Reading Time: < 1 minute If you’ve seen wild pigs on your cattle operation, researchers at the University of Calgary want to hear from you. The survey intro notes that wild pigs can transmit diseases to a herd and “because pathogens can be transmitted in many ways, it is crucial to understand how wild pigs interact with livestock and how […] Read more
Survey aims to keep tabs on wild pigs
U.S. livestock: Live cattle inch lower, nearby hogs end higher
'Cutouts slowly start to lose ground here'
Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange slipped on Tuesday, pressured by softening wholesale beef prices and a lack of bullish news, traders said. Cash cattle trade was quiet, leaving some traders to focus on beef prices. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) priced choice cuts of beef on Tuesday […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Lean hogs up two per cent on firm cash markets, short-covering
June live cattle down, later months up
Chicago | Reuters — Lean hog futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange rose more than two per cent on Monday on signs of firming cash hog values, rising wholesale pork prices and short-covering. CME June lean hog futures settled up 2.05 cents at 86.15 cents/lb., with the July contract up 2.175 cents at 87.5 cents […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures rise on falling corn prices
Chicago lean hogs also firm
Chicago | Reuters — CME Group cattle futures contracts rallied on Friday as a government forecast for a record-large U.S. corn harvest raised expectations that feeding costs will weaken as the supply base rises. Hog futures ended firm on signs of improving values in the cash market, traders said. Most actively traded June lean hog […] Read more
Federal ‘climate action’ grants are a huge hit with Alberta producers
More than 1,000 applications have flooded in, prompting program administrator to push the pause button
Reading Time: 4 minutes Alberta farmers love Ottawa’s “climate action” program so much that applications have been paused until late summer. “It’s a pretty lucrative program and people were actually aware of it this year,” said Johanna Murray, extension coordinator with Peace Country Beef and Forage Association. “There were people who didn’t get around to applying last year because […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hog futures fall on weak export data
CME cattle futures mixed
Chicago | Reuters — CME Group hog futures fell on Thursday on poor export demand for pork, traders said. Cattle futures were mixed, with live cattle easing on weakening trades in the cash market. Feeder cattle contracts were supported by falling corn prices. The U.S. Agriculture Department said on Thursday morning that beef export sales […] Read more
More information is better when looking for your next herd sire
Scrotal size is a key indicator and getting reliable, consistent measurements isn’t difficult
Reading Time: 3 minutes Scrotal circumference and scrotal palpation are among the quickest, repeatable and fact-revealing pieces of information we can get on bulls. Some breeds get away with less scrotal size, but we have also seen that scrotal size, on average, has gone up through selection. Because it is quite heritable, fertility improves. However, we are probably reaching […] Read more
Unique year-round grazing method pays major dividends
Constant searching for new grazing ideas has led Dave Sammons to a strategy that works
Reading Time: 3 minutes Cow-calf producer Dave Sammons has come up with a unique and varied grazing strategy that has cut his workload and feed bills while boosting organic matter. His system on his mixed farm near Gleichen includes stubble grazing into early winter, then moving the herd onto cover crops, and then onto corn. “The grazing has helped […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hog, cattle futures fall on poor fundamental outlook
Corn prices expected to remain weak
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures fell on Wednesday, as poor demand for pork smothered any bargain-buying attempts to pull prices away from contract lows hit earlier this week. Cattle contracts also were lower, but the declines were kept in check by expectations that corn prices will remain weak and keep feeding […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market remains firm on fed cattle strength
Alberta's disastrous wildfires may disrupt calf marketings
Compared to last week, western Canadian prices for yearlings over 800 lbs. were quoted steady to $4 higher; feeders between 600-800 lbs. were relatively unchanged while calves under 600 lbs. were $5-$10 higher. The market for calves under 600 lbs. was hard to define due to limited volumes. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on […] Read more
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