Reading Time: 3 minutes Alberta livestock producers frozen out of the new Canada-Alberta Drought Livestock Assistance program may want to consider an under-utilized insurance program in the future, said a representative from the program administrators. The AgriRecovery-based program was recently introduced to help livestock producers who faced extraordinary costs accessing feed in 2023. However, it doesn’t cover all of […] Read more
Locked out of drought help? Give moisture insurance a try
Moisture deficit insurance may help drought-stricken livestock producers in the future
U.S. livestock: CME cattle collapse to March lows
Chicago February hogs set contract low
Chicago | Reuters — Cattle futures sank to their lowest levels in nearly eight months at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on Friday on increased concerns about easing demand for U.S. beef. Technical selling accelerated the slide after funds recently liquidated long positions, traders said. “We don’t know what demand is going to be a year […] Read more
Be ready to help if livestock involved in accidents
First responders can benefit from local livestock knowledge when disaster strikes
Reading Time: 3 minutes Every day hundreds of thousands of animals are transported across Canadian highways without mishap, but every so often, there is an unfortunate accident with animal deaths and injuries. Alberta has developed an emergency network because of the huge numbers of cattle transported to feedlots and packing plants. While this network is invaluable, there’s also an […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs mixed after approaching four-week low
Chicago cattle futures end lower
Chicago | Reuters — Lean hog futures hit their lowest level in about four weeks on Wednesday before ending mixed as traders adjusted positions before the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. The market has dropped about eight per cent since rising on Nov. 7 to the highest price in more than a month, as ample U.S. supplies […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs near four-week low amid large supply
Cattle futures slip lower
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures fell to their lowest price in nearly four weeks on Tuesday as large supplies hung over the market. Technical selling added pressure on prices as December hogs dropped below 70 cents/lb. for the first time since Nov. 1, analysts said (all figures US$). The contract […] Read more
Forage sources sought
Reading Time: < 1 minute As winter begins, cattle and sheep producers are reassessing their forage needs and sources to ensure they have adequate feed for the winter. Neil Blue, provincial crops market analyst with the Alberta government, says although the early season dry weather allowed hay crops to be harvested in good condition, there were lower than average yields. […] Read more
Initiative aims to protect grasslands
Project designed to sweeten the financial case for keeping grassland acres unbroken
Reading Time: 2 minutes Three organizations with a history of conservation on the Prairies have launched an initiative to protect native grassland. The Grasslands Conservation Initiative is the product of joint discussions between the Canadian Cattle Association, Ducks Unlimited Canada and the Nature Conservancy of Canada. “It’s the scale of the issue that is hard to overcome,” said CCA […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Feeder cattle top one-week high
Traders digest U.S. cattle placements data; December hogs lower
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. feeder cattle futures and deferred live cattle futures finished higher on Monday after the government reported placements in feedlots were lower than analysts expected last month. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in monthly data issued after the close of trading on Friday, said producers placed 3.8 per cent more cattle […] Read more
Research shows controlled bunk feeding improves feed-to-gain ratio
Consistency in feed delivery, feed mix order and mix time improves feed efficiency
Reading Time: 3 minutes Monitoring the behaviour of cattle at the feed bunk can help maintain rumen health and improve efficiencies in feedlots. Given crop production costs, feed inputs and time invested in nutritional inputs and ration formulation, producers want to maximize returns wherever possible. “You don’t want to throw out all that hard work by mismanaging the feed […] Read more
Report aims to show animal agriculture’s interconnections
CAPI hopes to broaden policymakers' perspective
A new report for the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute seeks to educate policymakers about the impact of animal agriculture on economic, social and environmental levels. The report, titled Forces Impacting Animal Agriculture In Canada: A Synthesis, delves into the issues surrounding cattle, dairy and poultry production in the country and how it is interconnected within […] Read more
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