Smoke rises from a wildfire near Wildwood, Alta., about 100 km west of Edmonton, on May 5, 2023. (Photo: Alberta Wildfire/Handout via Reuters)

Alberta ‘crossing fingers’ for rain amid wildfires

CN mainline traffic west of Edmonton suspended

Reuters — Firefighters were counting on rain and cooler weather forecast for Monday to help them quell a dramatic start to Alberta’s wildfire season. The province declared a state of emergency on Saturday in response to wildfires in northern and central regions that have displaced nearly 30,000 people and prompted energy producers to shut in […] Read more

CME June 2023 lean hogs with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures extend losing streak

Feeder cattle turn higher on bargain buying

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures fell for the fourth straight session on Monday, with the most-active June contract hitting a new low, with traders focused on cash market weakness and light demand for pork. In CME cattle futures, feeder cattle contracts rebounded from six straight losing sessions on some bargain […] Read more


These two Black Angus bulls are used on the writer's ranch in Idaho as easy calving heifer bulls.

Females figure strongly in maternal bull selection

Look at calves, heifers and cows to get a better idea of maternal traits

There are several factors to consider when selecting a bull to sire replacement females. The bull makes a lasting contribution to the herd (good or bad). The quickest way to change genetics of a herd is through sire selection. You want that contribution to be beneficial, moving the herd in the best direction to meet […] Read more

A smoke column rises from a wildfire on May 4, 2023 near Lodgepole, Alta., about 30 km southwest of Drayton Valley. (Photo: Alberta Wildfire handout via Reuters)

Fire and floods across Western Canada force evacuations

Western Alberta towns of Edson, Drayton Valley ordered to evacuate

Reuters — A week of record-hot weather in Western Canada has forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes, as wildfires rage in parts of Alberta and rapid snow melt triggers flooding across interior British Columbia. By Friday, more than 13,000 people were under evacuation orders in Alberta. As of late Friday afternoon, 91 fires […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: Weak pork demand knocks lean hogs to contract lows

June live cattle up; feeder cattle down

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures sank to contract lows on Friday on concerns over anemic U.S. demand for pork, analysts said. The dramatic price decline fueled projections among traders that hog farmers may reduce their herds, after losing money for months on each pig they raise. Farmers are grappling with […] Read more

Brazilian meatpacker JBS SA’s logo on a tower in Jundiai, northwest of Sao Paulo in southeastern Brazil, on June 1, 2017. (File photo: Reuters/Paulo Whitaker)

JBS opens cleaning unit after outside firm fined for hiring kids

Company says has cut ties to cleaning contractor

Chicago | Reuters — JBS USA, one of the biggest U.S. meatpackers, is creating an internal company to clean some of its processing plants after a private sanitation firm it employed was accused of hiring children for dangerous work. The launch shows the complexities involved in replacing Packers Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI), a firm that […] Read more


File photo of goats on display at the Hanover Agricultural Fair in Grunthal, Man. in August 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Fairs, exhibitions concerned over new traceability proposals

Event volunteers may lack skills needed, association says

The Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions (CAFE) says proposed federal regulations regarding livestock traceability are putting animal events across the country at risk. Their concerns centre around new directives centred around moving and tagging which they say would affect Canada’s 5,000 fairs, rodeos and other events. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has proposed that […] Read more

CME August 2023 feeder cattle with 10-, 20- and 30-day moving averages. (Barchart)

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

June live cattle, lean hogs also lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange feeder cattle futures slumped to their lowest price in more than three weeks on Thursday, while live cattle futures also eased. Traders said the markets were overbought and pressured by technical selling and long liquidation, after feeder cattle set contract highs last month and front-month live cattle futures […] Read more


Built in the 1970s this calf shelter still works today to provide calves with a dry place to bed down away from the wind, snow and rain.

Winter shelters have saved calves

Having protection from wet and wind made a difference, even under extreme weather and low temperatures

Ranchers who calve early know the value of shelter for baby calves. When my husband Lynn and I started ranching in 1967, our cows were calving in March and April and we had terrible scours, especially when the weather was wet. The pastures on this place were contaminated with scour “bugs” after intensive cattle use […] Read more

CME June 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle extend setback to six-week low

Lean hogs follow cattle futures lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures tumbled to a six-week low on Wednesday, extending a setback from an all-time high last month as technical selling and long liquidation hit the market, brokers said. Losses in equities also pressured cattle futures amid concerns that weakness in the U.S. economy could depress demand […] Read more