Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association has a resource for producers wanting their herds to be eligible for EU beef programs. Cow-calf producers and feedlot operators must meet specific production requirements for cattle used to produce beef for export to the European Union. That includes not using growth-enhancing products (GEPs). The CCA web page has a summary […] Read more
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U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures dip on slaughter delays
Lower supply expectations support hog futures
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures fell on Thursday as short-term processing delays caused by power outages and frigid weather backed up cattle and softened cash prices, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange April live cattle futures settled down 1.225 cents at 122.925 cents/lb., while the spot February contract ended 0.175 cents lower at […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures sag as weather stalls slaughter pace
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle and hog futures declined on Wednesday as wintry weather and power outages hampered meat-packing operations, slowing the pace of slaughter and reducing demand for market-ready animals, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange April live cattle futures settled down 1.65 cents at 124.15 cents/lb., while the spot February contract ended down […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures mostly firm on wintry Plains weather
April hogs stay within Friday's range
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed mostly higher on Tuesday as frigid conditions gripped the U.S. Plains and Midwest, limiting the movement of animals into meat plants and threatening to reduce cattle weights, traders said. However, rallies were limited as wintry weather and power outages prompted meat-packing plants to slow the slaughter […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures rally
Cold U.S. weather in focus
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures rallied on Friday, supported by cold weather in the United States that was making it hard to put weight on animals. “Weather remains front and center for cattle producers, bitter cold temps will be with us through the weekend and also some sizable snow totals in the southeast […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs rise to four-month high on supply woes
February live cattle down, April up
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures rose for the seventh time in eight sessions on Thursday, hitting a four-month high on concerns about tight supplies, traders said. “There are a lot of empty barns out here,” Don Roose, president of U.S. Commodities in West Des Moines, Iowa said. Live cattle futures were mixed, with […] Read more
Boosting profits: Running the numbers while running the herd
Tracking data on your ranch makes for better decisions and more money in your jeans
Reading Time: 3 minutes Measuring and tracking your cattle can make a big difference — an extra 60 pounds per weaned calf. “The way you manage your herd all plays into what you have for pounds to market at the end of your calf crop when you’re weaning off your calves,” economist Kathy Larson said during a recent Beef […] Read more
Having cattle data at your fingertips makes for better decisions, says producer
Tyler Fulton says a tool for inputing and accessing data on his smartphone has proven its worth
Reading Time: 2 minutes Ever tweeted out a histogram? Tyler Fulton has — and for the very practical reason that it showed at a glance the weight gain of his latest calf crop from birth to weaning. “When we were marketing some steers in the fall, I actually got on Twitter and shared this information,” said the cow-calf producer […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle down on profit taking
Cash markets support CME lean hogs
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures dropped on a profit-taking setback on Wednesday, a day after rallying to their highest in nearly a year, but worries about a cold snap across production regions of the Plains kept declines in check. Hog futures rebounded after closing mixed on Tuesday as strong cash markets led […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs end mixed after five-session rally
Feeder cattle up on corn supply projection
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures ended mixed on Tuesday following five straight sessions of contract highs that triggered technical and speculative selling and profit taking in some futures months. The market, however, remained underpinned by strong cash hog prices, robust export demand and profitable pork packer margins, as well as Tuesday’s downturn […] Read more