
Cow-calf

First-generation cattlewoman earns her cowboy boots
Danika Mayer channels empathy and experience gained in nursing into career as beef producer
[Update: December 9, 2023] Starting small is better than not starting at all, and first-generation rancher Danika Mayer knows that better than most. Without growing up with any direct connection to the beef industry, the enthusiastic Canadian Cattle Young Leaders program graduate has made many miles, carving out her place in the Canadian beef industry, […] Read more

Tech for cattle disease diagnostics edges into the Star Trek age
Researchers are testing new, compact equipment to see if it can quickly and accurately diagnose specific pathogens that cause BRD in the field and feedlot
Remember the COVID rapid test? That was a point-of-need test designed to find a target and match it to a “binder” which then changes the colour if it’s positive or negative. The same principle is applied to the rapid lateral flow device test for anthrax, Dr. Anatoliy Trokhymchuk explains, which was developed by the U.S. […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME cattle drop on fund selling, beef demand concerns
Chicago lean hogs continue higher
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures dropped on Thursday after two sessions of gains, pressured by fund long liquidation and as higher corn feed prices and worries about demand for high-priced beef cuts hung over the market. Technical selling accelerated the break, the live cattle market’s sixth in the last eight sessions, […] Read more

Decision tree busy come calf weaning time
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
During 2023, work, family events and funerals carried me across ranching country from Grand Prairie in Peace River country to Maple Creek on the Saskatchewan side of the Cypress Hills. The travel took me through a patchwork of pastures alternating from satisfactory to barren depending on precipitation. Cow condition varied from good and sleek to […] Read more

BeefWatch: Record-high cattle prices yet to spur herd expansion
Prepared by the staff of Canfax and Canfax Research Services, divisions of the Canadian Cattle Association
Despite record-high prices for feeder cattle this spring and summer there appears to be no signal that the North American cattle herd has transitioned to the expansion phase. The heifers kept for breeding were down, as of July 1, while heifers for slaughter were up. Depleted feedstocks, record-high feeder cattle prices and widespread areas of […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME cattle gain for second straight day after selloff
Chicago lean hog futures also firm
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures rose for a second consecutive session on Wednesday on short covering and follow-through technical and bargain buying after the market plunged to multi-month lows to start the week. Improving packer margins and futures’ steep discount to cash cattle prices also supported the market following the fund-selling […] Read more

Embryo evolution: Transplant technology fuels a career for Roger Davis
Dr. Roger Davis reflects on what he’s learned after decades as a leader in the embryo transfer and export business
Canadian beef cattle genetics have improved over decades as trends, production methods and market access channels evolve. Dr. Roger Davis, one of the founders of Davis-Rairdan Embryo Transplants, an elite embryo export business, is synonymous with the advancement and movement of beef cattle genetics. Throughout Davis’s notable career, he has been actively involved in spearheading […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME cattle up on short covering, discount to cash
Short covering also lifts CME hogs
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures surged on Tuesday in a short-covering rebound from multi-month lows in the prior session, supported by the market’s steep discount to cash market prices. Feeder cattle futures rose by as much as the daily trading limit, triggering expanded limits for both feeders and live cattle for […] Read more

Klassen: Strong demand continues to support feeder market
Significant downside risk ahead
For the week ending Nov. 25, western Canadian yearling prices were $4-$8/cwt lower compared to seven days earlier. However, calf markets were firm trading $5-$8/cwt on either side of unchanged compared to values quoted a week prior. Optimal weather in southern Alberta caused major feedlot operators to stretch their hands across the Prairies. At the […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Fund selling sends CME cattle to multi-month lows
February hogs touch contract low
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures tumbled sharply for a second straight session on Monday on fund long liquidation, technical selling and concerns about slowing beef demand and rising supplies. Actively traded February live cattle dropped to an eight-month low while several deferred-month contracts posted life-of-contract lows. January feeder cattle plunged more […] Read more