
Livestock

Lidocaine shows promise in mitigating castration pain
Two ongoing projects highlight the potential of using this anaesthetic during processing
Producers may have another option to offset castration pain in calves in the future, thanks to work underway in Western Canada. Early results from a University of Saskatchewan study suggest using lidocaine in addition to meloxicam during castration may control pain better than meloxicam alone. Dr. Diego Moya, assistant professor at the Western College of […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle firm on economic optimism
CME lean hogs close mostly higher
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures firmed for a second day on Thursday on technical buying and optimism that the U.S. economy may be on the upswing, analysts said. However, gains in nearby contracts trailed those in deferred months as a backlog of market-ready cattle and falling wholesale beef prices hung […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Nearby lean hog futures slide as slaughter rebounds
CME live cattle up on bargain buying
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange nearby lean hog futures hit a six-week low on Wednesday as the U.S. slaughter pace continued to recover, generating pork supplies that pressured wholesale prices and packer margins, traders said. CME June lean hogs ended down their daily limit of 3.75 cents, at 48.65 cents/lb., while most-active July […] Read more

Dutch to cull mink at farms hit by COVID-19 outbreak
Order follows mink-to-human virus transmissions
Amsterdam | Reuters — The Dutch government on Wednesday ordered mink culled at nine farms where animals have been infected with the coronavirus, fearing they could form a reservoir of disease infecting humans after the country’s current outbreak has passed. “Clearing the infected farms is in the interest of both human health and animal health,” […] Read more

U.S. indicts Pilgrim’s Pride CEO for alleged chicken price-fixing
Allegations cover period from 2012 to 2017
Washington/Chicago | Reuters — The CEO of Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., a major U.S. poultry company, was indicted along with three other current and former industry executives on charges of seeking to fix the price of chickens, the U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday. A grand jury in Denver indicted Jayson Penn, the president and CEO […] Read more

Flattening the cattle supply curve
Nutrition with John McKinnon
Over the last 10 weeks or so that we have lived through the COVID-19 pandemic, we have come to understand the term “flattening the curve” and its importance to our public health system. With respect to the beef industry, the largest impact of the virus to date has been on the health and safety of […] Read more

Pork packer considering Moose Jaw’s ex-beef plant
Donald's Fine Foods announces 'feasibility study'
A potential buyer’s study could soon show whether a former beef packing plant in southern Saskatchewan has the bones to support a pork processing operation for cull sows. Richmond, B.C.-based Donald’s Fine Foods, which since 2010 has operated the Thunder Creek Pork hog plant at Moose Jaw, announced last week it plans to run a […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle sag as wholesale beef prices retreat
Slaughter counts rising 'much faster than anticipated'
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures fell on Tuesday, with the August contract hitting its lowest in nearly a month as the U.S. slaughter pace picked up, sending more beef into retail channels, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) June live cattle settled down three cents at 95.3 cents/lb., while most-active August ended […] Read more

Writing history during a pandemic
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
It’s a trying time for those who try to convert current events into numbers in search of meaning for what’s happening today compared with what happened yesterday. Veterinarians are expected to know about viruses and bacteria transmitted between animals and people, but obviously important pieces are missing. It is especially frustrating with how little is […] Read more

Klassen: Feeder market recovery continues
Strength in fed cattle prices the main driver
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were $6-$8 higher on average while calves were unchanged to $4 higher. Strength in fed cattle prices was the main factor driving the feeder cattle market this week. Alberta direct fed cattle sales were reported on a live basis from $150 to $153 f.o.b. the feedlot, up […] Read more