Ectoparasite help available for cattle

Ectoparasite help available for cattle

Reading Time: < 1 minute It’s getting to be peak season for ectoparasites and the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) has a number of resources that can help. Ectoparasite is just a $10 word for lice, flies, ticks and other external parasites. The research council’s web resource zeros in on lice (both the sucking and chewing varieties with four species […] Read more

CME August 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 200-day moving averages (pink, dark red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle jump on cash market premiums

Feeder cattle firm, lean hogs mixed

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts firmed on Monday on technical buying and support from the premium of cash market prices to the actively traded front-month futures contract. Live cattle drew further support from firm beef prices and gains in feeder cattle futures. “Live cattle were up on the strong cash […] Read more


CME August 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20- and 100-day moving averages (pink and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle, feeder cattle slump

Deferred-month lean hogs up

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures eased on Friday as brokers said steady-to-lower cash prices were seen as disappointing. Feeder cattle futures also finished weaker, under pressure from climbing prices of grain used for livestock feed, brokers said. Traders kept an eye on the cash market, where prices are trading at […] Read more

The worst thing for you as a cattle producer is to have a bull come up really lame just before breeding season.

What’s your secret to keeping bull calves from being injured?

Raising bulls and wintering them is challenging, and sharing tips and tricks would be very helpful

Reading Time: 4 minutes I don’t think this research has ever been done, but if one were to track purebred bull calves from an early age until sale you would find the two top reasons for culling, selling, death and other losses are fertility and injuries. I would include lameness in this tally as a high percentage of this […] Read more


CME August 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs touch highest level since April

Live cattle up, feeder cattle lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures jumped to their highest price since April on Thursday on U.S. supply concerns and strength in outside markets, brokers said. Live cattle reached a two-week high in the most-active contract, while feeder cattle futures slumped under pressure from soaring costs for grain used for livestock […] Read more

CME August 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hogs advance in turnaround from losses

Live hog futures in China drop sharply

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle and hog futures closed stronger on Wednesday as the livestock markets recovered from losses in the previous session that were linked to fears of a global economic recession, traders said. Wall Street also finished higher, after broad declines in equities and commodities on Tuesday spilled over into […] Read more


CME August 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, dark red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle fall on global recession worries

Lean hogs buck downward trend

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell on Tuesday, following broad declines in commodities and Wall Street equities tied to fears of a global economic recession, traders said. “It’s the economy. You’ve got the fears of going into a recession,” said Don Roose, president of Iowa-based U.S. Commodities. “So goes the […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder cattle trade at 52-week highs

New-crop feed grain values under pressure

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearlings traded steady to $2 higher with exceptional demand noted on steers over 700 pounds. Calf values were mixed in Alberta with markets trading $2-$4 on either side of unchanged; however, prices were steady to $4 higher in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Small groups of various quality characterized the feeder […] Read more


The impact of last year’s drought on herd health will persist into this year and producers should keep an eye out for problems, say experts.

Keep an eye out for drought-caused nutrient deficiency in your cattle

Nutrient deficiencies have ripple effects, including slower gain and lower pregnancy rates

Reading Time: 4 minutes Feeding cattle through last year’s drought was tough enough — but for some producers, its impact on the health of their cattle isn’t over. “The biggest challenge for producers through the drought was finding good-quality feed for a feasible price. A lot of low-quality fibre like straw was fed,” said Courtney O’Keefe, ruminant nutritionist at […] Read more