Rabbits: Good As Pets, Good For Business.

Rabbits: Good As Pets, Good For Business. Breeding rabbits is steadily gaining popularity for several reasons. For instance, rabbits can be brought up in whatever type of environment, whether it is a city, suburb or country, and they easily fit into most family set up. A rabbit makes for a low-maintenance, friendly family pet and is a fine size creature for kids as well as adults to take care. Additionally, it does not cost a lot of money to get rolling with rabbits — this project would suit most family budgets. While proper gear adds to the success of raising rabbits, it is more significant for your gear to be functional instead of being fancy. more

High livestock prices not stopping upgrades as abattoir targets overseas markets.

High livestock prices not stopping upgrades as abattoir targets overseas markets. High livestock prices are forcing down the number of animals being processed by abattoirs. In Victoria's north-west, one facility is reporting a 30 to 40 per cent reduction in the number of sheep and cattle it is processing. 

 Woodward Foods produces many of the livestock it slaughters — sometimes half the animals going through a facility originate from the family business's farms. But with high prices for livestock, keeping up the supply is a challenge. Despite the downturn, the business's Swan Hill Abattoirs is working to upgrade its facility and undertaking what it describes as a cultural change in its workforce. 

 General manager Mick Bird said the facility had undergone a rebrand and was selling meat into domestic and overseas markets, promoting the company's paddock to plate story. He said current conditions were a challenge, but branching into foreign markets such as the United Arab Emirates, USA and China should enable the business to keep improving. more

Canada offers beef irradiation as another tool for food safety.

The government of Canada’s announcement this week of changes to its food and drug regulations to permit irradiation of ground beef was not a surprise. It was a long time coming, though, with industry having requested the change in 1998. Canada has already approved radiation to treat potatoes, onions, wheat, flour, spices and seasoning preparations. The United States has permitted the irradiation of fresh and frozen ground beef since 1999. More than 60 countries permit irradiation of various foods to kill pathogens and/or pests. Health Canada published the new regulations on Wednesday. Canadian officials said the government views the technology as another tool for use by the beef industry in improving food safety. Irradiation is not intended to replace existing food safety practices for handling, storage and sanitation. It’s purpose is to complement those practices. Irradiation reduces levels of harmful bacteria, such as E, coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter, as well as preventing premature spoilage, and extending shelf life. It does so by exposing food to energy with ionizing radiation. Health Canada found that ground beef subjected to irradiation retains its nutritional values, taste, texture and appearance. Irradiated foods must carry a both a written description and the Radura symbol. If not packaged, Canada requires the information be made available at the point of sale. continue

Dogs Help Researchers Unlock Genetic Links to Human Disease.

Dogs and people may suffer from similar psychiatric and neurological diseases, from canine compulsive disorder (thought to be similar to human obsessive-compulsive disorder [OCD]) to canine cognitive dysfunction (similar to human dementia). Researchers are hoping that by analyzing doggy DNA, they may uncover genetic links to these conditions that could help shed light on both canine and human variations of disease. The project, called Darwin’s Dogs, is currently gathering data from thousands of dogs. Owners answer detailed questionnaires and send in a saliva sample, which will be used to collect the dog’s DNA. The researchers then plan to analyze the DNA samples and compare each dog’s genetics to its behaviors. Dogs have played a role in the discovery of genes linked to human diseases like epilepsy, narcolepsy and OCD. OCD in dogs (known as canine compulsive disorder), for instance, can manifest as repetitive tail chasing or licking an area of the body so obsessively that it causes a wound (although obsessive licking may also be caused by gastrointestinal disorders) more

Agricultural robot may be 'game changer' for crop growers, breeders.

A semiautonomous robot may soon be roaming agricultural fields gathering and transmitting real-time data about the growth and development of crops, information that crop breeders—and eventually farmers—can use to identify the genetic traits in plants likely to produce the greatest yields A team of scientists from the Carle R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois is developing the robot in partnership with researchers from Cornell University and Signetron Inc. Inspired by the autonomous rovers used to search collapsed buildings and other dangerous environments, the agricultural robot is propelled on continuous tracks, or miniature tank treads, which enable it to navigate through dry or muddy fields. Researchers guide it using GPS and a laptop computer. continue

IoT as a solution for precision farming.

IoT as a solution for precision farming. Understanding a natural intelligence is the most systematic way of developing the internet of things. We know that each single-celled organism tries to survive. They usually follow the rule of “do the right thing at the right time.” In reality, IoT solves the same simple problem for communication points that agriculture intelligence has tried to solve for many years: precision farming. Different machines, animals and plants on different fields try to communicate with each other, as well different IoT devices. If we were to try to use IoT in a large scale in the agriculture industry, we would have to build a suitable large architecture. Low-energy networks can provide connectivity only on one site and often do not exist in remote areas. This means the communication with the combine on the field will be always insecure. Because of need for large-scale investigation and reduced maintenance efforts, cellular connectivity could be the right means of communication for modern farmers. Smart precision farming The United Nations predicts an increase in world population to over 11 billion by 2100. All of these people will have to be fed. Farmers face a set of challenges: an increasing worldwide demand for food, a changing continue

10 Common signs of stress in dogs.

Research shows that stress can affect a dog's health and longevity. According to one study: "There is evidence to suggest that the stress of living with a fear or anxiety disorder can have negative effects on health and lifespan in the domestic dog." An example: When your dog is under stress, his body releases an excessive amount of norepinephrine, the fight or flight hormone, which can alter gut bacteria and interfere with GI tract motility. Next thing you know, your dog has diarrhea, which just adds to his stress level (and yours), especially if he has an accident in the house. Some dogs primarily experience short-lived stress, but others deal with chronic stress. The more you know about what triggers your pet's stress, how he behaves when he feels stressed and what stress can do to his health, the better equipped you'll be to identify the signs and take action to minimize or eliminate stressors. According to the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) 2009 Manual of Canine and Feline Behavioural Medicine, there are 10 common signs of stress in dogs: 1. Nose/lip licking 2. Yawning 3. Panting 4. Reduced or absent appetite 5. Diarrhea 6. Tail lowered or tucked 7. Ears pulled or pinned back 8. Cowering/crouched body posture and/or hiding 9. Trembling/shaking 10. Increased vocalizations — whining, howling or barking more