CME April 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle retreat on profit-taking

Hog futures lower despite rising cutout

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures weakened on Friday as the market retreated from contract highs hit this week. Profit-taking weighed on futures prices, though the market remains supported by strong demand for cattle from meatpackers, traders said. Packers such as Tyson Foods and JBS slaughtered an estimated 120,000 cattle on […] Read more

CME April 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle lower, strong slaughter data supportive

Hogs also trade higher, end lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended lower despite finding new contract highs on Thursday, pressured by lower movement across the agricultural commodities late in the trading session, though tight cattle supplies underpin the market, traders said. “Demand in general still is in good shape. You’re going to have incrementally fewer […] Read more


A barley crop south of Ethelton, Sask. on July 30, 2019. The Sask Stock Growers Association is calling for non-dwarf cereal varieties better suited to drought, a satellite-based forage insurance program, as well as other measures to enable producers to manage drought risks and make challenging business decisions.

Sask Stock Growers come out of semi-annual meeting ready to lead change

Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) held its semi-annual Meeting February 2 in virtual format with opening remarks from SSGA president Kelcy Elford to SSGA’s board of directors, members and other key industry stakeholders in attendance. In this single-afternoon meeting agenda, SSGA passed seven resolutions and shared a range of time-sensitive, relevant information designed to support […] Read more

(Scott Bauer photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

High-path H5N1 avian flu hits Nova Scotia turkey farm

Trade curbs in place; U.S. also has an outbreak in Indiana

Updated, Feb. 10 — Highly pathogenic avian flu has again landed in domestic birds in Atlantic Canada — but this time on a commercial turkey farm, leading other countries to halt imports from Canada’s feather sectors for now. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency last week filed a report with the World Organization for Animal Health […] Read more



Under revised regulations, cattle can be transported a maximum of 36 hours without feed, water and rest, and must be rested for a minimum of eight hours.

New livestock transport rules may cause tie-ups at rest stops

A lack of capacity at rest stops for calves moving to Eastern Canada has some Ontario feedlots looking south for cattle

[Updated: March 9, 2022] The federal government has decided to stick to its February 20, 2022 deadline for enforcing new feed, water and rest (FWR) rules around transporting cattle despite a one-year extension request by several industry organizations.  “We wanted to ensure ongoing research around the effects of rest stops for beef cattle was completed […] Read more


CME April 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20- and 100-day moving averages (dark red and black lines) and CME lean hog index (pink line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hogs up as processors seek market-ready supply

Weaker corn futures support feeder cattle

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures gained on Tuesday, supported by cash prices as packers attempted to pull market-ready hogs forward to slaughter, analysts said. “Packers are clearly chasing hogs. The supply of butcher hogs is not enough to meet demand,” said Dennis Smith, commodity broker at Archer Financial. CME April […] Read more

Feeding the pregnant beef cow

Feeding the pregnant beef cow

Nutrition with John McKinnon

In my previous column, I discussed how pregnant beef cows prioritize nutrient use for different physiological functions, including maintenance, lactation, pregnancy and growth. For those of you in Western Canada who were feeding cows during the last half of December 2021, you know full well how the cow’s maintenance requirements increase during extremely cold weather. […] Read more



CME April 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, dark red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs firm on tight hog supplies

Live cattle down off last week's gains

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures gained on Monday, supported by fewer market-ready hogs and diminished pork supplies, analysts said. “There just isn’t much extra pork laying around,” said Alan Brugler, president of Brugler Marketing. CME April lean hogs settled 1.2 cents higher at 101.275 cents/lb., notching a new life-of-contract high. […] Read more