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Author: Nicole Czemeres

Rabid Skunk

A rabid skunk has been found in the RM of Cupar #218.  If you want more information contact:

Dr. Clarence Bischop
Rabies Risk Assessment Veterinarian (RRAV), SK AG
Cell (306)529-2190
Toll-Free Fax (844)666-3647
[email protected] or [email protected]

Information on Rabies:

Treatment
Once an animal is showing clinical signs of infection, the disease is almost invariably fatal, and no treatment is effective.  Disease can often be prevented by immediate post-exposure vaccination.  Rabies can usually be prevented by vaccination, and vaccines are available for most domestic species.  Rabies vaccine was first developed in 1885 by Louis Pasteur and Emile Roux and successfully used to prevent disease in a boy who had been bitten by a rabid dog.
Standard treatment for people that have been exposed is an injection of immune globulin infiltrated in the region of the bite as well as intramuscularly, followed by a series of vaccinations.  A series of five vaccines are administered on days; 0, 3, 7, 14, and 28.  Those which have been previously vaccinated are not given the immune globulin injection, only the vaccinations.  The immune globulin consists of  antibodies from blood donors given rabies vaccine.  The antibodies act as passive protection until the body’s own immune system can start to produce antibodies.

Any unvaccinated animal that has been exposed to rabies via bite or wound should be immediatley euthanized.  If the owner of the animal is unwilling to allow euthanasia then the animal is to be kept in isolation if it is a small animal or else under close observation if it is a large animal.  The animal should be vaccinated one month before release.  Post-Exposure Prophylaxis as is used with people is not used in animals.

For more information refer to the Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control

 

Image Credit:  http://www.drugs.com/pdr/images/pills/p06310a3.jpg

 

Prevention and Control
No vaccines are available for wildlife kept as pets, and the oral bait vaccines which are quite effective in controlling rabies in wild fox populations are not considered effective for individual animals kept as pets.  Baited vaccines are not available privately – they are only available for public control programs, including their use in some developing countries to control rabies in dogs.  Some protection may be given by an injectable vaccine for another species, but the efficacy is not known.
Vaccination is not completely protective, as titers may drop off with time, the dosage at exposure may be too high, or direct access of the rabies virus to the nervous system may occur, thereby circumventing immune protection.  This may occur if inhaling air with a high concentration of virus-laden saliva, and the virus may enter directly via the olfactory nerves.
Image Credit:  http://www.bioveta.cz/images_products/Biocan%20R.jpg
Historically control programs focused on reducing populations of the local carrier species and limiting contact of domestic and wild animals.  Much of this focused on trapping and killing to minimize the risk of infection by reducing the carrier population.  More recently aerial distribution of bait containing an attenuated virus vaccine has been quite successful in wild foxes, but has not been efficacious in raccoons and skunks because much higher baiting densities are required, greatly increasing the cost.

 

 

Image Credit:  http://agnews.tamu.edu/dailynews/stories/WFSC/Dec1704a.htm                                    http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/communicable/zoonoses/rabies/picbait1.htm

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency recognizes about 25 countries to be free of rabies, of which Australia, Finland, Japan, Jamaica, Sweden and the United Kingdom are included.  Rabies has never become endemic in the United Kingdom.  It was eradicated from the dog population in 1902 and again in 1922 after it was reintroduced in 1918.  Presently, rabies free countries rigidly enforce strict quarantine periods for dogs and cats being imported. (Murphy et al., 1999)
Australia has always been free of rabies, lyssavirus 1, but recently lyssavirus genotype 7 was found in fruit bats causing rabies like disease.  There have been two human fatalities in Australia caused by this lyssavirus since it has been found.  (Coetzer & Tustin, 2004)
There are five components to surveillance and control. (Murphy et al. 1999)
control of pet movement and removal of strays
dog and cat immunization to break transmission
laboratory diagnosis of suspected clinical cases to obtain accurate surveillance data
surveillance to measure the effectiveness of control measures
public education to increase public awareness and cooperation

 

 

 

 

 

Crop Report

I haven’t posted a crop update in a while but it is nice to see where we are!

