Livestock
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures firmed on Monday, with fund buying sparking the gains due to expected strength in the cash markets, traders said. “The trade continues to feel that the cash market has bottomed,” said Don Roose of U.S. Commodities. “It continues to feel that the cash market will trade from […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures extend winning streak
Big supplies hinder hog market
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures close higher on strong export data
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. live cattle futures closed higher on Thursday for a third straight day, buoyed by strong weekly beef export sales and signs of firming cash cattle prices, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) August live cattle futures settled up 0.275 cent at 101.725 cents per pound while most-active October rose 0.700 […] Read more
Keep an eye out for blue-green algae in dugouts
The cyanobacteria is highly toxic and it’s better to be cautious, says water engineer
Reading Time: 2 minutes When temperatures rise, you need to be on the watch for toxic bacteria in dugouts. “Blue-green algae is actually cyanobacteria, and can produce toxins that can be very dangerous,” said Shawn Elgert, agricultural water engineer with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “It can cause organ damage or even death if ingested by livestock or pets.” “If […] Read more
Pandemic poultry: Interest in backyard chickens is soaring
Alberta Farm Animal Care’s virtual backyard chicken courses attracting a flock of attendees
Reading Time: 3 minutes Like yoga pants, Netflix, sourdough bread and puppies, backyard chickens have seen a surge in demand during the pandemic. Alberta Farm Animal Care has been putting on workshops for several years to ensure new chicken owners put their birds’ welfare at the top of their list. It had more planned for this year. “And then […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures close higher; lean hogs decline
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. live cattle futures closed higher on Wednesday for a second session on firm cash cattle prices and a softer dollar, traders said. Cash cattle traded in the Texas Panhandle and Kansas at $97 per cwt, mostly $1 higher than last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a daily note. A […] Read more
Alberta loosens animal slaughter rules after pandemic hit packers
Reuters – Canada’s main cattle-producing province, Alberta, said on Wednesday it would allow the slaughter of animals on farms for meat sales to consumers, loosening regulations after the coronavirus pandemic interrupted production at its biggest packing plants. Alberta previously restricted the consumption of meat from animals slaughtered outside of government-inspected plants to farmers and their […] Read more
Beef breeds council now part of CCA
Reading Time: < 1 minute The market development group representing Canada’s beef cattle seedstock sector has merged into the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. The Canadian Beef Breeds Council has joined the Beef Cattle Research Council and Canfax among the divisions of the CCA. The move follows a cost-benefit review by an advisory committee. The council, formed in 1994, represents 8,000 registered […] Read more
Argentina nears China hog deal it hopes could turbocharge local pork production
Buenos Aires | Beijing | Reuters – Argentina is nearing an initial agreement with China that could pave for the way for potential investments by the Asian giant in local pork production for export, Argentina’s undersecretary of trade and investment promotion told Reuters. That could eventually lead to Chinese-backed hog farms in the South American […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures firm on expectations of firm cash
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. live cattle futures rose on Tuesday, supported by expectations of higher prices this week in the cash market for slaughter-ready cattle, traders said. “Cash could be steady to $1 to $2 (per cwt) better this week. Some of the show lists are smaller than last week, and that has (led […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market drawing attention
Compared to last week, Western Canadian yearling prices were $2 to $4 higher while calf markets traded $2 to $4 on either side of unchanged. U.S. prices were also up $2 to $4 which lent support to Canadian domestic values. Volumes remain thin across the prairies; many producers are busy with silage operations and pasture […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
