“It was really invaluable that immediately after it was updated, I’d have all that information at my fingertips.” – Tyler Fulton.

Having cattle data at your fingertips makes for better decisions, says producer

Tyler Fulton says a tool for inputing and accessing data on his smartphone has proven its worth

Reading Time: 2 minutes Ever tweeted out a histogram? Tyler Fulton has — and for the very practical reason that it showed at a glance the weight gain of his latest calf crop from birth to weaning. “When we were marketing some steers in the fall, I actually got on Twitter and shared this information,” said the cow-calf producer […] Read more

CME April 2021 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle down on profit taking

Cash markets support CME lean hogs

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures dropped on a profit-taking setback on Wednesday, a day after rallying to their highest in nearly a year, but worries about a cold snap across production regions of the Plains kept declines in check. Hog futures rebounded after closing mixed on Tuesday as strong cash markets led […] Read more


CME April 2021 lean hogs with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs end mixed after five-session rally

Feeder cattle up on corn supply projection

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures ended mixed on Tuesday following five straight sessions of contract highs that triggered technical and speculative selling and profit taking in some futures months. The market, however, remained underpinned by strong cash hog prices, robust export demand and profitable pork packer margins, as well as Tuesday’s downturn […] Read more

This image accompanied the latest cost-of-production study from Alberta Pork. In fact, losses have averaged about $6 per head for the last five years, says the general manager of Western Hog Exchange.

Pork producers eye an average year — which would mean more losses

Barns are already being shut down, and this exodus will accelerate, says industry veteran

Reading Time: 3 minutes The past year hammered the already struggling hog industry — but is there hope on the horizon for 2021? “I don’t want to be doom and gloom, but I have to say no,” said Brent Bushell, general manager of Western Hog Exchange. “In Western Canada, on average, producers haven’t made money since about 2015. Guys […] Read more


(Scott Bauer photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Avian flu insurance plan backed for Ontario turkeys

New plan to be mandatory for turkey farmers

Ontario’s turkey producer organization will get federal support to help set up a new mandatory insurance plan to cover costs incurred in any future outbreaks of avian influenza. Southern Ontario MPs Neil Ellis and Tim Louis on Monday announced up to $559,285 in federal funding through the AgriRisk Initiatives: Administrative Capacity Building stream for Turkey […] Read more




It has been a long, tough haul since the pandemic nearly cratered the cattle sector and feeders are only now getting close to break-even, says feeder association chair Greg Schmidt. But if not for the set-aside program, the financial pain would have been much greater, he said.

Disaster averted: Cattle set-aside does its job

'It could have been worse, a lot worse,’ says feeder association chair

Reading Time: 4 minutes It was a response to a crisis that threatened to overwhelm Alberta’s cattle sector — but seven months later the cattle set-aside program has come to an end. And it’s clear it’s been a success, says the chair of the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association. “I think the program did its job,” said Greg Schmidt, an […] Read more


CME April 2021 lean hogs with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hogs touch contract high for fourth straight day

Live cattle up, feeder cattle retreat

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures extended their rally on Friday, setting a contract high for the fourth consecutive day on strong demand, while live cattle futures topped a one-year high. Traders predicted Chinese buyers will continue to snap up U.S. pork after the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday reported export sales […] Read more