Reading Time: 2 minutes The Beef Cattle Research Council has released a new video called “The Ins and Outs of Esophageal Feeding.” The title is a reference to one of the main points of the video, namely that when tube feeding a calf, the feeding tube should go easily into the esophagus — and if not, you need to […] Read more
You gotta know how to hold ’em when inserting a feeding tube in a calf
Tube feeding a calf is often a critical intervention but you need to have a good technique
U.S. livestock: CME cattle end higher on rising slaughter pace
Hogs up in rangebound trade
Chicago | Reuters — Benchmark Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures hit the highest in nearly a month on Monday, supported by an improving U.S. slaughter pace and signs of a shrinking U.S. cattle herd, traders said. CME April live cattle futures settled 1.425 cents higher at 144.525 cents/lb. after reaching 144.825 cents, the contract’s […] Read more
Philippines ends import block on Canadian beef
Ban imposed following atypical BSE finding
The Philippines has lifted the temporary suspension on imports of Canadian beef it imposed after the discovery of Canada’s first case of BSE in six years. Manila had announced its temporary ban following the confirmation in mid-December of atypical BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in a beef cow in central Alberta. Korea imposed and later lifted […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures up with daily slaughter levels
Hogs up on technical buying, cash prices
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures firmed on Friday as daily processing levels began to rebound, a sign that COVID-related staffing woes may be easing, traders said. Meatpackers have struggled with staffing shortages due to the surge in Omicron coronavirus infections, traders said, limiting production in recent weeks. Beef processors slaughtered an […] Read more
When a predator attacks, wildlife officers need to solve the whodunit
Compensation is available for livestock producers but first some detective work needs to be done
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s always stressful when a predator injures or kills livestock, and the process for getting compensation can be stressful, too. But attendees at a recent webinar by a provincial wildlife officer got a look at the process from the investigator’s point of view. One of the key points made by Alex Bolland is that the […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs drop on profit-taking, technical selling
Faster slaughter pace drags on cattle futures
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures fell on Thursday, dragged by technical selling and profit-taking following a recent rally to contract highs. Tight U.S. hog supplies had fueled the recent gains and remained a supportive factor, but the market was oversold. “We had a key reversal in April hogs yesterday and […] Read more
Initiative aims to turn beef genetic data into cash at the ranch level
The keys are getting data into a useful form and then creating easy-to-use tools for ranchers, say advocates
Reading Time: 3 minutes How can the cattle industry make better use of genetic data? It’s a question that the Canadian Beef Improvement Network is trying to solve. “It’s really about translating the genetic information within the industry so we can replicate the positive and start to remove the inefficiencies that we have,” said Sandy Russell, CEO of the […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle up on improved slaughter pace
Lean hogs down on profit-taking
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures finished higher on Wednesday on technical buying and as rising U.S. slaughter rates eased concerns about cattle supply backups. Cattle processing rates have ramped up after pandemic-related staffing shortages at some meat plants. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimated Wednesday’s cattle slaughter at 118,000 […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs hit new contract high on slim supply
CME April live cattle up slightly
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures climbed to a new contract high on Tuesday on concerns about tightening U.S. supplies, analysts said. Nearby live cattle and feeder cattle futures also strengthened. U.S. cold storage data, issued after the markets closed on Monday, was supportive for hog and cattle futures, analysts said. […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market softens on tight feed grain supply
Ontario buying interest subsides
Compared to last week, prices for yearling steers were down $2-$4 while yearling heifers were down $4 to as much as $8. Calf markets were down $3-$6 from last week. Negative feeding margins, colder temperatures and tight feed grain supplies were the three main factors setting a negative tone in the feeder market. Rail imports […] Read more