Compared to last week, Western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $2 to $4 on either side of unchanged; however, calves under 650 pounds were steady to as much as $5 higher. Bids from Alberta packers were sharply higher with fed cattle trading in the range of $160 to $162 on Friday, up $5 to $6 […] Read more
Klassen: Improving margins support lightweight feeder cattle
Comment: A world without Canadian beef would not be good for the planet
The ‘beef is bad’ narrative ignores environmental gains by the sector and its critical role in preserving grasslands
Reading Time: 3 minutes In a world that is quick to malign businesses impacting climate change, the beef industry has been tagged as a major contributor. The notion that ‘beef is bad’ has infiltrated popular opinions of the commodity, making it difficult for alternate perspectives to break through the fog of negative rhetoric. So here I clearly state: Beef […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hog futures slip ahead of USDA report
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. hog futures eased back on Monday, ahead of a quarterly government report that is expected to show a healthy boost to the size of the U.S. hog herd, traders said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s quarterly Hogs and Pigs report is expected to show the herd increased 2.9 percent in […] Read more
A guide to selecting the perfect heifer bull
Here are some tips for finding the right heifer bull for your operation, herd, and budget
Reading Time: 6 minutes Whether home raised or purchased, open replacement heifer candidates are one of your biggest investments on the ranch. Heifers experiencing dystocia or a difficult calving are less likely to mother up and breed back and more likely to wean lighter calves. Assisted calves are more likely to become sick or die before weaning. Proper heifer […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market volatility continues
Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded steady to $5 higher on average. For the second week in a row, the markets were quite variable across the Prairies but shorter-keep yearlings appeared to lead the charge higher. In Alberta, quality 900-lb. steers were once again touching the $190 level and 800-lb.-plus steers […] Read more
Alberta Beef Producers revamps, elects first female chair
Kelly Smith-Fraser will lead the implementation of major changes for the 50-year-old cattle group
Reading Time: 4 minutes Alberta Beef Producers is entering a new decade with a brand new look. Along with a major overhaul of its structure — shrinking its board, roster of delegates and number of meetings — the organization is being led by a woman for the first time in its 50-year history. New chair Kelly Smith-Fraser paid tribute […] Read more
Cattle producers get longer phase-in on new transport regs
New federal livestock transport regulations, due to come into force in February, will now roll out on a longer timeline for the beef and dairy cattle sectors. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has announced a “two-year transition period” for bovines, which is meant to provide “time to gather more data on effective solutions concerning the […] Read more
The benefits of vaccinating calves for BRD
Reading Time: 2 minutes Bovine respiratory disease is one of the costliest health issues facing the beef industry today. While BRD research has focused on the feedlot stage, the disease is also the most common cause of death for nursing calves older than three weeks. USDA research that tracked the annual incidence of BRD in pre-weaned calves over a 20-year period […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market under weight of imports
Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $5 lower to $2 higher. It’s that time of year when most feedlots are carrying sufficient numbers and buyers are hesitant to increase ownership unless they can see profitability. Auction market volumes contained weaned and unweaned calves over the past week; premiums returned for feeders […] Read more
Alberta Beef Producers in line for major overhaul
Reducing delegate numbers, board size and meetings are part of proposal to engage producers
Reading Time: 4 minutes A year after the disappointing defeat of a bid to increase its checkoff, Alberta Beef Producers’ board wants to put the organization on a diet. The farm group is asking its members to endorse a plan that would cut the board by a quarter, the number of delegates by a third, and the number of […] Read more