Supplementing Cattle Diets with Canola Seed Pellets

Sep 13, 2023

A research project looked into if canola seed pellets can be used as a dietary supplement for pregnant cows to improve their health and the health of their calves, a Sept. 12 news release said.

University of Saskatchewan graduate student Erika Cornand and her supervisor Bart Lardner used research facilities located at the USask Livestock and Forage Excellence Centre (LFCE) in Clavet, Sask. to monitor 72 cows over the past two years during their pregnancies.

The release noted the groups of cattle were randomly chosen to receive differing amounts of the canola supplement at the same stage in their pregnancies. One group received no extra fat supplement, while the other two groups received 150 and 300 grams of fat per day, respectively. Body weight of the cows and the quality and volume of milk produced after calving was recorded throughout the study to track the effects of the additional fat supplement.

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Video: ASF Spread and Control Insights - Dr. Carles Vilalta

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Carles Vilalta, epidemiologist at IRTA CReSA in Spain, explains the current African swine fever situation, including origin, transmission, and control strategies. He highlights the role of human activity, wild boar dynamics, and biosecurity measures to protect commercial farms. Learn how surveillance and field actions shape disease containment. Listen now on all major platforms!

"ASF demonstrates slow animal to animal transmission despite high infectivity, making it a clumsy disease that depends heavily on human mediated spread."

Meet the guest: Dr. Carles Vilalta / carlesvilalta is an epidemiologist, swine veterinarian, and researcher at IRTA-CReSA in Spain. His work focuses on epidemiology, swine health, disease surveillance, and research support for government and industry programs. Learn more from Dr. Carles Vilalta on The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, available on all major platforms.