Livestock
Reuters — British Columbia on Thursday warned residents to prepare for flooding when rains eventually return after a prolonged drought exacerbated by climate change that has raised concerns about long-term damage to ecosystems ranging from glaciers to salmon rivers. The usually rainy western province has experienced weeks of record-breaking warm fall temperatures and minimal precipitation […] Read more
Drought-stricken B.C. bracing for floods when rains return
Follow the money: benchmarking can tell you where to look
National cow-calf cost of production network offers insights on boosting profitability
Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – The Beef Cattle Research Council wants the third and final year of data collection to fill gaps in a national cow-calf cost of production network. The goal is to allow producers to compare metrics with farms in their region that share the same management practices. “Are you competitive and comparable with others […] Read more
It might be you, not the horse, if mounting is an issue
Discomfort from mounting more common cause of issues than a horse with ‘bad manners’
Reading Time: 3 minutes A horse’s behaviour when being mounted is rich with information regarding how it physically, mentally and emotionally feels about the experience. How is the horse coping, adapting to and/or counterbalancing the activity of the mounter? If it braces itself, hollows its neck or back, raises its head, pulls its ears back, swishes its tail or […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle mostly up with consumption forecast
Chicago lean hogs also up on day
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended mostly firmer on Wednesday as wholesale beef prices stabilized after a recent slide and as a monthly government report helped to temper concerns about waning consumption. Gains were capped by eroding beef packer margins, although cattle demand is likely to remain high this week […] Read more
Klassen: Stronger barley prices limit upside for feeder cattle complex
Feedlot operators make barley purchases, price feeder cattle accordingly
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $2 higher to as much as $5 lower. A softer tone was noted on yearlings in the eastern Prairie regions. Calf prices were steady to $4 lower on average compared to seven days earlier. Quality yearling packages fresh off grass held value but backgrounded heavier replacements […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle firm as packer margins turn negative
Lean hog futures settle lower
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures firmed on Tuesday as supplies tighten, with beef packer margins falling into the negative for the first time in years, traders said. Beef packers lost $14.35 per head on Tuesday, compared to earnings of $1.60 a day earlier and $18.40 the week before, according to […] Read more
New vet database already a hit with livestock owners
It doesn’t fix the vet shortage, but can help find species-specific veterinary care closer to home
Reading Time: 2 minutes Having trouble finding a veterinarian? Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC) recently created an online database of veterinary clinics in the province. The list is searchable in a radius of up to 200 kilometres and can be refined for specific species. “We often hear of people who have diverse livestock species like llamas, alpacas, honeybees, and […] Read more
Take the long view by preparing for next year right now
There are several things to be thinking about now, including federal cash that’s up for grabs
Reading Time: 3 minutes Prepare for more dry times, grab hold of federal climate cash and keep watch for meaningful government action on the processing side. Those are three key recommendations from a prominent educator, a producer and a farm leader on positioning the ranch for 2023. Rainfall patterns have been different in the last three to five years […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hog futures mixed; cattle futures steady-weak
Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures ended mixed on Friday as traders waited for fresh news to gauge demand levels. The most-active CME December lean hog futures contract LHZ2 dropped 0.625 cent to 77.15 cents per lb, with support noted around the contract’s 10-day moving average. Front-month October hogs LHV2 rose 0.575 cents to settle […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hog futures firm on technical buying
Cattle futures close mostly lower
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures firmed for the second day in a row on Thursday, with technical buying supporting prices following the market’s bounce from a 10-month low on Wednesday, traders said. CME December lean hog futures settled up 1.275 cents at 77.775 cents/lb. (all figures US$). Front-month October hogs […] Read more