Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures rose for the seventh time in eight sessions on Thursday, hitting a four-month high on concerns about tight supplies, traders said. “There are a lot of empty barns out here,” Don Roose, president of U.S. Commodities in West Des Moines, Iowa said. Live cattle futures were mixed, with […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs rise to four-month high on supply woes
February live cattle down, April up
Boosting profits: Running the numbers while running the herd
Tracking data on your ranch makes for better decisions and more money in your jeans
Reading Time: 3 minutes Measuring and tracking your cattle can make a big difference — an extra 60 pounds per weaned calf. “The way you manage your herd all plays into what you have for pounds to market at the end of your calf crop when you’re weaning off your calves,” economist Kathy Larson said during a recent Beef […] Read more
Having cattle data at your fingertips makes for better decisions, says producer
Tyler Fulton says a tool for inputing and accessing data on his smartphone has proven its worth
Reading Time: 2 minutes Ever tweeted out a histogram? Tyler Fulton has — and for the very practical reason that it showed at a glance the weight gain of his latest calf crop from birth to weaning. “When we were marketing some steers in the fall, I actually got on Twitter and shared this information,” said the cow-calf producer […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle down on profit taking
Cash markets support CME lean hogs
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures dropped on a profit-taking setback on Wednesday, a day after rallying to their highest in nearly a year, but worries about a cold snap across production regions of the Plains kept declines in check. Hog futures rebounded after closing mixed on Tuesday as strong cash markets led […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs end mixed after five-session rally
Feeder cattle up on corn supply projection
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures ended mixed on Tuesday following five straight sessions of contract highs that triggered technical and speculative selling and profit taking in some futures months. The market, however, remained underpinned by strong cash hog prices, robust export demand and profitable pork packer margins, as well as Tuesday’s downturn […] Read more
Klassen: Lower U.S. calf crop spurs buying interest
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded steady to $2 higher; calves in the range of 550-800 lbs. were up $2-$4; and calves under 550 lbs. surged $4-$8 on average. Certain auction barns reported that grassers traded $8-$12 above week-ago levels. Colder temperatures caused some sellers to delay sales; however, there was no […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs rise on China disease worries
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures rallied to new contract highs on Monday on rising concerns about the spread of a deadly pig disease in China, the world’s largest hog and pork market, and as wintry weather in the U.S. Midwest threatened to disrupt hog movement. The gains followed a surge in hog […] Read more
Disaster averted: Cattle set-aside does its job
'It could have been worse, a lot worse,’ says feeder association chair
Reading Time: 4 minutes It was a response to a crisis that threatened to overwhelm Alberta’s cattle sector — but seven months later the cattle set-aside program has come to an end. And it’s clear it’s been a success, says the chair of the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association. “I think the program did its job,” said Greg Schmidt, an […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME hogs touch contract high for fourth straight day
Live cattle up, feeder cattle retreat
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures extended their rally on Friday, setting a contract high for the fourth consecutive day on strong demand, while live cattle futures topped a one-year high. Traders predicted Chinese buyers will continue to snap up U.S. pork after the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday reported export sales […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME hogs touch contract high for third day
Cattle futures up with beef exports
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures climbed on Thursday, setting a contract high for the third consecutive day on firm Chinese demand, traders said. Weekly U.S. pork export sales to China, the world’s top pork consumer, reached a three-month high of 17,873 tonnes in the week ended Jan. 28, according to the U.S. […] Read more
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