U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures end mostly firm; hogs weaker

Chicago/Reuters – Most live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange gained modestly on Monday, with December pulled down by its premium to last week’s prices for market-ready, or cash, cattle, traders said. They added that funds sold the CME live cattle and lean hog December contracts, and simultaneously bought deferred trading months, in advance of […] Read more



CCA Report: Another push for TPP

From the October 26 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

The volatility that shook the cattle markets in late September brought an end (at least temporarily) to the record price run that had been sustained for much of the last year. Although the dip in cattle prices reflect typical seasonal price fluctuations, the impact of the falling price in the markets is felt far more […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures slide on final trading session

Chicago / Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle ended lower on Friday, the last trading session of the month, with pressure from uneasiness about remaining prices for remaining market-ready, or cash, cattle by late Friday evening, traders said. Spot October, which expired at noon CDT (1700 GMT), settled 0.875 cents per cwt lower at 139.250 […] Read more


U.S. livestock: Steep drop in pork belly prices sink CME lean hog futures

Chicago / Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures ended lower on Thursday, pressured by downward-trending cash and wholesale pork prices, traders said. December closed down 1.525 cents per lb to 59.875 cents, and February was 1.500 cents lower at 63.000. Cash hog prices in the Iowa/Minnesota hog market on Thursday afternoon sagged $1.25 […] Read more



cow eating feed pellets

Avoiding the pitfalls of non-conventional cattle feeding programs

Nutrition with John McKinnon, beef cattle nutritionist

Following up on last month’s column on the challenge of solving a feed shortage with non-conventional feeds, I would like to focus this column on identifying the issues you can face when some of the more common alternative feeds are substituted into the ration. Many of these issues are related to atypical nutrient content and […] Read more

Photo: File

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures rally by 3-cents/lb price limit

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures settled up by their 3-cents per lb daily price limit on Wednesday, boosted by short-covering in response to improved wholesale beef demand and Tuesday’s better-than-expected preliminary cash prices, traders said. Spot October and December ended at 139.675 and 143.600 cents per lb. Live cattle’s trading limit […] Read more