CME October 2023 feeder cattle with 20- and 50-day moving averages and most-active November 2023 feeder cattle (black line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle dip to three-week low

Live cattle also drop, hogs mixed ahead of USDA report

Chicago | Reuters — Chart-based and fund selling dragged Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures to their lowest level in more than a week on Tuesday while feeder cattle hit a three-week low, traders said. Most-active lean hog futures also came under pressure. Steep losses on Wall Street set a negative tone for cattle futures, […] Read more

CME December 2023 live cattle with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle slip, but stay near recent highs

December hogs up off three-week low

Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange eased on Monday as the market pulled back slightly from life-of-contract highs set last week. The markets remain near their peaks as tight U.S. cattle supplies continue to fuel supply concerns. CME October live cattle futures settled 0.1 cent down at 186.975 cents/lb., […] Read more


CME December 2023 live cattle with 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle up on bargain-buying, tight supplies

Hogs down in profit-taking

Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange closed higher on Friday on tight U.S. cattle supplies and bargain-buying a day after the benchmark December contract hit a one-week low, traders said. CME October live cattle futures settled up 2.1 cents at 187.075 cents/lb. and most-active December ended up 1.85 cents […] Read more

Calves in the ring at the Stettler Auction Mart.

Auction mart report for the week of Sept. 22, 2023

Regional market analysis from Manitoba and Saskatchewan, courtesy of the Livestock Markets Association of Canada Members

Southern Manitoba | Western Manitoba | Southern Saskatchewan Southern Manitoba, courtesy of Killarney Auction Mart Eight-hundred cattle through the ring this week at the Killarney Auction Mart:• 10 per cent butchers• 45 per cent yearlings• 45 per cent calvesThis is a time when the auctions stand out as being the truest method of price discovery. […] Read more


The Wray family.

CCA reports: Wray Ranch receives TESA, improvements to BRM programs in the works

From the September 2023 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Uncertainty is often the common thread that unites us, and this summer is no different with adverse weather hitting cattle producers across the country. Perseverance and hard work are not new to us, but sometimes we need support to get through the tough times. This was a message I carried with me to the federal, […] Read more

When used for flooring, skid steer tires provide traction without being overly abrasive.

The link between toe tip necrosis in cattle and flooring

Flooring that provides traction without scraping hooves minimizes the risk of white line separation in cattle

Toe tip necrosis syndrome is a hind-limb lameness of feedlot cattle that develops days to weeks after arrival at the feedlot. This disease is also known by many other names: toe abscess, toe ulcer, P3 necrosis, toe necrosis, apical white line disease, apicus necrotica, and the list goes on. The disease was first described in […] Read more


CME December 2023 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: December hogs limit-down on pork prices, macroeconomic fears

Cattle futures follow hogs, equities lower

Chicago | Reuters — Lean hog futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange tumbled on Thursday as a drop in wholesale pork prices coupled with worries about the global economy sparked a round of profit-taking, analysts said. Livestock futures, grains and Wall Street equity markets all declined on Thursday as the U.S. dollar set a six-month […] Read more

CME December 2023 live cattle with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle end firm, consolidate below recent highs

Hogs up on discount to cash price index

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Wednesday as the market consolidated just below life-of-contract highs touched a day earlier. Tightening U.S. cattle supplies remain a supportive backdrop to the market, but fresh bullish news was lacking, traders said. Wholesale beef prices fell, extending a seasonal slide dating from […] Read more


CME October 2023 lean hogs with 10-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Chicago hogs turn upward

Cattle futures down on day

Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures turned solidly upward Tuesday, a day after most trading months except October booked declines. October lean hogs closed Tuesday at 84.85 cents/lb., up 1.6 cents from Monday, while December closed at 76.25 cents, up 1.825 cents on the day (all figures US$). October hogs had dipped below 82 […] Read more

Livestock nutritionist John McKinnon examines three scenarios at how byproduct feeds can be used in cattle feeding programs.

Using byproduct feeds to influence profitability of backgrounded calves

Nutrition with John McKinnon

In my last column, I wrote about some of the challenges facing producers who background cattle, both from a marketing and production perspective. Concerning marketing, emphasis was placed on differences between custom and owner-operated businesses. From a production perspective, both knowledge of cost of production and identifying goals of the nutrition program were stressed. Concerning […] Read more