Livestock
Despite new antimicrobials, antiparasiticides and growth promotants, many feedlot owners claim overall mortalities have changed very little.
Livestock
Vet Advice: Evolution gone wrong
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
Klassen: Optimistic fed cattle outlook supports feeder market
Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $2-$4 higher. Strong demand was noted on yearlings, which spilt over into the lighter weight categories. Major feedlot operators in Alberta set the price structure, with aggressive orders flowing across the Prairies. Some operators have been holding back on purchases due to higher prices; however, […] Read more
Slaughter resumes at Olymel hog plant
Return to usual pace expected 'in coming weeks'
Hog slaughter resumed Friday at a major Quebec pork plant that had sat idle for over four months, as striking employees now return to work with a new six-year contract. The Olymel plant at Vallee-Jonction, south of Quebec City, restarted daytime and evening hog slaughter shifts Friday after “maintenance and sanitation” work on Wednesday and […] Read more
Fed cattle prices see slight increase, beef demand strong
The Markets with Deb McMillin, from the September 2021 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Fed cattle After three weeks of hovering around $150/cwt, the average Alberta fed cattle price increased slightly by mid-August to $151.43/cwt. That is $17.32/cwt higher than one year ago when we were still working through the COVID backlog, and over $9/cwt higher than the five-year average. While sale prices are above last year, the high […] Read more
Finding opportunity in sustainability
From a cow-calf operation in Alberta to a feedlot in Ontario, these beef producers are finding benefits in becoming certified sustainable
It’s the “right thing to do” for the Van Osch family at their feedlot, and so they belong to the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) program. The Blairs do it for the future of the Canadian beef industry. Both farms exemplify the kind of commitment seen all across Canada to raising beef sustainably. Becoming […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle lower as beef prices cool
Lean hogs close mostly lower
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell on Thursday, on softening wholesale beef prices and a lack of supportive news, traders said. CME October live cattle settled down 1.525 cents at 126.05 cents/lb. after hitting 125.875, near the contract’s 100-day moving average and its lowest price since Aug. 6 (all figures […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle end up off six-session skid
Hogs up but still rangebound
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher Wednesday on short-covering after a six-session decline and expectations of firming cash cattle prices, traders said. However, the rally was capped by falling wholesale beef prices, with the U.S. grilling season poised to wind down after Monday’s Labour Day holiday. CME October live […] Read more
Brazil’s ag ministry investigating suspected BSE case
Evidence suggests 'atypical' BSE, source says
Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazil’s agriculture ministry said Wednesday it was investigating a suspected case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the country, according to a statement. An industry source told Reuters, on condition of anonymity, that the suspected case occurred in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais. The ministry said such investigations are […] Read more
Health Canada warns people not to take livestock dewormers
No evidence that drug is effective against COVID-19
“Concerning reports” of people in Canada seeking out veterinary-grade dewormers for personal use have led Health Canada to formally advise against doing so. News reports in Western Canada in the past week have described increased demand from non-farming consumers for veterinary-grade ivermectin, whether at livestock supply retailers or online. While ivermectin is an antiparasitic drug […] Read more
Striking Olymel workers accept new six-year deal
Slaughter could restart Friday at earliest, company says
Striking workers at a major hog slaughter and cutting plant in Quebec’s Beauce region have agreed to a new six-year contract that could see slaughter resume Friday at the earliest. Olymel and the CSN-affiliated Syndicat des travailleurs d’Olymel Vallee-Jonction (STOVJ) announced Tuesday afternoon that unionized workers at the company’s Vallee-Jonction plant, south of Quebec City, […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
