| | Cattle and calves | Pigs | Sheep and lambs | Apiculture | Tables and figures
Cattle and Calves
Alberta's cattle and calf herd decreased in 2006. Estimates, as of July 1, 2006, showed the total provincial herd falling 6.0 per cent to 6,300,000 head, from 6,700,000 head in 2005. Lower inventories were typical of most cattle classes. The exceptions were steers, which rose by 7.0 per cent to 888,000 head, and dairy heifers, which remained flat at 38,000 head. The lower inventories were largely the result of the re-opening of the United States border on July 18, 2005 to under thirty month (UTM) old cattle from Canada and the resumption of exports. The border had been closed since May 2003, following the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) on an Alberta farm.
Total beef cows and heifers were estimated at 2,303,000 head, down 9.8 per cent from 2005. When compared to a year earlier, there was an 8.0 per cent drop in beef cow numbers to 2,025,000 head, while beef heifer numbers fell 21.0 per cent to 278,000 head. Slaughter heifer numbers dropped to 812,000 head or 1.6 per cent below the previous year's record of 825,000 head. The provincial dairy herd, comprised of cows and heifers, decreased 2.4 per cent to 120,000 head, from 123,000 a year ago.
Compared to other Canadian provinces, Alberta (as of July 1, 2006), continued to be the lead province in cattle and calf inventories (6,300,000 head). Next was Saskatchewan (3,450,000 head), followed by Ontario (2,032,600 head) and Manitoba (1,680,000 head). Alberta accounted for more than one-half (51.4 per cent) of the total estimated western Canadian herd of 12,250,000 head, and 39.4 per cent of the national total of 16,000,000 head.
Preliminary data pegged Alberta's annual total cattle slaughter (excluding calves) in federally and provincially inspected plants at 2,148,719 head in 2006, a 12.6 per cent decrease from 2005. Steers and heifers made up the bulk of the slaughter, and together accounted for 85.7 per cent of cattle slaughtered. Total cow slaughter increased significantly to 294,908 head, up 103.9 per cent from the 2005 slaughter level of 144,591 head. The overall slaughter decline was partially attributed to the resumption of under thirty-month old live cattle exports to the United States in July 2005.
Nationally, the 2006 data showed cattle slaughter (excluding calves) in federally and provincially inspected plants at 3,548,983 head, with Alberta accounting for 60.5 per cent of the national total. Alberta contributed 86.9 per cent to the western Canadian kill of 2,472,415 head.
Annual prices for all classes of slaughter cattle in 2006 were above corresponding 2005 levels and showed continued recovery from the price collapse after the discovery of BSE in May 2003. The 2006 Alberta annual average slaughter steer price increased 2.0 per cent to $86.66 per cwt., while the price for slaughter heifers rose 1.3 per cent to $86.98 per cwt. Average slaughter bull price strengthened to $33.13 per cwt. or 21.9 per cent of the 2005 level.
Total Alberta live cattle and calf shipments in 2006, as per brand inspection records, increased 64.6 per cent from a year earlier to 810,476 head, largely a result of the partial resumption of live cattle exports to the United States in July 2005. These shipments consisted of feeders, slaughter animals, and breeding herd replacements.
Live feeder cattle and calf shipments to all destinations in 2006 totaled 189,226 head, 30.3 per cent more than 2005. A total of 143,636 head was shipped to other provinces, with the remainder exported to the United States. The largest volume was shipped to Saskatchewan.
Total shipments of cattle and calves for slaughter increased 84.5 per cent in 2006 to 598,954 head, from 324,692 head in 2005. Of this, 91.7 per cent were shipped to the United States, compared to 70.0 per cent in 2005.
Shipments of live replacement cattle and calves fell marginally by 0.4 per cent in 2006 to 22,296 head, from 22,377 head a year earlier. All live replacement cattle and calf exports in 2006 were shipped to other provinces, with the exception of one animal that was exported to the United States.
Pigs
As of July 1, 2006, the estimated number of pigs on farms in Alberta was 2,056,000 head, up 2.8 per cent from 2,000,000 head in 2005. The market hog inventory rose to 1,860,900 head, up 3.6 per cent from 1,796,000 head a year earlier. Alberta's breeding stock inventory of boars, sows, and bred gilts fell 4.4 per cent to 195,100 head (204,000 head in 2005). Boar numbers fell to 7,100 head from 7,200 head a year earlier, due to increased usage of artificial insemination. Among provinces, Alberta continued to rank fourth in pig inventories, behind Quebec (4,250,000 head), Ontario (3,929,600 head), and Manitoba (2,980,000 head). For western Canada, the size of the pig herd as of July 1, 2006 was 6,560,000 head, with Alberta accounting for 31.3 per cent. Alberta also accounted for 13.6 per cent of the national pig inventory of 15,065,000 head.
