Reuters — Merck & Co. is taking steps to resume sales of its controversial cattle feed additive Zilmax by changing the way the drug is administered, hoping to recapture some market share in the beef industry, where the U.S. herd has the fewest animals in more than 60 years. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration […] Read more
Merck takes steps to return Zilmax to cattle market
Klassen — feeder cattle market reflects mixed tone
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices reflected a mixed tone over the past week with values $3 to $5 higher on vaccinated preconditioned calves; unvaccinated calves just off their mothers were $3/cwt to as much as $10/cwt lower in some cases. Yearling prices were also quite variable by as much as $10/cwt despite the tightening supply […] Read more
Cow-calf producers needed for benchmark survey
Reading Time: < 1 minute More than 1,500 western Canadian cow-calf producers are needed for a management survey that will help guide provincial extension and research activities for the beef cattle industry. “What we’re hoping to do is get farmers to fill out the survey and tell us what they did last year,” said Barry Yaremcio, beef and forage specialist […] Read more
Watch for mineral deficiencies in cattle diets when grazing stubble
Cow-calf pairs turned into stubble fields have different mineral supplementation requirements compared to when they were on pasture
Reading Time: 3 minutes Letting cows graze on stubble is a good way to utilize forage resources, but producers need to pay attention to potential mineral deficiencies, says provincial beef and forage specialist Barry Yaremcio. “They will pick and choose what they eat from the straw, chaff, weed seeds in the stubble, slough hay from the low areas and […] Read more
Thinking of expanding your cattle herd? Here’s a to-do checklist
Successful expansions depend on assessing risk, knowing how per-unit costs will change, and having a marketing plan
Reading Time: 3 minutes When it comes to deciding on expanding a cattle herd, or taking over an existing one, there are a few critical checkpoints to be considered. “In recent months there has been a lot of talk about the potential for beef herd expansion due to the historically high beef and cattle prices the industry is experiencing,” […] Read more
New season of Cow-Calfenomics
Total of six seminars start Nov. 25 in Medicine Hat, conclude in Vermilion
Reading Time: < 1 minute Cow-Calfenomics is back and this year’s seminar theme is Seizing Opportunities in the Alberta Cow-Calf Sector. Topics include opportunities and threats in herd expansion; linking pasture systems to optimize performances and profitability; cost of bred heifers; managing prosperity; human resources strategies; and innovative business models. The first round of seminars will be held in November […] Read more
High-priced calves drop U.S. July cattle placements by 7 pct
Reuters — The number of cattle placed in U.S. feedlots in July dropped 7.0 per cent from a year ago as pricey calves deterred some feedlots from purchasing them for fattening, a government report showed on Friday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture report showed July placements at 1.560 million head, down 7.0 per cent from […] Read more
LIVESTOCK: CME live cattle futures climb before USDA report
Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Friday, supported by positioning before the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly Cattle-On-Feed report at 2 p.m. CDT (1900) GMT. Analysts expect the report to show fewer cattle entered feedlots in July as expensive calves discouraged some feedyards from buying them. On Friday, USDA will […] Read more
LIVESTOCK: CME live cattle fall, pressured by equities tumble
Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts closed sharply lower on Thursday, pulled down by the stock market’s sheer drop caused by European deflation and Argentina default worries. Wall Street investors dumped long positions across a broad range of commodities, including CME livestock futures, an analyst said. Global economic jitters could undermine consumer confidence, which could […] Read more
Cargill, citing shrinking cattle herd, to shut Wisconsin beef plant
Reuters — Cargill Inc, one of the nation’s largest beef processors, said on Wednesday it plans to close its Milwaukee, Wisconsin, beef-processing plant on Friday, because the size of the U.S. herd has fallen to its smallest in 63 years. The ground beef production side of the plant, which employs about 200 people, will remain […] Read more
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