Reading Time: 2 minutes If you want to be a successful rancher, your focus shouldn’t be on your production practices. “Out of all the things we do on the ranch, production practices are one of the most interesting, sexy things that people want to hear about — but it’s not the most important thing that we do,” said Amber […] Read more
Production is ‘sexy,’ but finance should be the focus
U.S. livestock: Fund selling drops CME live cattle limit down
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed sharply lower on Monday, with nearby contracts down by their three-cent-pr-pound daily price limit, shaken by sell stops and fund liquidation, traders said. April and June live cattle ended down by the three-cent limit at 128.475 and 119.175 cents/lb., respectively (all figures US$). Live […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market garners support
Western Canadian feeder cattle markets were relatively stable over the past week while prices in the major feeding regions were $2 to $5 higher. Alberta fed cattle prices were $2 higher, trading in the range of $170 to $172, which bolstered buying enthusiasm in the heavier weight categories. Feedlot operators in the Lethbridge area were […] Read more
Oklahoma senators seek tougher cattle rustling penalties
Oklahoma City | Reuters — Oklahoma lawmakers sent a measure to the governor on Tuesday to increase penalties for cattle rustling, in an attempt to curtail a crime associated with the Wild West that has seen a resurgence from ranch hands stealing livestock to feed their drug habits. The bill approved by the Oklahoma Senate […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle markets remain sluggish
Compared to last week, Canadian feeder cattle prices were steady to $5 lower across the Prairies while lighter-weight categories suffered a week-over-week decline of $4 to $6. Feedlots were a bit more aggressive on yearlings as quality backgrounded cattle are starting to dwindle at this time of year. A larger group of larger-frame lower-flesh Simmental […] Read more
Scotland moves against wealthy gentry dominating land
Rio de Janeiro | Thomson Reuters Foundation — Centuries-old traditions that led to 430 people owning half of Scotland’s privately held land are soon to become history, as local communities seek to double their ownership in the nation known for its rugged landscape, sheep and fine whisky. While inequality of land ownership is more often […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle rise on discounts to cash prices
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts gained modestly on Thursday, with help from short-covering stirred by future’s discounts to cash prices, traders said. April live cattle ended up 0.35 cent/lb. at 132.425 cents, and June closed 0.375 cent higher at 122.225 cents (all figures US$). So far this week, packers in […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle end higher, but off session tops
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts on Wednesday reversed some of Tuesday’s heavy losses, helped by short-covering and bargain hunting, traders said. April live cattle ended 1.4 cents/lb. higher at 132.075 cents, and June closed 1.1 cents higher at 121.85 (all figures US$). Futures’ price discount to early-week prices for market-ready, […] Read more
Suspected cattle-attacking gator killed in Florida
Orlando | Reuters –– A 780-lb. “monster” alligator slain in a Florida hunt and hauled out of the water with a farm tractor falls short of the state record for length, a wildlife official said on Wednesday. “A big alligator nonetheless, but they are not going to have an official measurement because it’s not going […] Read more
Grazing grasslands is good for the environment, study finds
A research team conducted a study on 114 sites throughout Alberta and found that long-term grazing can have a positive impact on grasslands
Reading Time: 2 minutes Cattle are often demonized as environmental polluters, but grazing them can have a positive impact on grasslands. “Grasslands store a lot of carbon and we should be proactively thinking about the value of that carbon, not to mention all the environmental goods and services they provide,” said Edward Bork, professor of rangeland ecology at the […] Read more