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West Nipissing farmers, veterinarians put the squeeze on cattle

Federation of agriculture chapter purchases portable handling system
TUFF Cattle Squeeze

The West Nipissing-Sudbury East Federation of Agriculture has purchased a TUFF portable cattle squeeze for use by local farmers.

The purchase was made in collaboration with Springer Animal Hospital of Sturgeon Falls and Creative Meats, a locally-owned butcher and processing plant.

The squeeze reduces animal stress and allows for the tagging of livestock on the farm instead of transporting them to a tagging station. It also allows veterinarians to safely administer medication or treatment. The handling system can also be used for emergencies such as livestock truck rollovers or wildfires.

In a July 10 news release, the federation said by providing this service, farmers in the area can access equipment that is expensive to own individually. Information on rental rates and availability will be available shortly, the group said.

The portable cattle squeeze will be on display at the International Plowing Match in Verner this September.

Funding for this squeeze was made available by the local federation and the Sustainable New Agri-Food Products and Productivity (SNAPP) Program.

“With the squeeze, the handling of livestock would be done in a safe and efficient manner. If the farmer has the essential tools required to safely manage their herds, we expect that they would consider increasing their herds, further growing Northern agriculture” said federation president Madeleine Beaudry in a statement.

The West Nipissing-Sudbury East Federation of Agriculture represents more than 200 farmers in the district. They are part of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.