In 2006, Alberta hog slaughter in federally and provincially inspected plants climbed to a fifth consecutive record high of 3,241,863 head, up 3.8 per cent from 2005. As well, slaughter hog marketings (or hogs of Alberta origin slaughtered in Canada) increased to a second consecutive record of 3,704,335 head, up 3.6 per cent from 2005. Due to the strong marketings in 2006, the average Alberta index 100 hog price declined 14.4 per cent to $1.25 per kilogram, from $1.46 per kilogram in 2005.
Sheep and Lambs
Estimates of sheep and lamb inventories as of July 1, 2006 showed the size of the provincial flock falling to 228,000 head, down 4.6 per cent from a year earlier. The decline was partially fuelled by higher market lamb prices, which resulted in higher marketings. Among provinces, Alberta ranked third in sheep and lamb inventories after Ontario (311,000 head), and Quebec (307,000 head). The size of the western Canadian flock was 492,000 head as of July 1 2006, with Alberta accounting for 46.3 per cent. Nationally, there were 1,151,200 sheep and lambs on farms as of July 1, 2006, with Alberta contributing 19.8 per cent.
Apiculture
Preliminary estimates indicate that the number of beekeepers in Alberta decreased marginally in 2006. The total number was estimated at 725, down 0.4 per cent from 728 in 2005. As well, the number of colonies declined marginally in 2006 to 250,000, from 251,000 a year ago. The average honey price in 2005 was $2.17 per kilogram, a 34.6 per cent drop from 2004.
Total Alberta honey production in 2006 was 17,015 tonnes, up 17.6 per cent from 14,463 tonnes in 2005. Nationally, total honey production in 2006 was 43,045 tonnes, up 19.2 per cent from 36,119 tonnes in 2005. Alberta accounted for 39.5 per cent of the national total in 2006, practically unchanged from 40.0 per cent in 2005. In 2006, the average colony in Alberta produced an estimated 68 kilograms of honey, up 17.2 per cent from 58 kilograms in 2005.
Tables and Figures
Tables | PDF File
Size |
| Table 47 - Livestock on Farms, Canada and Provinces, July 1, 1995-2006 | |
| Table 48 - Cattle and Calves on Alberta Farms, July 1, 1961-2006 | |
| Table 49 - Pigs on Alberta Farms, July 1, 1963-2006 | |
| Table 50 - Sheep and Lambs on Alberta Farms, July 1, 1963-2006 | |
| Table 51 - Livestock Slaughtered, Canada and Provinces, 1999-2006 | |
| Table 52 - Livestock Slaughtered in Alberta, 1996-2006 | |
Table 53 - Summary of Alberta Slaughter Hog Marketings, 1997-2006
Table 54 - Alberta Supply and Disposition Livestock Balance Sheet, 2004-2006 | |
| Table 55 - Alberta Direct to Packer Sales, 1996-2006 | |
| Table 56 - Alberta Slaughter Cattle Prices, 1996-2006 | |
| Table 57 - Average Feeder Cattle Prices, Edmonton, 1994-2006 | |
| Table 58 - Average Feeder Cattle Prices, Southern Alberta, 1994-2006 | |
| Table 59 - Average Calf Prices, Edmonton, 1994-2006 | |
| Table 60 - Average Calf Prices, Southern Alberta, 1994-2006 | |
| Table 61 - Alberta Average Slaughter Hog Prices (Index 100), 1995-2006 | |
Table 62 - Central Alberta Average Market Lamb Prices (95-115 lbs), 1995-2006
Table 63 - Alberta Sheep and Lamb Marketings, 1995-2006 | |
| Table 64 - Alberta Brand Inspection Record of Live Cattle and Calf Shipments Out-Of-Province, 2005 and 2006 | |
Table 65 - Registrations and Sales of Registered Horses in Alberta, 1997-2006
Table 66 - Alberta Horse Meat Exports by Destination, 1997-2006 | |
Table 67 - Pregnant Mare Urine (PMU) Statistics, Alberta, 1989-90 to 2006-07
Table 68 - Alberta Dairy Industry, 2001-2006 | |
| Table 69 - Output and Value of Poultry Meats, Alberta, 1995-2006 | |
Table 70 - Production, Disposition and Value of Eggs, Alberta, 1995-2006
Table 71 - Chickens Slaughtered in Registered Stations, Alberta, 1994-2006 | |
| Table 72 - Alberta Game Farming Industry, 1997-2006 | |
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Figures | PDF File
Size |
| Figure 25 - Number of Cattle and Calves on Alberta Farms, July 1, 1997-2006 | |
| Figure 26 - Slaughter Activity in Alberta, Annual Per Cent Change, 2001-2006 | |
Figure 27 - Number of Cattle Slaughtered (Excluding Calves), Alberta as a Per Cent of Canada, 1999-2006
Figure 28 - Cattle and Calves and Hogs Slaughtered in Alberta and Canada, 1999-2006 | |
| Figure 29 - Alberta Slaughter Cattle Prices, 1996-2006 | |
| Figure 30 - Alberta Average Slaughter Hog Prices (Index 100), 1995-2006 | |
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