Livestock
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures were mostly higher on Tuesday on lofty pork prices, tightening hog supplies and hopes for improved meat demand as economies begin to fully re-open after coronavirus pandemic shutdowns. Hog supplies have tightened following liquidation of the U.S. sow herd last year and some disease-related U.S. […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Lean hogs up on tightening hog supplies, strong pork demand
CME live cattle futures mixed
Little things can help improve flow of cattle
There are some easy fixes that make a difference, says long-time vet
Reading Time: 4 minutes There’s no ‘silver bullet’ system that will have cattle flowing perfectly, eliminate welfare issues, and guarantee a positive experience for the handler. But there are some easy ways to make them better, says Dr. Roy Lewis, who has seen, and worked in, a lot of systems. Here’s his list of tips. Give ’em space “The […] Read more
Is your setup safe? If so, you’re doing all of these things
Reading Time: 2 minutes We often think how we can work our cows to avoid stress and injury to them. But spare a thought for the handlers — whether yourself, employees or your vet. “Some people will definitely put you in harm’s way, and not even know it,” said Dr. Roy Lewis, who was a large-animal vet for more […] Read more
Klassen: Uncertain feed grain market weighs on feeder cattle
Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle prices were quite variable. Certain reports had yearling markets trading $3 on either side of unchanged while in southern Alberta, prices were down $2-$4 on average. Calves weighing 600 to 750 lbs. were $4 lower to $4 higher and feeders under 600 lbs. were steady to $3 […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures rise, hog futures weaken
Demand expected to rise on re-openings
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures rose on Monday supported by expectations of souped-up demand as economies begin to fully re-open after shutdowns related to COVID-19. “Cattle futures continue to price in better days ahead and the technical picture looks improved as well,” brokerage StoneX said in a statement. The most-active June […] Read more
Live cattle imports up nationally, dip slightly here
Reading Time: 2 minutes More cattle headed north last year, says a provincial livestock analyst. “Live cattle imports from the U.S. to Canada were up in 2020 which is the fourth year-over-year increase in a row,” said Jason Wood. “The numbers for the January to December 2020 period show just over 272,000 non-purebred cattle were imported to Canada. This […] Read more
Cows love it but growing corn for silage or grazing can be tricky
Getting the crop off to a good start through seed selection and good seed placement is critical
Reading Time: 4 minutes Corn can be an attractive option for feeding cattle, but there are a lot of specifics to consider when you choose to grow it. “Corn just tastes good and cows love it. It’s more palatable than barley, and it has a better dry matter intake,” Greg Paranych, agriculture field specialist with the Grey Wooded Forage […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME cattle end firm, hogs ease on profit-taking
Feeder cattle futures touch two-week top
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) live cattle futures edged higher on Friday on technical buying and as feeder cattle futures hit a two-week top on optimism about softening feed prices, analysts said. CME April live cattle settled up 0.475 cent at 119 cents/lb., holding above chart support at its 100-day moving average […] Read more
Canada clears step toward ‘negligible risk’ BSE status
OIE delegates to vote in late May, CFIA says
The international committee that reviews countries’ requests for animal health status on specific diseases has called for Canada to level up on its status for BSE. The Scientific Commission of the OIE (World Organization for Animal Health), which last met virtually over Feb. 1-12, has recommended to OIE delegates that Canada’s application seeking “negligible risk” […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME hogs hit contract highs, led by strong cash markets
Live cattle futures close mixed
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures surged three per cent on Thursday, setting life-of-contract highs on firming cash hog markets and rising wholesale pork prices, traders said. CME April lean hog futures settled up 2.725 cents at 91.5 cents/lb. after recording a contract high at 91.7 cents (all figures US$). […] Read more
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