Some implants are made for use in feedlots, while others are more suitable for pastured cattle.

Proper use of implants for calves

Using the right implant at the right time can fatten the bottom line, but producers must consider everything from the market to production stage before picking an implant

Some cow-calf producers implant calves they plan to sell, and most feedlots use implants to boost growth and feed efficiency. But using them effectively requires knowledge of how implants work, how to implant correctly and potential carcass effects. There are several types of implants containing different hormones. These include three naturally occurring hormones (estradiol, progesterone […] Read more

CME October 2020 lean hogs with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures hit four-month high on export hopes

Post-Labour Day beef demand in doubt

Chicago | Reuters — Strong export demand for U.S. pork pushed Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures to a four-month high on Friday. Traders are optimistic China, the world’s biggest pork consumer, will remain a strong buyer, after the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported strong weekly export sales on Thursday. Chinese importers have been bringing […] Read more


CME October 2020 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hogs hit four-month high on strong export sales

CME cattle lower on demand uncertainty

Chicago | Reuters — U.S lean hog futures jumped to a four-month high on Thursday on strong export demand and short covering, while cattle futures weakened. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported net U.S. pork export sales of 53,646 tonnes for the week ended Aug. 27, up 36 per cent from the previous week. China, […] Read more

CME October 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle touch late-July lows on demand jitters

U.S. pork export data due out Thursday

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Wednesday dropped to their lowest prices since July amid uncertainty about how much U.S. demand will decline as the summer grilling season draws to a close. Beef and cattle prices are often weak this time of year as demand weakens. This year, closures of […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Yearling market remains red hot

Barley harvest well underway in southern Alberta

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were $2-$4 higher on average; however, in southern Alberta, yearlings traded $6-$8 above week-ago levels. A few auction barns in Alberta held their first feature sales of the fall run and buyers showed up with both hands. The quality of yearlings coming off grass is excellent and […] Read more

CME October 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures snap losing streak

Large supplies pressure CME hog futures

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures jumped on Monday in a rebound off a run of losses, while lean hog futures closed weaker. Live cattle were due for a rebound after falling last week amid pressure from weakness in the cash market, traders said. Short covering helped lift prices, they said. […] Read more


CME October 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures down again

CME lean hog futures also weaker

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle and hog futures weakened on Friday in anticipation of a seasonal demand slowdown following the Labour Day holiday, traders said. The losses in the futures market stemmed from weekly declines in the cash markets. CME benchmark October live cattle fell 1.25 cents to close at 104.9 cents/lb., […] Read more

CME October 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures extend losing streak

Hog futures edge higher

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle dropped for the sixth day in a row on Thursday, with weakness in the cash market that stemmed from a glut of supplies spilling over into futures prices, traders said. Traders shrugged off signs of rising demand from China, which made its largest weekly U.S. beef purchases […] Read more


File photo of a cow and calves on a farm in Nova Scotia.

Stockyard offers regional market opportunities for Atlantic producers

The new owners of Atlantic Stockyards, one of the few remaining auction marts in the region, are determined to grow their business by attracting more buyers and putting more cattle through the ring

For more than 60 years, the auction market at Murray Siding, N.S., near Truro, has been a mainstay of the livestock business in Atlantic Canada. Atlantic Stockyards Ltd. changed ownership in 2019 and although operating through the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t been without its challenges, new owners Scott and Natalie Dixon have plans to grow the […] Read more

CME October 2020 live cattle with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures drop as supplies assessed

'Maybe the cash cattle market is stalling out here'

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle and hog futures fell on Wednesday. The cattle market faced pressure from weakness in the cash market that stemmed from the ample supplies reflected in the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Cattle on Feed report issued on Friday. “It is the belief that maybe the cash cattle market is […] Read more