CME April 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 up on improved slaughter pace

Lean hogs down on profit-taking

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures finished higher on Wednesday on technical buying and as rising U.S. slaughter rates eased concerns about cattle supply backups. Cattle processing rates have ramped up after pandemic-related staffing shortages at some meat plants. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimated Wednesday’s cattle slaughter at 118,000 […] Read more

One of the essential nutrients cattle fall short of grazing dry pastures and consuming crop residue is vitamin A.

Drought feeds vitamin A deficiencies

Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke

Areas from Calgary to Winnipeg are either abnormally dry or facing drought conditions, according to Agriculture Canada’s Canadian Drought Monitor. Producers over much of the Prairie region are anxious about pasture quality and sufficient feed supplies to get them through winter. An open fall in many areas has supported extended grazing on poor pastures, post-harvest […] Read more


CME April 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs hit new contract high on slim supply

CME April live cattle up slightly

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures climbed to a new contract high on Tuesday on concerns about tightening U.S. supplies, analysts said. Nearby live cattle and feeder cattle futures also strengthened. U.S. cold storage data, issued after the markets closed on Monday, was supportive for hog and cattle futures, analysts said. […] Read more

A new four-year project is delivering emergency response workshops and resources to improve the livestock industry’s emergency readiness.

Livestock community gets equipped for a disease outbreak

New webinar series aims to help animal owners and producers prepare for a disease emergency.

The Canadian livestock industry is taking steps to better prepare for a serious animal disease outbreak. As a leader in this process, the Animal Health Emergency Management (AHEM) project is teaming up with industry groups across Canada to deliver emergency response workshops and resources to improve industry’s emergency readiness.  “We’ve designed an engaging and informative […] Read more


The Wrights’ calving camera, installed in one of their barns. Because the cameras are connected to Wi-Fi, Jim Wright is able to monitor the cows with his cellphone at work and rush home if needed.

The ins and outs of calving cameras

For producers whose herds calve in the winter, cameras offer several benefits, ranging from fewer trips outside to allowing producers to work off-farm during calving

Using cameras to monitor cows during winter calving saves time and labour, and also saves ranchers trips outside during cold weather. Three ranchers from northwestern Saskatchewan share their experiences with and tips for using calving cameras. Nesset Lake Angus Julie and Ivan Demmans of Nesset Lake Angus have 170 registered Black Angus cows and 100 […] Read more

(Blair Cameron photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market softens on tight feed grain supply

Ontario buying interest subsides

Compared to last week, prices for yearling steers were down $2-$4 while yearling heifers were down $4 to as much as $8. Calf markets were down $3-$6 from last week. Negative feeding margins, colder temperatures and tight feed grain supplies were the three main factors setting a negative tone in the feeder market. Rail imports […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: CME cattle sink to November lows

Lean hogs set contract high

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures tumbled on Monday as investors reduced risk and after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) last week confirmed producers placed more animals into feedlots in December, analysts said. USDA said cattle producers placed 1.96 million head in feedlots last month, up six per cent from a […] Read more

Friends of Canadian Simmental Foundation awards scholarships

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

The Friends of Canadian Simmental Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2021 scholarships. It is great to see the optimism that was shown through the selection process this year, with more applications from more locations across Canada than ever before.  The quality and potential within the youth of our industry is great […] Read more


Live cattle market rally belies ‘broken’ claims

Live cattle market rally belies ‘broken’ claims

Prime Cuts with Steve Kay

U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the aisle clamored all last year for legislation to “fix the broken” live cattle market. Late in the year, some introduced measures that would upend the way in which the majority of live cattle are purchased by packers. They argued that the measures they proposed would put more money […] Read more

CME February 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures surge to highest in over three months

U.S. cattle counts up from last year

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures rose 1.5 per cent on Friday to hit their highest since mid-October, extending a rally on technical buying. Traders remained focused on the slaughter rate as COVID-19 disruptions have caused slowdowns at meat processors throughout the month. “The industry still isn’t functioning normally, though the processing […] Read more