Cow-calf
Family inspires career as beef producer and vet
Lacey Tillotson and her husband Tim have complementary off-farm careers, and those professions influence how they manage their farm
It’s no secret to those in the cattle industry that, whether becoming a veterinarian or starting out as a beef producer, a great deal of hard work, long hours and lifelong learning are required. No stranger to these hurdles, Lacey Tillotson of Innisfree, Alta., was up for the challenge. As young as 11 or 12 […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Lean hogs up on new swine fever outbreak in China
April live cattle down, feeders up
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures jumped on Wednesday as China reported a new outbreak of a deadly pig disease, raising expectations that Chinese importers could increase U.S. purchases. China’s farm ministry confirmed African swine fever in piglets being illegally transported through Funing county in the southwestern province of Yunnan. The […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Lean hogs down off recent gains
April live cattle end up off five-week low
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures dropped 2.7 per cent on Tuesday as the market retreated from recent surges. Profit-taking has weighed on prices since most-active April hog futures reached a life-of-contract high on Thursday. Still, traders said robust Chinese demand for pork imports is underpinning the futures market. Traders are […] Read more
Raising the right cow for the job
The McNary family focuses on efficient, low-input cattle and Longhorn genetics are one ingredient in their program’s success
When the Longhorn first arrived in southern Saskatchewan’s Great Sandhills, this resilient breed was considered the ideal cow for this semi-arid landscape. In the late 1880s, Sir John Lister Kaye brought 7,000 Longhorn females to this area from Wyoming, the majority of which stocked his newly established ranch at Crane Lake. He ran imported purebred […] Read more
Klassen: Steady demand supports feeder cattle prices
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were unchanged while calves were steady to $2 higher on average. Auction barns received larger supplies of backgrounded cattle and there was a fair amount of direct trade of yearlings off farm. Larger supplies of heavier-weight feeders appeared to limit the upside but there was no slippage. […] Read more
Canada’s year-end cattle herd continues shrinking
Slaughter beat pre-pandemic pace in second half, StatsCan says
Year-over-year contraction continued for Canada’s cattle herd at the start of 2021, while newborn piglet counts kept Canada’s hog herd on the rise during the same period, according to Statistics Canada. StatsCan on Monday reported 11.2 million cattle on Canadian farms at Jan, 1, 2021 — down one per cent from the year-earlier date and […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle hit five-week low
Technical selling, weaker beef prices bring pressure
Chicago | Reuters — Technical selling on Monday drove Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures to their lowest prices in more than five weeks, while lean hog futures recovered from a sell-off. The cattle market’s losses brought the most-active April contract down six per cent from a life-of-contract high reached on Feb. 16. Strong domestic […] Read more
New Cattlemen’s Young Leaders, roundtable elects committee execs
NewsMakers from the March 2021 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Cattlemen’s Young Leaders Dave Slingerland was raised on a feedlot and cow-calf operation near Coaldale, Alta. Growing up, Slingerland was very involved with 4-H. His love for cattle and their genetics led him to start Tempest Red Angus, a purebred Angus herd founded on heifers purchased for 4-H. It has grown to 25 registered cows […] Read more
McMillin: Fed cattle prices slowly improving
The Markets with Deb McMillin, from the March 2021 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Fed cattle Fed cattle prices are slowly improving. The Alberta average climbed $0.50/cwt to $151.20/cwt at the start of February. Since the beginning of the year, the average has climbed nearly four per cent. Packer interest has been solid but larger fed cattle supply has limited seller leverage and high feed costs are encouraging feeders […] Read more
Beef cattle sector weighs in for federal food processing study
Cattlemen's Association makes recommendations to Commons' ag committee
The House of Commons’ standing committee on agriculture will soon be wrapping up its study into Canada’s processing capacity. Since November, MPs have heard from more than 50 witnesses on the matter — including representatives from the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, whose president Bob Lowe and executive vice-president Dennis Laycraft testified at a committee meeting Tuesday. […] Read more