For the Period August 29 to September 4, 2017

Harvest Progress
Per cent Combined
All Crops
Sep. 4/17. . . . . . . . . . . 45
5 year avg.
(2012-2016) . . . . . . . . 28
Sep. 5/16 . . . . . . . . . . 32
Sep. 7/15 . . . . . . . . . 40
Sep 8/14 . . . . . . . . . 14
Sep. 2/13 . . . . . . . . . . 14
Sep. 3/12 . . . . . . . . . . 38
10 year avg.
(2007-2016) . . . . . . . . 27

The relatively warm and dry weather has allowed many producers to continue with harvest operations, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s weekly Crop Report. Forty-five per cent of the crop is now in the bin, well ahead of the five-year (2012-2016) average for this time of year of 28 per cent combined. Twenty-eight per cent of the crop is swathed or ready to straight cut.

Harvest progress is most advanced in the southwest region where 70 per cent of the crop is now combined. The southeast region has 60 per cent combined, the west-central region 44 percent and the east-central region 36 per cent. The northeast region has 12 per cent combined while northwest region has 18 per cent combined.

Ninety-nine per cent of the fall rye and winter wheat, 91 per cent of the lentils, 90 per cent of the field peas, 58 per cent of mustard, 62 per cent of the durum, 51 per cent of barley, 27 per cent of triticale, 38 per cent of spring wheat and 26 per cent of the canola have now been combined. Twenty-four per cent of the oats, 31 per cent of the chickpea, 16 per cent of canary seed and nine per cent of flax have been combined.  Forty-nine per cent of canola and 29 per cent of the spring wheat and mustard have been swathed or ready to straight cut. Not much progress has been made on soybean as harvest progress for this crop remains at 18 per cent combined, similar to the previous week.

Saskatchewan Harvest

September 4, 2017
Per cent  combined
Winter wheat

Fall rye

Spring wheat

Durum

Oats

Barley

Canaryseed

Flax

Canola

Mustard

Soybeans

Lentils

Peas

Chickpeas

 99

98

38

62

24

51

16

9

26

58

8

91

90

31

The majority of the province received little to no rainfall this past week, with the highest rainfall for the week (56 mm) reported in the Langenburg area. No other area received similar amount of rainfall, as the next highest amount reported was 6 mm in the Nipawin area. The Pierceland area still holds the highest amount of rainfall received in the province since April 1 at 543 mm.

Topsoil moisture conditions remain low. Across the province, topsoil moisture on cropland is rated as 24 per cent adequate, 42 per cent short and 34 per cent very short. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as 19 per cent adequate, 38 per cent short and 43 per cent very short.

The majority of crop damage this past week is attributed to lack of moisture and strong winds.

Producers are busy combining, desiccating crops and hauling bales and grain.

Saskatchewan Harvest by Crop District – September 4, 2017
Per cent combined
Crop District % combined Crop District % combined  Crop District  % combined
1A 62 3BS 74 6B 43
1B 56 3BN 70 7A 48
2A 52 4A 72 7B 43
2B 59 4B 84 8A 12
3ASE 80 5A 33 8B 15
3ASW 51 5B 14 9AE 5
3AN 68 6A 56 9AW 24
9B 12

 

Saskatchewan Harvest Progress by Crop District   September 4, 2017
Total % Standing % in swath % ready to
straight combine		 % combined % Other
southeast 20 13 7 60 0
southwest 17 2 11 70 0
east central 25 28 11 36 0
west central 27 14 15 44 0
northeast 54 26 8 12 0
northwest 40 34 8 18 0
provincial 27 17 11 45 0

Obsolete Pesticide & Livestock Medication Disposal Program

CleanFARMS Saskatchewan is hosting a disposal program for obsolete pesticides and livestock medication on select dates from October 23 – 27, 2017 for no charge. Products for disposal will be accepted from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at each site on the dates indicated here.

The obsolete pesticide and livestock medication collection program is free to participate in. Farmers and other pesticide users are encouraged to bring in any agricultural or commercial pesticide and/or livestock medication (but NO needles/sharps) into designated ag-retail locations during the collection period where a licenced waste hauler will safely manage the products and send them for environmentally responsible disposal via high temperature incineration. The disposal program is funded by the registrants/manufacturers of the products as part of their commitment to product stewardship. The disposal program is delivered in each region of the country every three years. Since the program was first delivered in 1998 more than 2.8 million kgs of pesticide and 30,000 kgs of livestock medications have been safely disposed of.

