(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market factors in lower barley prices

Strength in deferred live cattle futures also supportive

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearlings over 800 lbs. jumped $4 to as much as $10 in some cases. Steers in the 700- to 800-lb. category appeared to be up $10-$12 while similar-weight heifers were up $8-$10. Calves under 700 lbs. were up $10-$20. The feeder market was hard to define in some cases. […] Read more

Brazilian meatpacker JBS SA’s logo on a tower in Jundiai, northwest of Sao Paulo in southeastern Brazil, on June 1, 2017. (File photo: Reuters/Paulo Whitaker)

JBS to pay US$25 million in latest beef price-fixing settlement

Settlement calls for co-operation in cases against other defendants

Reuters — JBS SA has agreed to pay US$25 million to commercial beef purchasers that accused the meat-packing company of conspiring with industry rivals to restrict market supply in order to keep prices artificially high. The proposed settlement in Minnesota federal court was disclosed on Friday from plaintiffs’ lawyers representing a class of businesses that […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Spring demand, strong wholesale drives fed cattle prices

The Markets with Deb McMillin, from the May 2023 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Fed cattle The cash market in the U.S. rebounded following a drop in March in response to the mid-month financial turmoil. In Canada, the cash market was not negatively affected and steadily improved, posting new record highs. The first week of April saw the fed steer average in Alberta at $217.59/cwt, an improvement of $7.17/cwt […] Read more

A beef specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach says producers should try to keep calving areas well drained.

Fighting mud at calving season

Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke

Muddy corrals in early spring are unacceptable for calving. Mud can be a sign of neglect or the unfortunate result of late spring snow storms severe enough to backfill crowded corrals to the point calves are trampled and smothered, or forced to live in the squalor of mud, cold and discomfort. Mud, if not managed […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Demand surges for grass cattle

Barley, corn expected to be cheaper next fall

Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $3-$4 on either side of unchanged. Certain auction markets did not have sales due to the shortened holiday week. Adverse weather also shuttered some sales on Wednesday and Thursday in the eastern Prairie region. Southern Alberta feedlots are contending with poor pen conditions which may […] Read more

“I fundamentally believe in farmers and ranchers and their ability to make the world better.” – James Rebanks with son Isaac, Lake District, U.K.

U.K. author explores regenerative practices on farm

James Rebanks’s first novel celebrated traditional practices, but since publication, he’s been looking for better ways to farm

James Rebanks is proud of his farming heritage — in fact, he wrote a best-selling novel featuring traditional farming practices in the U.K. But he wants to do better. Rebanks is from the Lake District of the U.K., an area popular with tourists because of the rolling mountains inset with sapphire-blue lakes. The Rebanks family […] Read more


Photo: Canada Beef

Fed cattle prices reach new highs

The Markets with Deb McMillin, from the April 2023 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Fed cattle Fed cattle prices in Canada reached new highs during the second week of March. Urged higher by tightening supplies, smaller beef production, solid demand and stronger cutout values, the average fed steer price reached $203.90/cwt in Alberta. An average of $203.90/cwt is an improvement of nearly 10 per cent or $17.86/cwt since the […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Alberta fed cattle lead feeder market higher

Traders expecting more barley acres this year

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $3-$5 higher while calf prices advanced $1-$3 on average. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis of $360/cwt last week, up $3-$10 from a week earlier. Using a 60 per cent grading, live prices would be equivalent to $216. Feeding margins have improved […] Read more


Graphic: Courtesy Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off Agency


Canadian beef check-off pays off

A look at the formation of Canada’s unique check-off program and the activities it funds

Canada’s ability to attract buyers such as McDonald’s to its beef products can be attributed to producers themselves funding research, marketing and public outreach through check-off dollars. “We realized that, if we were going to be a world-class producer of high-quality beef, and continue to grow, we needed to make an investment in research and […] Read more

Whether to use risk-based vaccines in your herd requires careful thought and at least a yearly discussion with your herd veterinarian.

Core vaccines recommended for western Canadian beef herds

When looking at vaccinating for diseases beyond the core vaccination recommendations, consider the disease risk, vaccine efficaciousness and the cost-benefit of each vaccine

Just because there is a vaccine on the market to prevent or reduce disease risk, that doesn’t mean that you need to use it in your herd, unless it is a core vaccine and proven effective and safe. Base your vaccination decisions on sound, objective scientific data. Weigh the pros and cons of vaccination for […] Read more