Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures ended mixed on Tuesday after matching a contract high because of tight U.S. supplies and firm cash markets, analysts said. The hog market has surged this year due to strong domestic demand and solid export sales to China, the world’s biggest pork consumer. Profit-taking […] Read more
U.S. livestock: July hogs retreat after matching contract high
August live cattle up slightly, feeders down
Klassen: Feeder market in consolidation mode
Feeder values in West showing premium over U.S.
Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle prices were quite variable depending on the weight category. Replacement cattle weighing over 800 lbs. were steady to $4 lower while feeders weighing 700-800 lbs. traded steady to $4 higher on average. Feeder cattle under 600 lbs. were unchanged from seven days earlier. The fed cattle market […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hog futures rise on strength in cash market
August live cattle slip, feeder cattle up
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) hog futures rose on Monday, with the market underpinned by tight supplies and firm cash markets, traders said. But technical selling kept the gains in check, with the front-month contract failing to take out the seven-year high it hit on Friday. CME July lean hog futures added […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle slide on higher feed costs
Cattle slaughter down on short week, JBS hack
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) feeder cattle futures slipped on Friday, weighing on live cattle as rising corn futures pushed feed prices higher. “I think the downturn in feeders certainly was a factor,” said Altin Kalo, economist at Steiner Consulting Group. “I don’t see any other fundamental news out there that would […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle gain on lower corn
December live cattle, July hogs up
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) feeder cattle futures gained on Thursday, lifted by lower corn futures and firmer back-month live cattle. “From the feeder buyer’s perspective, you had higher cattle and lower corn, so that’s a good deal,” said Alan Brugler, president of Brugler Marketing. CME August feeder cattle closed 1.35 cents […] Read more
Put your stock water to the test — and avoid herd health issues
Water quality can change quickly and regular testing can head off problems before they become serious
Reading Time: 3 minutes When stock water appears abundant and water quality has been consistent in previous years, it’s easy to focus on other things — but don’t overlook water testing. Poor-quality stock water can lead to reproductive inefficiency, poor gains, disease and in extreme circumstances, death. Even when water supplies appear abundant, stock water may contain high levels of […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures rise as JBS reopens plants
July hogs down off Tuesday's peak
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) cattle futures firmed on Wednesday, bouncing back from Tuesday’s steep decline that stemmed from a shutdown of JBS SA’s beef operations due to a cyberattack. JBS employees were returning to U.S. meat plants on Wednesday, with a return to full capacity in the next couple of days. […] Read more
Wherever there are cows, there could be cattle thieves lurking
Cattle rustling is fairly common in Alberta, so take some simple steps to protect yourself, says investigator
Reading Time: 3 minutes The ugly truth about cattle rustling is that it’s fairly common in Alberta. “Every year, we have more calves stolen,” RCMP livestock investigator Cpl. Lindsey Anderson said earlier this month. “We were able to charge someone a couple weeks back and get a search warrant to recover some stolen calves. “A lot of times, especially […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures fall on cyberattack at JBS
July hogs touch contract high
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) cattle futures tumbled on Tuesday after JBS stopped slaughtering at U.S. plants because of a cyberattack. Brazil’s JBS told the U.S. government that a ransomware attack on the company originated from a criminal organization likely based in Russia, according to the White House. It is not known […] Read more
Algorithms getting ready to saddle up at feedlots
Calgary tech company says its system can track every cow in a pen and know how it’s doing
Reading Time: 4 minutes Checking each pen for a sick animal at a feedlot is like the world’s worst game of Where’s Waldo — oftentimes the cattle mostly look the same and if you’re not quick enough to spot the sick one, the consequences could cost you that animal. But a new ultra-high-frequency RFID monitoring system is taking the […] Read more