Animals under stress due to extreme cold have a higher net-energy-for-maintenance requirement. In other words, they need additional energy to keep warm.

Winter arrives in cattle country

Nutrition with John McKinnon

As this article comes to print, it is early December and winter has gripped much of the country. Concurrent with this change in seasons, it is also a time of year when cattle feeders — cow-calf and feedlot alike — are settling into their winter-feeding programs. In the case of backgrounding and feedlot operations, hopefully […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market ends 2022 on firm tone

Trade expecting bullish numbers from USDA

Compared to last week, western Canadian calves were trading $4 to as much as $8 higher. Adverse weather did not influence the market this week. There appeared to be a surge in demand across all weight categories. Higher quality or pre-conditioned vaccinated, weaned, lower flesh calves in the 600–700-pound category were up as much as […] Read more


CME February 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle up with boxed beef prices

Lean hogs rise, then close lower

Chicago | Reuters — CME Group live cattle futures finished higher on Monday as rising boxed beef prices signaled there is demand in the market, brokers said. Choice cuts of boxed beef rose by $1, to $263.83 per hundredweight, after climbing by $8.53 on Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said (all figures US$). Select […] Read more

Haroldson’s Miley.

Toronto Royal Beef placings

Purely Purebred, news from the December 2022 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Canadian beef producers showcased top genetics from across Canada at this year’s 100th anniversary of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto. The event was held November 5 and 6. To celebrate this historic milestone, all the Canadian beef breed associations held their national shows at the Royal. All cattle were top-notch quality. We especially […] Read more


CME February 2023 lean hogs with 20-day moving average (pink line) and CME cash lean hog index (blue line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures up off two-month low

Live cattle, feeder cattle also gain

Chicago | Reuters — CME Group hog futures rallied on Friday, rebounding from a two-month low on a round of end-of-week bargain buying. Cattle futures also were firm despite concerns about waning demand, traders said. Cash market strength added support to both hogs and cattle. CME February lean hogs jumped 4.125 cents, to 85.775 cents/lb. […] Read more

CME February 2023 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog, cattle futures fall on poor demand outlook

Winter storms threaten some herds

Chicago | Reuters — CME Group cattle and hog futures weakened on Thursday, with traders expressing concerns about both domestic and export demand due to prospects for a softening global economy. The U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA) on Thursday morning said that weekly export sales of beef totaled 13,800 tonnes, down from 18,000 a week ago. […] Read more


If you suspect a cow in your herd has Johne’s disease, have your veterinarian collect fecal samples for testing as soon as possible.

Johne’s disease — not gone but often forgotten

Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen

Johne’s disease is sometimes compared to an iceberg — the visible cases are only a tiny fraction of the problem. The biggest part is hidden beneath the surface, particularly in the early stages of disease. In the silent stage, cattle that were infected as calves by a manure-contaminated udder, water or feed show no clinical […] Read more

CME December 2022 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: December live cattle down off 7-1/2-year high

Hogs down on export market concerns

Chicago | Reuters — CME Group live cattle futures dropped on a round of profit taking after the front-month contract rose to its highest since June 2015 early in the session. Concerns about a winter storm damaging herds in the U.S. Plains provided support to cattle futures overnight. While supply concerns dominated cattle futures trading, […] Read more


CME February 2023 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures rise on short-covering

CME cattle futures also up

Chicago | Reuters — CME Group hog futures rose on Tuesday, snapping a streak of five straight losing sessions on some mild short-covering, traders said. Gains were kept in check by concerns that demand for pork during China’s Lunar New Year celebrations will be lighter than usual due to rising COVID-19 cases in the country. […] Read more

CME August 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

Klassen: Stronger deferred live cattle support feeder market

Cow-calf operators seen hesitant to expand

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $2-$3 on either side of unchanged. Calf prices were mostly unchanged compared to seven days earlier; however, there were pockets where buyers reported prices up $2-$3 on average. The Alberta calf market appeared to stage a minor recovery after softening over the past month. Manitoba markets […] Read more