Reading Time: 3 minutes Just having a less stressful life would have been worth it for Karyn Neilson, but acclimating heifers to handling facilities may also result in more calves. “The minimal time invested into acclimating is well worth the results,” said the Stettler-area producer. It all started when Neilson and husband Lance contacted Olds College inquiring how they […] Read more
Been there, done that: Acclimating heifers to chutes pays dividends
Practice runs through facilities lowers the fear factor and can even reduce open rates, study finds
Klassen: Surge in feed grain prices shocks feeder cattle market
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $3-$5 lower on average. Feeder cattle weighing 650 to 800 lbs. were relatively unchanged to $3 lower. Calves under 650 lbs. were steady to $4-$6 lower in Alberta, unchanged in Saskatchewan and $3-$5 higher in Manitoba. Fleshier yearlings and calves were heavily discounted last week with […] Read more
JBS to help fund home purchases for Brooks staff
Company offering zero-interest loans for down payments
One of the biggest beef packers operating in Canada is pledging $1.7 million for a one-year pilot program to help employees buy or upgrade homes. JBS Foods Canada, which operates Brazilian meat packer JBS’s plant at Brooks, Alta., on Tuesday announced the launch of what it calls the “Homebuyer Dream Fund,” providing zero-interest loans to […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market shows resilience
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $2-$3 on either side of unchanged. Calves in the range of 600-800 lbs. traded steady to $4 higher. Calves under 600 lbs. were $1-$2 higher in Alberta and Saskatchewan but traded $2-$3 lower in Manitoba. Alberta feedlot operators appeared to shrug off the geopolitical events last […] Read more
Klassen: Weather factors influence calf prices
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $4 lower to as much as $5 higher. Mid-weight feeder cattle traded relatively unchanged with strong demand noted on steers. Steer calves were firm, trading $2-$5 higher while heifer calves traded $4-$5 on either side of unchanged. The market was hard to define for calves and […] Read more
Klassen: Demand increases for lighter-weight feeder cattle
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were unchanged to $4 higher. Mid-weight feeders from 660 to 750 pounds traded $2 to as much as $6 higher on average. Feeder cattle in the 550- to 650-lb. range traded $4 to as much as $10 higher. Feeder cattle under 550 lbs. were up $10-$20 depending […] Read more
Good calving data can deliver dollars, but first you need to record it
Collecting more info during calving can reveal issues you didn’t know you had, says vet
Reading Time: 4 minutes There is a lot of information that can be collected during calving season. But what data is worth spending time recording? And why should we be collecting data to begin with? A bare-bones record — such as how many cows and how many calves they had — doesn’t get you very far if you’re looking […] Read more
Klassen: Diverse price behaviour seen in feeder market
Last week’s price action in western Canadian feeder markets was quite variable. Yearling prices were steady to $4 lower on average across the Prairies. Mid-weight cattle were down $3-$4 in Alberta and $2-$4 higher in Manitoba. Calf prices were also mixed. In eastern Saskatchewan and Manitoba, calves traded $2 to as much as $8 above […] Read more
JBS reaches ‘icebreaker’ settlement of beef price-fixing claims
Reuters — JBS has agreed to pay US$52.5 million to settle litigation accusing meatpacking companies of conspiring to limit supply in the $63 billion-a-year U.S. beef market in order to inflate prices and boost profit. The preliminary settlement by the Brazilian company and its U.S. units with so-called direct purchasers was disclosed on Tuesday, and […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market establishes short-term stability
Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle traded $2-$4 on either side of unchanged. Steady demand was noted on 800-plus-pound cattle, but calves and lighter weights experienced softer buying interest. Favourable weather and optimal pen conditions along with firmer live cattle futures supported the yearling market. Imports of U.S. corn continue to run 10-14 […] Read more
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