Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures on Friday pulled back from a rally the previous session as large supplies and doubts about Chinese imports weighed on the market, analysts said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) August lean hog futures settled down 0.35 cent at 49.875 cents/lb. (all figures US$). The contract has rebounded slightly since […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hog futures weaken, cattle futures advance
Cattle values rise as corn values drop
Using hooves instead of harrows to rejuvenate pastures
Cow-calf operation that relies solely on forages uses cattle and stockpiled feed to reseed tired pastures
Reading Time: 2 minutes As forage stands age, plant species composition shifts and production declines over time. There are many different methods of rejuvenating or renovating forage stands and strategies vary in intensity, effectiveness, and cost. Breaking old stands and reseeding forages, while effective, is among the most expensive rejuvenation methods. So more producers are opting to improve their older tame […] Read more
They’re hard to diagnose but flukes are a concern
Unexplained weight loss is one sign that this parasite may be affecting your herd
Reading Time: 3 minutes I hear of the diagnosis of liver flukes here and there, a condition that can be hard to diagnose and has rather limited treatments. One of the first clinical signs is non-specific weight loss, which can be confused with many things. As well, having liver flukes predisposes cattle to a susceptibility to a clostridial disease […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Ham prices lead lean hog futures higher
Chicago live cattle book slight gain
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures rose on Thursday as firmer cash markets for hogs and some pork products supported thinking that the market may have bottomed out after declining for much of 2020, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) August lean hog futures settled up 2.275 cents at 50.225 cents/lb., crawling back […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures, boxed beef prices weaken
October lean hogs up slightly
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live and feeder cattle futures weakened with boxed beef prices on Wednesday as large supplies of heavy livestock are ready for slaughter, commodity brokers said. Cattle heading to slaughter weigh more, analysts said, because they put on pounds as animals backed up in feedlots when meat plants closed in April […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Large supplies push cattle, hogs mostly lower
Over 17,000 cases of COVID in packing plant workers, U.S. CDC reports
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle and hog futures ended mostly lower on Tuesday under pressure from large supplies, analysts said. Live cattle futures retreated a day after nearing a two-month high, while feeder cattle pulled back after reaching their highest price in month than a month on Monday. “We’ve gotten a bit overbought on […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market searching for direction
Feedlots expecting barley prices to drop
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices continue to trade in a sideways pattern. Compared to last week, prices were quoted $2-$3 on either side of unchanged. Most auction barns were on holidays last week and arenas that did hold sales experienced limited volumes. Therefore, the market was hard to define. U.S. feeder cattle markets were steady […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle jump to two-month high
Lean hogs up on bargain buying
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures on Monday reached a two-month high on follow-through buying from last week, while lean hog futures edged up on bargain buying, traders said. Cattle futures are extending a recovery after recently regaining a premium over cash prices, traders said. Technical buying helped support the futures market even […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures rise as corn prices ease
Hog futures up slightly on improved exports
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures rose on Thursday with feeder cattle leading the pack, as corn prices eased on profit taking ahead of the long holiday weekend, analysts said. Thursday’s feeder cattle rally was due in part to a slump in corn futures, traders said. Earlier this week, the most-active contract surged amid […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures rise on new-month buying
Hogs mostly down on concerns over supplies, demand
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed higher on Wednesday on what appeared to be technical and speculative buying at the start of a new month and quarter, analysts said. Yet the benchmark August live cattle contract on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange remained rangebound, with rallies capped by weak beef prices as slaughterhouses […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
