

U.S. livestock: CME livestock futures mostly lower on technical trading
Chicago Mercantile Exchange livestock futures closed mostly lower on Monday, as market participants sought profits and continued to adjust their positions as part of the so-called Goldman roll, traders said.

Constellation of cattle futures prices and futures markets spreads
Market Talk with Jerry Klassen
The live and feeder cattle futures markets experienced sharp downward price behaviour during the final quarter of 2024. Although the price weakness was being influenced by the nearby fundamentals, the deferred live and feeder cattle contracts were also trending lower. In this article, I’m going to discuss market behaviour referred to as the “constellation of […] Read more

Feds announce $1.7 million for foreign animal disease prevention
Cash boosts Animal Health Canada's efforts to prevent and prepare for ASF, FMD
The federal government has pledged up to $1.7 million toward foreign animal disease prevention, the federal agriculture minister announced today.

Smallest cattle herd since 1952
Prime Cuts with Steve Kay
One has to go back 72 years to find a smaller U.S. cattle herd than what USDA reported at the end of January. Its annual cattle inventory report revealed a fifth year of U.S. herd liquidation in 2023. The January 1, 2024 total for cattle and calves was an estimated 87.157 million head, which was down […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME lean hog futures touch three-week low
CME live cattle futures also declined in range-bound trade
Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures fell on Wednesday for a third straight session in largely technical trade, analysts said, with the benchmark April contract LHJ24 dipping to a three-week low.

Tips for monitoring newborn beef calves
Whether the calf was pulled or born without intervention, this resource can help you decide what to do next
Halley Adams, Lynn Thiessen and Meaghan Nawrot have many things in common, but the most prevalent one is their passion for cattle. As students at the University of Calgary’s faculty of veterinary medicine, that is an important priority. It has brought them together from across the world to Calgary, Alta., to pursue this passion. Adams […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Hogs end down after setting contract highs
CME cattle futures advance
Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures ended lower on profit-taking on Tuesday after the market set contract highs in deferred months, analysts said.

Klassen: Grassers and herd rebuilding confidence keeps feeders elevated
Major grazing regions of Western Canada receive more than double of normal precipitation in last month
The major grazing regions of Western Canada have received over 200 per cent of normal precipitation over the past 30 days. Grassers were red hot. Demand has also increased for herd building heifers which has diminished supplies for finishing feedlots.

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs retreat in nearby contract after rally
Cattle futures declined in a retreat from rallies on Friday
Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures on Monday ended lower in the front-month contract in a setback from strong recent gains, traders said.

Livestock vaccines: An ounce of prevention
Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen
Vaccines are an important tool to help minimize pre-weaning calf illness and death early in life, reduce the risk of reproductive failure in the breeding herd and help improve colostrum’s ability to protect next year’s calf crop when it hits the ground. Vaccine technology, programs and practices are constantly evolving. All the options can be […] Read more