Last winter’s pilot project to push wolves back from ranches and farms in northeastern Saskatchewan will expand west this winter. Saskatchewan’s environment ministry on Wednesday announced a wolf hunt will run from Dec. 15 this year until March 31, 2016 in wildlife management zones (WMZs) 49 and 53. The wolf hunt pilot program ran from […] Read more
Sask. widens wolf harvest pilot area
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle fall again with cash prices
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures posted significant losses on Thursday for a second straight session, with nearby contracts posting new lows, in response to weaker cash prices, traders said. Spot December closed 3.4 cents lower, at 125.7 cents/lb., and made a new low of 124.6 cents. February closed 2.175 cents […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle stabilize near annual lows
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices traded $5 lower to $5 higher relative to week-ago levels. The market was quite variable across the Prairies, with eastern markets coming under more pressure comparable to southern Alberta. Feedlot operators and backgrounding farmers that were holding back on purchases earlier in the fall were stepping forward more aggressively this […] Read more
Boosting the bottom line through better pasture management
It’s about more sunlight, rain, and forage types — and never overgrazing
Reading Time: 3 minutes If farming these days is all about managing inputs, then grazing comes down to managing the land itself — the sunlight, water, minerals, and biodiversity that make pasture lands grow. “We can’t control the price of oil; we can’t control the cost of steel for making farming equipment; but we can manage and control these […] Read more
Know the rules and think of your neighbours
You don’t need a permit for temporary manure storage, but the rules don’t give you a free pass, either
Reading Time: < 1 minute Temporary storage is a regulated management option that allows a producer to store manure in the field for a short period of time without requiring permits or additional testing. “Temporary sites offer a number of advantages — operators can avoid spreading on snow and frozen ground, can compost the manure, and can minimize the impact […] Read more
Sask. livestock sector adds three hall-of-famers
It was only proper for Byrnne Rothwell, Florian Possberg and Barry Andrew to be announced in the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame’s next group of inductees during Canada’s biggest livestock show. The three inductees, all known for their contributions to the livestock sector, were announced Friday morning at Canadian Western Agribition in Regina. Ed McCall […] Read more
Soil moisture in Alberta improves after wet fall
Reading Time: < 1 minute Late-October rains caused harvest delays for many, but the three to five millimetres were near to below average. And in most areas south of Red Deer, conditions were quite dry over the first two months of fall. Most areas in the province experienced at least near-normal accumulations of precipitation during September and October, although some […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle ease on profit-taking after one-week highs
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle and feeder cattle futures fell as much as 1.8 per cent on Tuesday as investors took profits after prices hit a one-week high in the previous session, traders and analysts said. A government report on Monday showing bigger beef supplies than a year ago also weighed on futures […] Read more
Klassen: Weaker fed cattle pressure feeder market
Alan Paton stated when men are ruled by fear, they strive to prevent the very changes that will abate it. The feeder cattle market is contending with a negative round of feeding margins over the next few months, which continues to result in weaker values. Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were generally $3 to $8 […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle snap back ahead of holiday
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts ended up sharply on Monday, driven by active short-covering as some investors prepare for Thanksgiving holiday vacations, traders said. “Some of these guys are so frustrated with market volatility and uncertainty that they’re looking forward to some time off,” a trader said. Spot December finished […] Read more