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Can byproduct feeds play a role in growing calf programs?

You'll need to know their nutritional content and digestibility

This column is the last in a three-part series focusing on factors influencing the profitability of backgrounding cattle. To this point, we have covered economic and management issues related to this sector as well as the concept of formulating diets to match specific program objectives such as overwintering lightweight calves for grass and backgrounding medium- […] Read more



File photo of barley being loaded off the combine. (Collab Media/iStock/Getty Images)

Feed weekly outlook: Barley bids near bottom post-harvest

Feed corn values narrowing against barley

MarketsFarm — After a better-than-expected harvest across the Canadian Prairies, feed grain prices on the region either have bottomed out or soon will, according to Evan Peterson of JGL Commodities in Saskatoon. “They’ve dropped significantly in the past three to four weeks as harvest pressure kicked off,” he said, citing feed barley going into feedlot […] Read more

On the morning of Dec. 30, the nearby January canola contract apparently hit a new all-time high.  Photo: File

Tightening canola stocks projected, AAFC says

Wheat, barley, oat, pea stocks also projected lower

MarketsFarm –– Canadian canola carryout supplies for the current marketing year will likely end up tighter than earlier expectations, according to updated supply/demand balance sheets from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) that account for recent production and stocks data from Statistics Canada. Canola ending stocks for 2023-24 are now forecast to tighten to only one […] Read more


(Viterra.ca)

Canada books stronger August deliveries of most major grains

Wheat, canola up; barley, durum down

MarketsFarm — Deliveries of most major grains in Canada were higher in August than a year ago, according to Statistics Canada. The federal agency issued its monthly deliveries report on Tuesday, showing total deliveries last month came to 5.103 million tonnes, up nearly 15 per cent from the previous August. Wheat deliveries (excluding durum) tallied […] Read more

Barley. (Doug Wilson photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Feed weekly outlook: Harvest pressure, looming corn imports weigh on barley bids

Some yields turn out 'better than expected'

MarketsFarm — Seasonal harvest pressure and expectations for large corn deliveries from the United States should limit any upside potential in feed barley bids in Western Canada for the foreseeable future despite this year’s smaller crop. “We’re getting some better-than-expected yields (in central Alberta), so there is some harvest pressure with guys needing to move […] Read more


Livestock nutritionist John McKinnon examines three scenarios at how byproduct feeds can be used in cattle feeding programs.

Using byproduct feeds to influence profitability of backgrounded calves

Nutrition with John McKinnon

In my last column, I wrote about some of the challenges facing producers who background cattle, both from a marketing and production perspective. Concerning marketing, emphasis was placed on differences between custom and owner-operated businesses. From a production perspective, both knowledge of cost of production and identifying goals of the nutrition program were stressed. Concerning […] Read more

Canadian fed cattle supplies tighten, herd liquidation continues

Canadian fed cattle supplies tighten, herd liquidation continues

The Markets with Deb McMillin, from the September 26, 2023 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Fed cattle The fed cattle market leading up to the Labour Day weekend saw some seasonal pressure. Demand softens towards summer’s end and typically longer-fed, heavier cattle are moving through the system. August ended with an average of $231.76/cwt, which is just six per cent behind the 2023 annual high. The last two weeks of […] Read more


(Brett Holmes Photography/iStock/Getty Images)

Few surprises in StatCan report, analyst says

Downward revision on canola among those few

MarketsFarm PRO analyst Mike Jubinville said Statistics Canada’s principal field crop production report, released Thursday, did not contain too many surprises. The agency’s previous report on Aug. 29 already provided insight as to what production numbers were going to be, he said, but still warned the model-based projections in the latest report will not be […] Read more

Photo: File

Feed weekly outlook: More demand for barley in Alberta

U.S. corn imports still expected to cap barley values

MarketsFarm — As Alberta’s harvest continued, yields and crop conditions have varied across the province, according to Erin Harakal, trade manager for Agfinity Inc. at Stony Plain, Alta. “There has been such a wide range across the map, it really depends on location,” she said. “We’ve seen some areas that are just below average of […] Read more