Brent Lonker looks for bulls that are more heavily muscled on the front.

Backing the Bonsma principles in today’s beef industry

A look at how Jan Bonsma’s approach to selection is still influencing some ranchers

A look at how Jan Bonsma’s approach to selection is still influencing some ranchers

Over recent years, many commercial cattle operators have become somewhat disillusioned with the direction of certain segments of the beef seedstock industry. In their view, the common sense guideposts for the most useful animals have been directing them too close to the numbers-dominated terminal growth and carcass traits, often at the expense of maternal, reproductive […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle gain as heat impacts producers

Seasonal pressures drag on hog futures

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures gained on Friday as processors looked to incentivize market-ready cattle movement while producers struggled against high temperatures on the U.S. Plains, analysts said. “We saw packers willing to pay up to keep stuff moving. With the hot weather, you had probably reduced performance and a […] Read more


CME October 2023 live cattle with 20-day moving average (pink line, right index) and CME October 2023 feeder cattle (dark red line, left index). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle up on cash optimism, heat risk

Lean hogs also up on strong pork prices

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures firmed on Thursday, supported by concerns about heat stress in the U.S. Plains, as well as optimism in the cash cattle market, analysts said. “The cash outlook seems pretty firm,” said Doug Houghton, technical analyst at Brock Capital Management. ” I think there’s some support […] Read more

A vet preg checks heifers on a ranch in north-western Saskatchewan. Heifers that conceive early should be the top replacement candidates, says Dr. Jordan Thomas.

Breaking bad habits key to better bottom lines

Cow-calf producers urged to look at potential replacement heifers and older cows as buyers rather than sellers

The silent killer of cow-calf profitability is the bad habits of producers, according to Dr. Jordan Thomas, and holding on to less efficient cows is one of the worst. “What causes long hay-feeding seasons and long calving seasons is the person in the mirror — we need to work on how we think,” says the […] Read more


Photo: ARS/USDA

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs dip as seasonal pressures mount

Live cattle futures eased slightly as cash trade remains light

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures fell for a third session on Wednesday, as seasonal pressure mixed with weaker pork prices, analysts said. “This time of year for October hogs, it’s tough to know which direction to go in,” said Joe Kooima, commodity broker at Kooima Kooima Varilek Trading Inc, noting […] Read more

The Canadian Cow-Calf Surveillance Network works with vet schools, private vets and 175 cow-calf producers to quantify health and management challenges and opportunities from coast to coast.

Record collectors unite: There’s power in numbers

Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen

Ranching without records is like travelling without a map. Records tell you where you’ve been and where you are. Connecting those dots tells you where you’re heading. If you don’t like that destination, records can help you decide how to adjust your management. When producer records are combined, you can tell where you are with […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle ease, heat impacts in focus

Seasonal hog supplies pressure futures

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures eased on Tuesday after two sessions higher, as traders watch to see the impact of sweltering temperatures on slaughter-ready cattle, analysts said. “The heat does hurt the weights. That’s been an issue for a lot of the south, for a lot of the summer,” said […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle climb on fewer feedlot placements

Lean hog futures down with cash prices

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures firmed for a second session on Monday, supported by a bigger-than-expected drop in cattle placements in July, reported after market close on Friday. “In terms of slaughter ready cattle, we’re still relatively tight,” said Austin Schroeder, analyst at Brugler Marketing. In the U.S. Department of […] Read more


CME October 2023 live cattle with 10-, 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle recover from six-week low

U.S. cattle-on-feed data seen as supportive

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended higher on Friday after dropping to a six-week low, as traders adjusted positions before a government report showed lower-than-expected placements in U.S. feedlots last month. The data, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued after trading ended, should further support cattle futures next […] Read more

CME October 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 75-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: October live cattle futures lowest since July

October hogs up almost a cent

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended lower on Thursday, with the most-active contract hitting its lowest price since July, as the market continued to retreat from recent highs. Futures and cash prices have jumped this year after drought reduced the amount of pastures available for grazing and prompted U.S. cattle […] Read more