A wealth of new innovations and strategies to help producers and their industry transition to the future will take the spotlight Oct. 10–11 at the second annual Alberta Livestock ExpoAlberta Livestock Expo in Lethbridge, where Country Junction Feeds will be among the exhibitors.

In addition to featuring the full range of Country Junction Feeds options, the team will also be supporting key partner product lines such as DeStress Nutritional Technology and Canadian Nurs-ette Distributors Inc.

The newly expanded Expo builds on a successful inaugural event by adding an additional day to the format along with broadened program features and expanded floor space for the popular exhibitor booth spaces.

"It's an exciting time of innovation across the livestock industry," says Dave Gibson of Country Junction Feeds. "This will be a great opportunity to meet with producers and let them know about some of latest developments. Certainly in the feed and nutrition area there is a lot of advancement."

Featured innovations

Country Junction Feeds. Country Junction Feeds facilities are fully antibiotic-free, ionophore-free and provide a full range of both conventional and certified organic feed options to an expanding customer base across Canada and the U.S.. Country Junction Feeds specializes in quality bulk and bagged feeds for beef, dairy, equine, poultry, swine, goat, lamb and more. All feeding programs are developed through alignment with the latest advancements as well as a wealth of experience and local knowledge. In recent years the feedmill has also invested in a range of mill and production line upgrades including new state-of-the-art formulation and bagging systems.

"Our current lineup is a perfect with not only for today but for where the world is headed," says Gibson. "We're getting a lot of interest, for example, from operations that are being proactive with making sure they are aligned with the new antimicrobial restrictions coming into effect Dec. 1 and other key transitions taking place."

DeStress. The DeStress product line is generating a lot of buzz as one of the most innovative options available to support excellent animal care and welfare while improving performance and results at the same time. DeStress is a nutritional feed product designed to reduce stress in livestock and horses, with species tailored Ruminant, Swine and Equine versions. DeStress is a combination of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and electrolytes that, among many benefits, has been shown to reduce shrink loss and improve meat quality when given to livestock before shipping. It is also shown to reduce aggression in livestock. Likewise, DeStress use with equine protects the animals from "stress loss" during transport and handling, helping to protect muscle mass and guard against the loss of energy (glycogen) in muscle and liver.

"DeStress is an extensively researched tool that gives producers and industry a new way to support animal welfare while improving economics at the same time," says Chance Butterfield of Country Junction Feeds. "It's an excellent fit with the pressures livestock sectors face today. With equine, whether you run work or performance horses, nutritional therapy provides that peace of mind you are giving your horses their best opportunity for success. It makes a huge difference in the conditioning, energy preservation and over performance of these animals.”

Nurs-ette. The Nurs-ette brand, a tried and true pioneer in natural solutions, is coming off fresh updates to its identity and product portfolio, championing many innovations and benefits as featured on its recently launched new website. Nurs-ette offers advanced, all natural milk replacer solutions and manufactures quality products for a broad range of animal species. "The Nurs-ette young animal nutrition solutions include premium trusted options for dairy calves, beef calves, piglets, lambs, kid-goats and foals," says Ken Nyback, Nurs-ette manager. "The opportunities to optimize energy and nutrients have advanced greatly, with solutions that are better absorbed and utilized by the animals."

Sharing knowledge, driving progress

With expanded floor space for an additional 22 exhibitors, the Expo, hosted at Exhibition Park (South Pavilion) will feature over 70 exhibitors featuring the latest in tools, technology and tactics to optimize all types of livestock operations, including swine, poultry, beef, dairy and more. There is a strong emphasis on innovations with practical, hands-on value for producers, as well as ones that help operations align with key trends in areas such as management, housing, welfare, genetics, feed and nutrition, reduced antimicrobial use and more.

The opportunity to see many of the latest innovations in one place will be second-to-none. The Expo is also designed to provide a very enjoyable event for socializing and networking with fellow producers and industry colleagues, including potential customers and prospects.

Broadened format, networking opportunities

With a second day added, there will be more flexibility for more people to participate. The expanded format will also feature the addition of a new beef rib BBQ competition, on Wednesday, Oct. 10., and a new pork quality competition, on Thursday, Oct. 11.

Get full information on the event website.