Striped bass is a high-end food fish with a strong demand and weak supply. The fishery is frail and farming negligible in North America because spawning and early rearing is very difficult. Over 20 years we mastered nearly all the culture methods, the last piece is spawning. The project will improve the spawning success to produce >60,000 juveniles per year, building towards a sustainable land-based striped bass.

Extending the grazing season by maintaining beef cattle on pasture in late fall/winter has been adopted by many Prairie producers as it significantly reduces labour and feed costs compared to feeding cattle in confinement. However, the industry is now positioned to push this paradigm further to include extended grazing strategies utilizing novel plant species for replacement females and backgrounded cattle in the fall/winter.

The project will examine of population genomics, application of genomic selection, and identification of genes underlying economically important traits which are vital steps for the development of selection program. Consequently, this will have an impact on the economic viability of mink producers due to targeted genomic breeding strategies and the use of biomarker-assisted selection. Such a selection over a period will significantly lower the cost of pelt production and hence increase efficiency.

The advent of genomic selection in the dairy industry has increased genetic progress; however, new challenges are emerging. Rapid population growth and associated demographic and economic changes are increasing global demand for dairy products. Moreover, the industry must address several societal and consumer issues such as human health, animal health and welfare, and the environmental footprint (e.g., greenhouse gases, antibiotic and hormone use).

Bison symbolizes the evolution of the Canada’s ecosystem and the physical and spiritual wellbeing of its human inhabitants. The species underwent a near-extinction event in the late 19th century. Wood bison recovery continues to be threatened today by genetic bottlenecks, hybridization and diseases transmissible to livestock and humans.

Laying hens need a reliable source of protein and energy for egg production and maintenance that does not induce fatty liver disease (FLD). As egg production moves in the direction of group housing scenarios, more management techniques, including nutritional management, that reduce losses due to feather pecking and cannibalism will also be required. Hemp has anti-inflammatory properties that may prevent FLD. It has anti-microbial properties that may positively affect the gut microbiome of chickens.

In a world where animal health and welfare are receiving increasing attention, it is crucial that we understand and support livestock farmers who are under an incredible amount of stress. This research is designed to start a supportive discussion and to collect information on the topic of farmer mental health in the beef and dairy industry, including factors affecting mental health and connections with animal health. We will survey beef and dairy farmers to gain a better understanding of how they are doing and which factors are related to their mental health.

Mechanistic models of nutrient digestion, absorption, metabolism, and growth are implemented in industry as ‘decision support systems’ for modern feed formulation and diet optimization, and in academia as research and teaching tools. However, in the equine sector, there has been little focus in modelling which limits the ability of the equine sector to address complex challenges such as interactions between equine nutrition, management, health and welfare. The aim of this proposal is to develop a mechanistic model of post-absorptive nutrient metabolism in mature horses.

The annual heat-related losses incurred in the broiler sector alone were estimated at $51.8 million. Given current climate change realities and increasing poultry demand, it is safe to assume that these estimates would further increase. Similarly, subclinical necrotic enteritis (NE) reduced growth and productivity at an estimated cost of $6 billion annually in 2015. Prophylactic antibiotic administration is the primary means of prevention of NE.

After being bred, sows are commonly housed in individual stalls, which restricts their movement and impacts their well-being. For this reason, Canadian farmers are transitioning to housing sows in groups where sows have social interaction and greater movement. Groups can be formed right after breeding, with either a constant group (static: the same sows remain together until farrowing) or with smaller groups of sows being periodically removed and replaced (dynamic).