The next time that the obsolete collection is scheduled for Saskatchewan will be in the fall of 2018 with a disposal program targeted for the northern half of the province.

Specific program information is also available on the CleanFARMS website.

RE: Grazing Land available

Environment Minister Scott Moe is reminding livestock producers that 90,000 acres of Fish and Wildlife Development fund (FWDF) lands are available to producers for grazing until September 15. This will enhance producers’ ability to manage potential feed shortage due to Saskatchewan’s current dry conditions.

“We know grazing and haying benefits wildlife habitat management and provides additional opportunities for producers,” Environment Minister Scott Moe said. “That is why we are pleased to make this FWDF land available and hope this helps to address the challenges some producers are facing due to dry conditions.”

Recent crop reports state that significant rain is needed to enhance hay and pasture volumes. Currently, only 24 per cent of the Saskatchewan hay crop is cut and 39 per cent is baled or put into silage. Therefore, the Ministry of Environment’s 90,000 acres of FWDF land could be a significant benefit to producers. To date, 23 Saskatchewan producers in 18 different rural municipalities have grazing agreements on FWDF lands.

The ministry has a land management trust agreement with Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation to manage all provincial FWDF lands.

“I would like to acknowledge this ongoing partnership that will maintain or improve wildlife habitat, while providing mutual benefits to the agriculture and conservation communities,” Moe said.

The FWDF land, located throughout the province, is native prairie or other grasslands, and is typically used for conservation purposes. While some of the available land has water sources and is fenced, much of the land will require temporary fencing or water. Producers who are awarded access to FWDF lands may be responsible for the cost and construction of any necessary improvements. The grazing lease fees that apply to agricultural Crown land will apply to the FWDF land, with revenues generated funding future conservation initiatives.

Visit www.fwdf.ca for a list of FWDF land by rural municipality, or call 1-844-306-3933 toll-free for more information

 

Crop Report July 4-10, 2017

For the Period July 4 to 10, 2017

Provincial  Crop Development – July 10, 2017
% Ahead % Normal % Behind
Fall Cereals 28 56 16
Spring Cereals 5 64 31
Oilseeds 3 62 35
Pulse Crops 5 75 20

The majority of crops across the province are developing normally, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s weekly Crop Report. Fifty-six per cent of the fall cereals, 64 per cent of the spring cereals, 62 per cent of the oilseeds and 75 per cent of the pulse crops are at their normal stages of development for this time of year. Crop conditions vary greatly across the province and have deteriorated over the past few weeks due to hot temperatures and a lack of rain.

Livestock producers now have 24 per cent of the hay crop cut and 39 per cent baled or put into silage. Hay quality is rated as 17 per cent excellent, 59 per cent good, 22 per cent fair and two per cent poor. Many hay swaths are significantly smaller than normal and pasture growth has been limited.

Although some areas received moisture this past week, many areas still need significant rainfall to help crops develop and replenish the topsoil. Rainfall ranged from negligible amounts in most areas to 80 mm in the Kelvington area. Across the province, topsoil moisture on cropland is rated as two per cent surplus, 41 per cent adequate, 46 per cent short and 11 per cent very short. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as three per cent surplus, 32 per cent adequate, 49 per cent short and 16 per cent very short.

High temperatures and a lack of rain continue to damage crops in the province. Many southern and central areas have received less than 100 mm of moisture since April 1; some crops in these areas are short, thin and heading out and/or flowering earlier than normal due to heat stress. Significant rain is needed to help crops fill and hay and pasture to grow.

Other sources of crop damage this week include hail, localized flooding, wind and insects such as alfalfa weevils, painted lady caterpillars and wheat midge. Leaf spot diseases and root rot are also causing some damage.

Producers are haying, scouting for disease and insects, applying fungicides and hauling grain.

SaskPower received four reports of farm equipment coming in contact with power lines last week. Two of these reports involved spraying equipment. SaskPower reminds producers to be aware of their surroundings at all times.

Livestock Water Quality

Livestock Water Quality

A number of factors affect the quality of surface water sources.  Nutrient loading from spring or summer run-off,  little to no re-charge from a dry spring, animal impact from direct cattle watering, and sub-surface soil or water salinity, are but a few of the possibilities.

