Livestock
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef has a quartet of new videos on its YouTube channel, including one in which producers talk about their definition of sustainability. The roundtable also has new videos on the certification process and the principles of beef sustainability, both in terms of efficiency and in food production. The videos can […] Read more
New sustainable beef videos
Conflicting studies point to meat moderation as healthy diet
London | Reuters — A new study on meat consumption has found that people who eat red and processed meat have higher risks of heart disease and early death — contradicting recent research that suggested cutting out meat has few health benefits. The multiple findings can make it “difficult for people to make sense of […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Lean hogs end firm in rebound after contract lows
Live cattle up on bargain buying
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures closed mostly higher on Monday, with the benchmark April contract rebounding from a life-of-contract low on slightly firmer cash markets, traders said. Rallies were capped by continued uncertainty about the impact of the coronavirus on demand for commodities in China, the world’s top pork consumer. Fears of economic […] Read more
Aherne Prize winners announced
Reading Time: < 1 minute A low-stress restraint for pigs and a device to reduce pre-wean mortality were the co-winners of this year’s F. X. Aherne Prize for Innovative Pork Production presented earlier this month at the Banff Pork Seminar. The Hammock Swine Restraint Device was developed by Tess Faulkner and Gillian Greaves of South West Ontario Veterinary Services. It […] Read more
Program gives dairy industry hopefuls a foot in the door
Alberta Milk is accepting applications for the New Entrant Assistance Program until March 31
Reading Time: 3 minutes Peggy and Harmen Hondebrink didn’t see a way to start dairy farming on their own before Alberta Milk introduced its New Entrant program nine years ago. “It’s not something you can just start out of nothing,” said Peggy Hondebrink, who now operates a dairy farm with husband Harmen east of Rocky Mountain House. “To buy […] Read more
Cows can handle the cold — but extreme cold is a different story
Once it gets below -20 C, extra measures are needed to ensure animals aren’t dropping pounds
Reading Time: 2 minutes Regular feed only goes so far in keeping cattle warm when it’s bone-chilling cold. “Cattle can stay warm down to -20 C without wind chill, and the heat from digestion when they consume their feed will keep them warm,” said beef and forage specialist Barry Yaremcio. Feed requirements change when it gets that cold. “You […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs sink for third day as coronavirus spreads
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures sank to contract lows on Friday, their third straight day of declines in the fifth in the last six sessions, on worries about the coronavirus wreaking havoc on demand from China, traders said. On a continuous basis, the front-month hog futures contract hit its lowest since March 6, […] Read more
Grace period for livestock transport regulations
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association says producers can contact it if they have questions about the federal livestock transport regulations. The new rules come into effect on Feb. 20, but the CFIA has granted a two-year transition period on the feed, water, and rest interval provisions for the livestock sector. In a statement, the food inspection […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs limit down to contract lows
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures sank by their daily trading limit to contract lows on Thursday under pressure from hefty supplies and fears about the spreading coronavirus outbreak. Cattle futures also hit multi-month lows. U.S. hog supplies are large after farmers expanded their herds to supply new processing plants. But traders are now […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs, cattle sink to multi-month lows
Ample supplies drag on cattle futures
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog and cattle futures dropped to fresh multi-month lows on Wednesday. Ample supplies and weakening cash markets weighed on the cattle contracts while concerns about demand from China pressured hog futures. The pressure on cattle comes at a time of year when the market tends to find support due to […] Read more
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