Federal inspectors have formally closed the book on a 2018 outbreak of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in a British Columbia cattle herd, but with “no definitive source of infection” found. The probe dates back to October that year, when a beef cow of an unknown age, from a cow-calf operation in B.C.’s southern Interior, was culled, […] Read more
Bovine TB probe wraps with no exact point of entry found
'More stringent' tests now being run on U.S. rodeo cattle imports
Klassen: Weaker feed grains drive feeder market higher
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearlings traded $2-$4 higher. This was the first week of the fall yearling run with larger groups of quality packages and there was no shortage of buying enthusiasm. Heavier yearlings were readily trading at 52-week highs. Feed barley prices collapsed in southern Alberta as the harvest started in the […] Read more
Hog sector is grim, cattle is recovering
Cattle backlog is being cleared but hog producers are losing upwards of $50 on every pig they sell
Reading Time: 4 minutes The beef sector is regaining some optimism, but pork producers are still fighting to stay afloat. “Our producers are losing a lot of money,” said Darcy Fitzgerald, executive director of Alberta Pork. “It truly is, right now, related to COVID-19. The price that we’re seeing that they’re being paid, is related to what is going […] Read more
Taking a fresh look at your land, cattle and grazing system
Range management principles are ‘fairly simple’ but applying them depends on local conditions
Reading Time: 4 minutes You might think you know your land inside and out, but getting back to basics can improve pasture productivity. “It’s important to look at this basic stuff because it helps tune the eye,” said Ross Adams, range management specialist with Alberta Environment and Parks. “It’s easier to integrate livestock into the system if you understand […] Read more
Co-op’s pilot paves the way for identifying feeders with RFID tags
Feeders have another option to branding after pilot shows reading pages is ‘reliable and sustainable’
Reading Time: 2 minutes Feeder associations can now trace their livestock via RFID tags thanks to a pilot project conducted by the Picture Butte Feeder Co-operative. Provincial regulations were recently amended so radio frequency identification tags are now an approved method of identifying cattle in addition to branding. The change comes in the wake of a successful pilot project […] Read more
Klassen: Strong demand underpins yearlings
Compared to last week, yearlings traded steady to $4 higher on average; calves traded $2-$4 lower, although light volumes made the market hard to define. All eyes were on feeder cattle futures, which closed up nearly $4 for the week. This set the direction in Western Canada. Auction barns in Manitoba and Saskatchewan remain in […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures close higher on strong export data
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. live cattle futures closed higher on Thursday for a third straight day, buoyed by strong weekly beef export sales and signs of firming cash cattle prices, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) August live cattle futures settled up 0.275 cent at 101.725 cents per pound while most-active October rose 0.700 […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures close higher; lean hogs decline
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. live cattle futures closed higher on Wednesday for a second session on firm cash cattle prices and a softer dollar, traders said. Cash cattle traded in the Texas Panhandle and Kansas at $97 per cwt, mostly $1 higher than last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a daily note. A […] Read more
Beef breeds council now part of CCA
Reading Time: < 1 minute The market development group representing Canada’s beef cattle seedstock sector has merged into the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. The Canadian Beef Breeds Council has joined the Beef Cattle Research Council and Canfax among the divisions of the CCA. The move follows a cost-benefit review by an advisory committee. The council, formed in 1994, represents 8,000 registered […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures firm on expectations of firm cash
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. live cattle futures rose on Tuesday, supported by expectations of higher prices this week in the cash market for slaughter-ready cattle, traders said. “Cash could be steady to $1 to $2 (per cwt) better this week. Some of the show lists are smaller than last week, and that has (led […] Read more
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