Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

U of G OVC Student Veterinarians Share Experiences Working With Animals in Local Clinics - Externship

Diagnostics, clinical skills, problem solving, and working with clients are all critical pieces in a student veterinarian’s education. This summer, five student veterinarians have been blogging during their practical experience (externship) at veterinary practices.

Funded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Ministry of Rural Affairs (OMAF and MRA), students must complete an eight-week Externship Course between third and fourth year in a rural (companion and food animal or companion and equine) practice.

This week student-veterinarian Lindsay talked about the broad knowledge required by dairy veterinarians. Check out www.ovc.uoguelph.ca/externship for the latest blog and click on each student's photo to access all of their blogs.

Many factors contribute to dairy herd health

After completing three years of veterinary school I feel like I have been taught a lot of information! However, going into a career of dairy medicine requires knowledge about so much more than just dairy medicine.

One important component of dairy farming that is important for vets to know about is nutrition. Nutrition affects production and transition cow health and therefore is very important for a vet to know about. There are several vets at Heartland Veterinary Services that are very interested in nutrition and I have learned a lot talking with them and walking crop fields to know when they are ready to be harvested.

One aspect of dairy farming that I am very interested in is barn design. Many farmers ask veterinarians about their opinion when building a new barn so it is something I would like to learn more about. There are five key things that need to be assessed when building a new barn: cattle resting space, cattle walking space/flooring, water sources, feeding space and ventilation. Within each of these categories are many aspects of barn design to think about. Now when I go into a barn with a veterinarian I try to remember to assess the barn for these five things.

Another thing key to being a good dairy veterinarian is being able to assess production traits. Many dairy farmers use a milk recording service called CanWest DHI. This company collects production data on farms to be used for management purposes. Things that are recorded include: herd average milk production, fat and protein production, individual cow measurements, somatic cell measurements, average age at first calving, longevity, etc. These values are used to assess how the dairy farm is doing and how it can be improved. The veterinarian plays an integral part in this!

Growing up on a dairy farm I was lucky enough to be exposed to many of these components of dairy farming, but I still have lots to learn!

 

Views: 112

Comments are closed for this blog post

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Equipment Technician Demand Reaches New Highs

A new report warns Canada will need thousands of equipment technicians in the next decade, with labor shortages affecting dealer growth, customer service, and industry revenue.

Canada Could Add $5.4 Billion by Food Processing in the Country

Shifting 10 per cent of Canada’s raw crop exports to domestic processing could boost the economy by $5.4 billion and create 34,000 jobs, according to a new report from EY.

New herbicide for soybean producers

Growers can implement Zidua Prime into their operations for the 2027 season

Canfax Weekly Article | Report for the week of September 21, 2026

The Canfax average fed steer and heifer price closed around $292/cwt live, $2.50/cwt lower than the previous week. Fed cattle prices are at the lowest point since December 2025. Light trade was reported last week with dressed sales ranging from $486.50–$489.50/cwt FOB the feedlot. Cattle that traded were scheduled anywhere from early October to early November delivery. Western Canadian steer carcass weights have steadily increased this summer and are 2 pounds shy of their highs set back in January. Ontario was the bright spot for the Canadian fed market as their prices strengthened last week. Last week, the Canfax feeder steer and heifer price closed the week $8–$11/cwt higher. Despite higher prices, all classes of cattle are trading below last year. With good grass conditions across much of the Prairies, the yearling run has been slow to develop. Over the past week, there was a bigger offering of forward delivery calves with over 50,000 head marketed for fall delivery. In some cases,

U.S. August cattle placements fall to record low

U.S. feedlots placed fewer cattle in August than in any other August since the data series began in 1996, according to the latest Cattle on Feed report from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Despite the decline, cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 head or more totalled 11.2 million head as of September 1, up one per cent from a year earlier. August placements totalled 1.62 million head, down nine per cent from the previous year. Net placements were reported at 1.57 million head. USDA data shows it was the lowest August placement total since the series began in 1996. The report was largely in line with pre-report trade expectations, which anticipated lower placements and marketings alongside slightly higher on-feed inventories. Marketings during August totaled 1.52 million head, down three per cent from the same month last year. It was also the lowest August marketing total since 1996. Other disappearance totaled

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service