Looking at charts from the past few months shows live cattle futures could range higher.
Cattleman’s Corner
Using technical analysis for feeder cattle marketing
The Markets: Looking at charts from the past few months shows the market could range higher
Castration via banding makes gains in popularity, safety
Animal Health: Pain relief in the bands can make the experience less irritating for young calves
The first castration banders were likely developed to replace knife or scalpel castration. They were easy to use and eliminated the complications of infections and blood loss. Castration with a knife or scalpel is harder to master and animal welfare issues must be considered. Banders have been around for a while; I recently saw an […] Read more
Watch dairy heifers grow on well-balanced diets
The Dairy Corner: There are numerous ways to get a quality mix to a farm’s heifers
I have balanced many dairy heifer replacement diets in the last few months. It’s a pretty easy exercise once I put it down on a PDF spreadsheet and email it to the dairy producer. I am confident all heifer nutrient requirements are met, given how heifers consume it. Plus, I want to make these diets […] Read more
Tariffs not on U.S. rancher radar
Cattle groups take their advocacy directly to U.S. livestock producers
Glacier FarmMedia — The Canadian Cattle Association says the threatened 25 per cent tariffs would cut Canadian wholesale beef prices by 13 per cent, but effects would be tempered slightly by a low Canadian dollar. “Obviously a huge blow to the benchmark beef price,” CCA vice-president Tyler Fulton says. “I think many of us would […] Read more
DNA testing can have value in commercial beef sector
Costs of Production: There are advantages to testing some cows, heifers, bulls and calves
There is growing interest in the commercial beef industry around using DNA to inform selection decisions. While traditionally the realm of the seedstock industry, commercial DNA testing and changes in the way we manage cattle have led to some big changes in how we think about genetic selection. DNA testing, in broad terms, means using […] Read more
Corralling cattle and calling on family
Eppich News: This winter’s agenda included moving cows in the snow and a trip northwest for visiting
The end of November brought us more snow. On the 25th John and Gregory went out to the Landis pasture to move some snow around so we could bring the cows home. The next day we took a couple of horses and pushed the cows from the south pasture to the native pasture to the […] Read more
How tariffs could influence cattle prices
The Markets: A 10 per cent tariff on Canadian cattle could be absorbed by U.S. consumer prices
During the first couple weeks of January, auction markets in Western Canada experienced a surge in sales as cow-calf producers increased selling prior to the Trump inauguration. Feeder cattle markets have been trading at record highs, which may have contributed to the feeder cattle liquidation; however, most cattle producers were selling in anticipation of U.S. […] Read more
Calving season: Timing and transition
Beef producers talk about their motivations for changing calving timing
For many cow-calf producers, calving season is a favourite time of year. After waiting 283 days, farmers are finally able to see the result of their breeding decisions as well as welcome a new crop of animals that will likely become a large portion of their annual revenue. Looking at survey data over the past […] Read more
GPS system for cattle brings individual animal management to the range
Smart Paddock can measure behaviour of animals far from home
An Australian company with a Canadian connection, Smart Paddock won the Rising Star category in the Canadian Animal AgTech innovation competition at Agribition in late 2024. Smart Paddock’s founder and chief executive officer, Darren Wolchyn, moved his family from Alberta to Australia and ended up working on GPS-tracking golf carts. Ranching friends in Alberta suggested […] Read more
Tighter fed cattle supplies projected for second quarter
The Markets: The trend has been toward fewer cattle in feedlots across North America in late 2024
At the time of writing this article, April 2025 live cattle futures were trading just above $197, which was a fresh contract high. The market appears to be incorporating a risk premium due to uncertainty in beef production in both Canada and the U.S. This has provided Alberta feedlot operators opportunities to lock in favourable […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
