Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures rallied on Thursday on short-covering and position squaring near the end of the month and quarter after prices hit multi-month lows earlier this week, traders said. Investors also squared bets ahead of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) quarterly hog and pig supply report, […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs up before USDA confirms herd expansion
Drought lands more cattle into U.S. feedlots than expected
Chicago | Reuters — Ranchers sent nearly one per cent more cattle to U.S. feedlots in December than the same time a year earlier, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported on Friday. The result topped most analysts’ predictions, mainly led by worsening drought in the U.S. southern Plains that shriveled available winter wheat grazing pasture. […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle markets digest USDA inventory report
Western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $5 higher to as much as $10 lower compared to week-ago levels. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cattle on Feed report, along with U.S. inventory data, confirmed larger beef supplies in upcoming months, which set a negative sentiment amongst feedlot operators. Auction markets experienced variable price ranges on similar-weight […] Read more
Hog and cattle expansion will be slow
New report says both cattle and hog producers ‘cautious’ about expanding
Reading Time: 2 minutes A new report from the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA) says the cattle and hog sectors face challenges, but their economic prospects over the next decade ARE positive. The report predicts there will be a modest increase in the provincial cattle herd, partly because producers are “cautious” about additional investments. “The rapid improvement in […] Read more
Drought creates speed bump for cattle herd expansion
CNS Canada — Expansion efforts in Canada’s cattle sector are likely taking a breather right now, as a lack of rain in Alberta and Saskatchewan creates challenges for ranchers trying to feed their animals. According to Anne Wasko of Gateway Livestock Inc. at Taber, Alta., some cattle in the western Prairies are already being moved […] Read more
Growing pains — herd rebuild a long-term proposition
Four to Watch: Cattle herd needs a ‘big move’ in heifer retention to fuel expansion
Reading Time: 3 minutes Cattle herd expansion was one of the biggest ‘will they or won’t they’ stories in 2014 — and that little plot line will continue to play out in 2015. “Right now, we’re still in the consolidation phase,” said Brenna Grant, research manager at Canfax. “Inventories are going to be stable on Jan. 1, 2015, and […] Read more
Thinking of expanding your cattle herd? Here’s a to-do checklist
Successful expansions depend on assessing risk, knowing how per-unit costs will change, and having a marketing plan
Reading Time: 3 minutes When it comes to deciding on expanding a cattle herd, or taking over an existing one, there are a few critical checkpoints to be considered. “In recent months there has been a lot of talk about the potential for beef herd expansion due to the historically high beef and cattle prices the industry is experiencing,” […] Read more
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