Livestock
Reading Time: 3 minutes There are calls for more separation between domestic and wild sheep following the death of several Bighorn rams in Bluerock Wildland Provincial Park and Sheep River Provincial Park. The animals were infected with Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (Movi), a disease common in the airways of domestic sheep and goats. The disease is bacterial and there is no vaccine for […] Read more
Bighorn deaths attributed to sheep contacts
Wild Sheep Foundation calls for domestic flocks to be tested and kept separate from wild population
U.S. livestock: CME cattle slide on profit-taking
April lean hogs set contract low
Chicago | Reuters — Profit-taking pushed down Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures on Tuesday, while front-month lean hog futures tumbled to another contract low. Losses on Wall Street helped set a negative tone for the markets, as live cattle futures pulled back from contract highs reached on Monday, traders said. “Cattle-wise, we got a bit […] Read more
Poultry producers brace for return of avian influenza
It’s hoped that monitoring wild birds and good biosecurity can help prevent another season of the disease
Reading Time: 3 minutes Spring may be a time of renewal and anticipation of a new crop, but for many poultry producers, this year it’s a time of uncertainty about a return of avian influenza. “We prepare every year for bird flu, but knowing what we went through last year, I think everyone is a lot more nervous,” said […] Read more
McDonald’s reported laying off hundreds of corporate employees
Layoffs don't include restaurant-level workers
New York | Reuters — The number of corporate employees McDonald’s Corp. plans to lay off this week will tally in the “hundreds,” a source familiar with the burger chain’s thinking said on Monday, as the company moves forward with a previously announced restructuring. The fast-food company is closing its offices “out of respect,” and […] Read more
Klassen: Alberta fed cattle lead feeder market higher
Traders expecting more barley acres this year
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $3-$5 higher while calf prices advanced $1-$3 on average. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis of $360/cwt last week, up $3-$10 from a week earlier. Using a 60 per cent grading, live prices would be equivalent to $216. Feeding margins have improved […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle down off highs on profit-taking
Hogs continue mixed on U.S. farrowing intentions
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures slumped on Monday as profit-taking dragged prices down after the market set new contract highs, traders said. CME June live cattle ended down 0.9 cent at 161.225 cents/lb., after reaching a high of 162.525 cents/lb. (all figures US$). That exceeded Friday’s high of 162.175 cents/lb. […] Read more
Continuous tie-stall housing to be phased out in new dairy code of practice
Producer, animal welfare groups praise new code; some drawbacks were noted
New guidelines for dairy cattle care will improve animal welfare while also potentially increasing farm productivity, Dairy Farmers of Canada says. “I think that we’ve come to a very solid revised code,” David Wiens, DFC’s vice-president, said in an interview. The National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) on Thursday released its revised Code of Practice […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME hogs up in deferred months
USDA report fuels supply uncertainty; cattle up on cash strength
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures rose in deferred contracts on Friday on U.S. producers’ plans for fewer sows to farrow, analysts said. Producers intend to have 2.93 million sows farrow, or give birth, from March to May, down one per cent from actual farrowings a year earlier, the U.S. Department […] Read more
Beef sector rips ‘unjust’ result as talks wrap on U.K. entry to CPTPP
Dairy sector calls for 'vigilant' enforcement on British imports
Negotiations have concluded for the United Kingdom to join Canada and its 10 partner nations in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade pact, with Canada’s beef cattle sector already calling the results “fundamentally unjust.” Federal Trade Minster Mary Ng on Thursday announced the conclusion of negotiations, making the U.K. the first accession applicant to reach that […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle set contract high as cash prices jump
USDA sees hog farrowing intentions down on year
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures strengthened on Thursday, with the front-month contract setting a new high, as cash prices climbed. Cash cattle trades of around $170-$171/cwt in western Nebraska and around $172/cwt in northwest Iowa ignited the rally in futures, analysts said (all figures US$). Cash prices were up about […] Read more
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