Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures plunged to four-month lows on Monday under pressure from bigger-than-expected placements into U.S. feedlots last month. Lean hog futures set contract lows. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in a monthly report issued after trading ended on Friday, said placements of cattle in feedlots during September totaled […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME cattle sink to June lows
Lean hogs set contract lows
U.S. livestock: CME hog futures hit contract lows
Cattle futures also sag
Chicago | Reuters — Lean hog futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange fell to life-of-contract lows on Friday and cattle futures also retreated, pressured by technical selling and worries that a slowing global economy could hurt demand for meat, traders said. Hog futures fell the most, with the benchmark December contract settling down two cents, […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME cattle sag on packer margins, beef export sales
December lean hogs turn slightly lower
Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures eased and feeder cattle tumbled to June lows at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on Thursday as poor margins for U.S. beef processors limited demand for livestock, brokers said. A marketing-year low in weekly U.S. beef export sales also hung over the market. Meat companies are grappling with tight […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures mixed as packer margins stay in red
December lean hogs up off Tuesday's contract low; deferred months lower
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures were mixed on Wednesday, as beef packer margins stayed in the red and cash cattle prices were expected to be steady to higher, traders said. Hog futures were also mixed on the day. February and May lean hog futures dipped to new contract lows on sluggish […] Read more
Test your livestock feed sources
Reading Time: < 1 minute When feed quality is unknown, it is significantly more difficult to maintain animal health and welfare, says the Beef Cattle Research Council. Visual assessment of feedstuffs is not accurate and may cause cows to be underfed and lose body condition. It may also lead to unnecessary spending on expensive supplements. It is important to determine […] Read more
FCC to offer beef heifer replacement loans
Loan program for those wanting to build, maintain herds
Cattle producers wanting to expand or maintain herds — in a time of nationwide herd contraction — are the expected beneficiaries for a new loan program from Farm Credit Canada. FCC on Tuesday announced what it calls the Replacement Heifer Program, consisting of a loan with a maximum loan life of seven years and a […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures rise on supply concerns
Chicago lean hogs slump
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures firmed on Tuesday, amid ongoing concern over animal weights shrinking and a steady stream of heifers being sent to slaughter, traders said. Rising cash cattle prices also gave the beef market a boost on the day, traders said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said meat processors […] Read more
Vaccination aims to leave cattle pink eye in the dust
New method promises to battle disease where it lives
Reading Time: 3 minutes Treating pink eye in cattle on pasture can be frustrating, time consuming and only minimally effective. That’s why researchers with the University of Saskatchewan have completed a trial project that may set the stage for more effective treatment. Results from the recent study, started by now-retired researcher Philip Griebel, suggest that dropping an experimental vaccine […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME hog, cattle futures decline
Pigs seen bulking up on new-crop corn
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange livestock markets weakened on Monday, with lean hog futures nearing their lowest price in more than four months. Concerns about lacklustre demand for U.S. pork continued to hang over the market, analysts said. Seasonally, hog futures also tend to decline around this time of year as pigs fatten […] Read more
The arrival of virtual fencing?
Alberta researchers explore how well the technology withstands harsh Prairie winters
Reading Time: 5 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – An Alberta livestock researcher wants to see if virtual fencing lives up to its promises once winter hits the Prairies. “If you have a technology that can’t work in -40 or -45, it has no place in Alberta,” said Lakeland College’s Obioha Durunna. Virtual fencing could fundamentally change the labour and infrastructure […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