Many dugouts located in saline areas may be fed from the bottom with saline ground water but will also benefit in terms of both quality and quantity from spring run-off.  The water in these dugouts, has naturally high mineral levels to start with and, without fresh water recharge, and through the mineral concentration effects of evaporation, you may find that the mineral content is elevated to levels that are not suitable for use by fall. The only way to know for sure about the mineral content of these water sources is to have water tests done by a lab.

Table 1 shows levels of some parameters and effects on cattle.

Table 1. Water quality interpretation chart for livestock use  (Courtesy Alberta Agriculture)

 Item Analyzed Water content (mg/L or ppm) Usefulness for cattle, sheep, or horses
 Total Dissolved Solids
<1000 Acceptable
1,001-3,000 Acceptable
3,001-5,000* Acceptable
may cause diarrhea
may reduce performance and affect health of calves at higher levels
5,001-7,000 Poor
higher levels cause diarrhea especially in lactating cows
avoid use for pregnant and/or lactating cows
test for sulphates
 7,001-10,000 Poor
older animals may subsist on it for longer periods
do not use for pregnant or lactating cattle or young animals
sulphates likely high
 >10,000  Unsuitable
 Sulphates (SO4)
Measured as SO4  <125 Acceptable
Part of Epsom salts (MgSO4)  <500 Acceptable
tolerance of cattle to sulphur in water depends on the level in feed
Additive effect with sodium chloride
They should be added together when water quality is evaluated.		  501-1,000 Acceptable
diarrhoea or refusal of water by animals not accustomed to it
500 to 800 mg/L may affect calves inducing a trace mineral deficiency
trace mineral deficiencies can cause depressed growth rate, fertility and depressed immune response
decreased performance in feedlot cattle
1,000 mg/L recommended maximum if feed level is high or temperature is high
1,001-2,500 Poor
laxative
sporadic cases of polio seen in feedlot cattle
performance reduced
2,000 mg/L> can cause diarrhoea and reduced milk production in dairy cows
high levels of sulphates can also contribute to copper deficiencies in beef and diary cattle
>2,500 Unsuitable
sporadic cases of polio are highly probable in feedlot cattle
performance of feedlot cattle reduced
performance of grazing cattle may be affected
scours
unsuitable for lactating dairy cows
greater than 4,000 mg/L dangerous health problems expected

If you encounter poor quality water, there may be options available to you:

  • Switching to a source of better quality water, or using the better quality water to dilute the minerals in the poor water;
  • Pumping the dugout full from somewhere else, although you need to be aware of the quality of the water at the other site;
  • Trucking high quality water from another source and mixing to dilute the minerals in the poor quality water, although costly, may also work; or
  • If your herd is large enough, it may be less costly (per cow per year) in the long run to look into installation of a water treatment system.

If trucking or piping water becomes a necessity, following are some guidelines for drinking water requirements for various sizes of animals. These will be useful when trying to determine the size of water storage required.  Keep in mind that water requirements increase at higher temperatures.

  • Cows – 67.5 L (15 gallons) for nursing cows; 54 L (12 gallons) for bred dry cows and heifers.
  • Bulls – 54 L (12 gallons).
  • Growing cattle – 45 L (8 gallons) for 400 lb. animal; 45 L (10) for 600 lb.; 54 L (12), for 800 lb.
  • Finishing cattle – 85.5 L (19 gallons) for 400 – 1,200 lb. animal.

Keeping stock out of the water source will increase water available as well as increase quality of the water. There are a number of ways to accomplish this but no perfect system fits all situations.

Table 2 briefly describes these alternatives.

Access Ramps Improves access and preserves slopes on water site and will limit nutrients entering from manure and urine. Some improvement in quality is likely to occur.
Nose Pumps Lower cost than some systems, but require animals to become accustomed to them.  Need one for every 25 to 30 animals.  May need more than are recommended by the manufacturer.
Gravity Flow Reservoirs More costly and requires some excavation to build. Not suited to all sites, as water must flow downhill from water source to trough.
Solar Pumping Stations Work in remote locations. Relatively expensive and requires storage batteries and water storage.
Windmills Work in remote locations and require little maintenance. High variability in winds means that water storage is necessary.

Every individual watering site may have characteristics that make it more suitable to one system or another.  As a result, consultation with others is a good idea prior to developing some alternative systems. These systems will have benefits in subsequent years through better quality water and longer watering site lifespan. For assistance in water site development and equipment requirements contact your local PFRA office.

