Reading Time: 3 minutes All through the year accidents can happen and the need for emergency slaughter can arise. Broken legs during breeding season, fighting, very rarely during transport or downer cattle make access to emergency slaughter imperative. Recently announced changes will allow a mobile butcher to video the animal and that can be used by an inspector for […] Read more
New slaughter regulations are a step forward
Beef 911: Changes to allow video ante-mortem inspection and on-farm slaughter make good sense
Beef webinar season kicks off for October
Reading Time: < 1 minute The new season of Beef Cattle Research Council webinars kicks off Oct. 28 with a session on combating invasive weeds. The other five webinars will look at using financial tools, dealing with reproductive failure in a cow herd, using benchmarking to boost productivity, achieving breeding goals, and record-keeping for forage and grassland management. The webinars, […] Read more
Klassen: Stronger barley prices weigh on feeder market
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were steady to $2 lower; calves weighing 500 to 650 lbs. traded $2-$4 lower while lighter weights under 500 lbs. were steady to $5 higher. There is a distinct price structure for each weight category, depending on the time frame for the finished animal. The overall feeder […] Read more
JBS vows to monitor whole cattle supply chain’s impact on Amazon
Packer plans to move against cattle 'laundering'
Sao Paulo | Reuters — JBS SA, the world’s top meatpacker, said Wednesday it plans to combat destruction in the Amazon by monitoring its entire supply chain for deforestation by 2025, as pressure mounts from environmentalists and investors. Brazilian meatpackers are facing increasing criticism that beef production is fueling deforestation in the Amazon, where cleared […] Read more
Beef sector aims for new 2030 targets
Organizations involved in Canada's National Beef Strategy have announced new goals for the beef sector for the next decade
The Canadian beef industry has new benchmarks to reach for in the next decade. The organizations involved in Canada’s National Beef Strategy — the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Canada Beef Breeds Council, Beef Cattle Research Council, Canada Beef, The National Cattle Feeders’ Association, Canadian Meat Council and Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef have announced new 2030 […] Read more
Klassen: Yearling market holding value
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were relatively unchanged while calves traded $3 higher to $3 lower on average. The yearling run is well underway and there was no shortage of buying interest. Finishing feedlots were very aggressive on quality packages coming fresh off grass. Once again, buyers focused on local cattle, causing […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures rise on expectations of firm cash values
Hog market appears technically overbought
Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange closed higher on Tuesday on expectations of firmer cash prices as supplies of market-ready cattle tighten, following a drop this past spring in the number of cattle placed in feedlots, traders said. “Packer margins are huge; they are still over $350 a head. […] Read more
Beef 911: The goal should always be to produce the healthiest cattle
We need to ditch the notion that high-risk cattle are somehow the most profitable
Reading Time: 3 minutes I’ve heard it said on the feeder side that high-risk cattle are the most profitable. The argument is that when you run the numbers and take into account morbidity, mortality and all other costs, these cattle have the potential to make the most profit at the end of the day. Of course the big factor […] Read more
Cattle markets: Situation isn’t good but outlook is much better
There's been a 'pretty good recovery' but there's a long ways to go, Canfax official says
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s been a roller-coaster year and while the ride isn’t over for the cattle sector, the worst may be behind it. “This year has been pretty extreme, but we’ve had a pretty good recovery,” CANFAX manager Brian Perillat said during a presentation at the virtual Canadian Beef Industry Conference. “Things are much better than earlier […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures firm on wholesale strength
Hogs up as slaughter outpaces year-earlier period
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures gained on Wednesday as boxed beef prices offered support ahead of the upcoming holiday weekend, traders said. “It’s the main week for retailers to lock up their Labour Day supplies. That’s kept a floor under the cash market,” said Alan Brugler, president of Brugler Marketing. […] Read more