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U.S. livestock: Cattle futures gain on technical buying; hogs lower

Chicago | Reuters – U.S. cattle futures were narrowly higher on Thursday, buoyed by spreading and technical buying despite a downturn in wholesale beef prices, traders and analysts said. Live cattle futures climbed for the third straight session on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as the market continued to claw back from steep losses on Monday. […] Read more



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U.S. livestock: Hog futures rebound from 2-week low on short-covering

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures were mostly higher on Wednesday, rebounding from an early two-week low on support from calendar spreading and short-covering, traders and analysts said. But excessive hog supplies and increased pork production made the market vulnerable to further declines, with weaker prices for wholesale pork signaling a […] Read more



Veterinary drug use is going to be subject to new regulations on December 1.

Get the lowdown on new livestock drug rules

Reading Time: < 1 minute As of Dec. 1, you will need a prescription to purchase virtually any antibiotic on your farm. How will that affect your operation? A Beef Cattle Research Council webinar on Nov. 14 will explain what the regulations mean when it comes to working with your veterinarian and purchasing medicated feed. If you listen to the […] Read more

(Gloria Solano-Aguilar photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures tumble on ample supplies, weak cash market

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago lean hog futures fell as much as 5 percent on Tuesday, under pressure from abundant supplies and weaker prices in the Midwestern cash hog market, traders and analysts said. Front-month December hog futures eased by the most since July, settling down the 3.000-cent daily price limit at 54.100 cents per […] Read more



(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures tumble on demand worries, spreading

Chicago | Reuters – Live cattle futures fell to a roughly 1-1/2-month low on Monday, sagging on worries of reduced demand for beef and cattle in cash markets, traders said. Calendar spreading across Chicago Mercantile Exchange livestock futures also contributed to declines. Traders were exiting front-month positions and rolling into deferred months, resulting in bear-spreading […] Read more



An example of making the most of a pass through the squeeze chute

Beef 911: Don’t take a ‘we can do it later’ attitude and miss the opportunity to get more done in one pass

Reading Time: 4 minutes Some preplanning by the cattle producer in consultation with the herd veterinarian ahead of a major processing will accomplish many things, including herd improvement. This article will describe a specific example of this. Certain points may fit into the management of your operation. Some points may become obvious when the processing starts and can be […] Read more