Staff in the Ministry of Agriculture Regional Offices can assist with interpretation of water test results, and provide information on management options.

Celebrity Cook-Off with Saskatchewan food

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 11, 2017

Celebrity Cook-off features community leaders having fun with Saskatchewan foods

(SASKATOON, SK) A Taste of Saskatchewan, presented by Conexus Credit Union, kicks off today with two incredible cooking demonstrations on the Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan Chef’s Series Stage.

The Chef’s Series is a cooking demonstration and chef competition that takes place all week long during A Taste of Saskatchewan in Kiwanis Park, Saskatoon. For the third year, Taste of Saskatchewan organizer SaskTel Centre has teamed up with Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan
(FFC SK), a group that represents thousands of crop and livestock farmers, chefs and agriculture businesses in the province, to present the Farm & Food Care Chef’s Series.

Similar to Chopped! chefs will compete throughout the week using ‘black boxes’ filled with mystery ingredients grown in Saskatchewan. The winner moves onto the next round, with the final match-up for the title of “Top Chef Saskatchewan” on Sunday, July 16 at 12:30 PM.

The Chef’s Series Stage will also feature some special shows to jump start the Chef’s Series today. Chef Anthony McCarthy, Executive Chef of The Saskatoon Club, will kick off the Chef’s Series with an amazing cooking demonstration at 12:15 pm. Samples will be available in return for donations of cash or food tickets which will be presented to the Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre.

At 4:00 PM, the Chef’s Series is proud to present our first Celebrity Cook-off! Randy Pshebylo, Executive Director of the Riversdale Business Improvement District, will join Chef Anthony McCarthy to showcase his culinary talents and demonstrate how to cook with Saskatchewan-grown foods.

Farm & Food Care nominated Randy Pshebylo to take part in this year’s Chef’s Series Celebrity Cook-off. “Randy has worked tirelessly to improve and enrich our community,” said Adele Buettner, Project Manager for FFC SK and one of the event organizers. “Plus, he’s a great sport! It will be so much fun to watch Randy and Anthony cook together.”

Shows run every day on the Chef’s Series stage at 12:15, 4:00 and 6:30 PM. Every show will include chances to win prizes and enjoy lots of onstage excitement. Even better, patrons that purchase dishes featuring Saskatchewan-grown ingredients from participating food vendors will be eligible to enter the onsite draw for a new barbecue or new TV!

Organizers would like to thank all the sponsors of the Chef’s Series. All of these products-including many other Saskatchewan-grown foods-will be featured at the festival.

More information is available on tasteofsaskatchewan.ca or
farmfoodcaresk.org/events

For more information, contact:
John Howden
Director of Business Development
SaskTel Centre
306.975.3151
[email protected]

Adele Buettner
Project Manager
Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan
306.477.FOOD (3663)
[email protected]

Backgrounder
SaskTel Centre is the largest indoor public assembly facility in Saskatchewan. It is Saskatchewan’s number one venue for large-scale musical productions, as well as one of the Canada’s busiest entertainment and sports venues. SaskTel Centre hosts more than 500,000 guests annually, with seating capacity of approximately 13,000 for concerts and 15,100 for hockey and lacrosse. SaskTel Centre is the home of the Saskatoon Blades Hockey Club of the Western Hockey League and The Saskatchewan Rush of the National Lacrosse League.

Conexus Credit Union’s A Taste of Saskatchewan is Saskatoon’s festival of fabulous food featuring over 30 of Saskatoon’s finest restaurants serving their house favorite dishes in beautiful Kiwanis Park from July 11-16, 2017. The extensive menu offers everything from succulent entrées to delicious desserts to specialty items.

Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan (FFC SK) is a non-profit coalition of farm families, agribusinesses, food processors, restaurants, retailers, food companies and individuals. FFC SK seeks to build confidence in Saskatchewan food production – to let consumers know that the food we produce is healthy, safe and responsibly grown; that farmers and ranchers are innovative, technologically advanced and care deeply about the animals and land they work with. Today, less than 3% of Canadians have a direct link to the farm, so it is not surprising that many people want to know more about food and farming. FFC SK administers several programs to help address consumer questions and build trust in our farmers and in Saskatchewan-grown foods.