

Klassen: Canadian feeder market rationing demand
Improvement seen in feeding margins
For the week ending Saturday, western Canadian feeder markets averaged $3-$6/cwt higher compared to seven days earlier. Weakness in the Canadian dollar along with strength in the deferred live cattle futures set a positive tone. Recent rains have enhanced yield potential for the Canadian barley crop, which also underpinned nearby cash values. Alberta packers were […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME hogs down 10 per cent on week
Feeder cattle down on corn rally
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures dropped to contract lows again on Friday, as poor demand for U.S. pork continued to depress prices. The losses heap more pain on producers who have struggled with weak prices for pigs and high costs for expenses such as feed and labour. “Producers are losing their […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME hogs sink to contract lows
Cattle futures up with beef sales, tight supplies
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures tumbled to contract lows on Thursday, as excess supplies and sluggish demand for U.S. pork fueled losses for a fifth consecutive session. Weak prices for pigs and high production costs continue to make it unprofitable to raise hogs, leading some analysts to project that producers will […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Hog futures weak on bearish supplies
Chicago cattle futures firm
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures fell for the fourth day in a row on Wednesday, with a large supply base pressuring the market. Cattle contracts were firm, rising on a round of technical buying. After the close, the U.S. Agriculture Department said frozen U.S. beef stocks as of April 30 stood […] Read more

Post-calving nutrition: Keep your foot on the gas
Meeting the nutritional needs of cows that have recently calved
As we move into spring, calving season is starting for some while for others it is well underway or nearing completion. To this point, your feeding program was likely directed at achieving optimal body condition at calving and ensuring that the nutritional needs of pregnancy were met. The next hurdle is ensuring that your post-calving […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Hog, cattle futures fall on technical selling
Cattle trade sees pressure from rising corn futures
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures fell on Tuesday on technical selling as the market moved closer to values in the cash market, traders said. Cattle contracts also were lower, with traders noting pressure from strength in corn futures. Recent declines in both cattle and hogs have done little to spur a […] Read more

Klassen: Weather forecasts underpin feeder market
High forage costs pose problem for cow-calf expansion
For the week ending Saturday, western Canadian feeder cattle markets were relatively unchanged from seven days earlier. The finishing feedlot operator appears to be dominating the feeder market across all weight categories. Ontario interest was creeping all the way into Alberta, especially for Limousin-type genetics. There were limited numbers on offer in Manitoba and Saskatchewan […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Hog futures drop to contract lows on demand woes
CME cattle futures also lower
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures sank to contract lows on Monday, with the market under pressure from plentiful supplies and weak demand for pork at grocery stores and on the export market. “The story remains one of a slow-to-move product market,” brokerage StoneX said in a note to clients. Cattle futures […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures rally
Hog futures slide to new lows; USDA cattle report seen as neutral
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures rose on Friday in a bout of technical trading, as cash prices remained relatively steady and investors positioned themselves ahead of the monthly U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report, traders said. On the pork side, a second day of volatile trading across lean hog futures resulted […] Read more

Box H Ranch explores severe grazing
Laura and Mark Hoimyr focus on longer rest periods on their ranch in southeastern Saskatchewan
It’s a September afternoon when a large charter bus coasts down the back roads near Gladmar, Sask. The hills roll like waves, and the bus rolls with them, inducing nausea. Before long, the bus slows, then stops. Farm journalists and communicators, part of the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation annual conference, file off the bus and […] Read more