’s training courses give learners the tools to safely manage nutrients while protecting the environment. Take our courses to become a government-certified Nutrient Management Planner or Consultant. Our eLearning format allows you to learn on your own time and at your own pace. The newest eLearning course – Introduction to Nutrient Management – provides a basic understanding of nutrient management best management practices. This course will be of interest to a wider audience beyond those…

As the Weather Warms Up Get the APP-Free Heat Stress App Download

The University of Guelph and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Ministry of Rural Affairs, have jointly developed a new free app available from Google Play or Blackberry Marketplace that lets you calculate the level of heat stress experienced by livestock. The App allows producers to calculate the heat stress index on their smart phone by inputting the temperature in C or F and the relative humidity, either at that moment or by inputting the forecast temperature and relative humidity for later in the day. The producer then gets an output that links them to various management options they can use to reduce the potential heat stress on their animals. Now producers have a tool that readily…

20th Annual Southwest Crop Diagnostic Day

 July 9 and 10, 2014. The diagnostic day is designed specifically to improve the problem solving skills of seed, fertilizer and chemical industry personnel and agricultural consultants. The Diagnostic Day is an annual event that highlights current topics of interest. The goal of the day is to provide quality, state-of-the-art training in all aspects of crop production and management. Registration information and topics planned can be found in the brochure or on the Diagnostic Day website.

Lamb Price April 2014

Lamb prices have continued to recover in 2014.  The monthly average price graphs have been updated for lambs <79pounds, 80-94pounds, 95-109pounds and 110+ pounds.  As shown in Figure 1, the monthly average price for 80 -94 lb lambs has been much higher in the first three months of 2014 than 2013.  In this early part of the year price seems to be following a similar pattern to average price in 2010.  A similar trend can be seen in each of the price graphs in Figures 1 – 4. Figure 1   5 Year Average Market Price by Month 80 – 94 lb Lambs   In November and December of 2013, prices decreased for the heavier lamb categories after the high…

2013 Canadian and Ontario Abattoir Statistics

Canadian sheep and lamb slaughter increased by 9% between 2012 and 2013.  The Canadian slaughter graph, figure 1 below, illustrates that most lamb is slaughtered in provincial packing facilities and that the increase in slaughter was spread throughout the year.  Slaughter in federal packing facilities increased by 5% and slaughter in provincial packing facilities increased by 11% in 2013. Figure 1. In Ontario, sheep and lamb slaughter increased by 15% in 2013 compared to 2012.  As illustrated in the Ontario slaughter graph, figure 2 below, the Ontario statistics follow the same trends as the Canadian statistics with most lamb being slaughtered in provincially inspected facilities.  In Ontario, the provincial packing plant slaughter increased by 14.7% and the federal packing plant…

Lamb Price November 2013

Lamb prices have decreased to September levels after the increase for the Eid ul-Adha holiday in October.  The monthly average price graphs have been updated as of November 19, 2013 for lambs <79 pounds, 80-94 pounds, 95-109 pounds and 110+ pounds.  As shown in the  80 -94 pound lamb graph below, price is higher in 2013 than 2012 but seems to be following a similar trend. 5 Year Average Market Price by Month 80 – 94 lb Lambs In 2012, prices continued to drop for heavy lambs during the month of December.  The < 79 pound graph below shows an increase in price in December 2012.  This is the only weight category that saw an increase in December last year,…

New Management Modules From Alberta Lamb Producers

Alberta Lamb Producers have added 3 more modules to their management modules. The new modules are: Shepherding 101 – Getting Started, An Introduction to Managed Grazing, and Setting it Up: Sheep Infrastructure.  The Sheep Infrastructure module was inspired by and significantly drew upon the Ontario Sheep Infrastructure Workshop designed by Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Ministry of Rural Affairs staff that has been held in locations around the province over the past seven years. These modules can be downloaded from the Alberta Lamb Producers website.

Free Heat Stress in Livestock App Available Just in Time for Summer

Free download for Blackberry and Android The Heat Stress in Livestock and Poultry App allows producers to calculate heat stress based on the measured barn temperature and relative humidity. The resulting calculation shows the level of heat stress experienced by the livestock or poultry. It provides the user with suggestions to reduce heat stress and improve animal and poultry comfort to help maintain feed intake and overall productivity. The mobile app integrates research and production information from OMAF and RA (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Ministry of Rural Affairs) publications and University of Guelph research on livestock housing. In addition to English, the App supports French and Spanish. The app features: – 3 languages: English, French and Spanish…