Mature cattle are most likely to experience a magnesium deficiency especially when grazing immature cool-season grasses and lush early growth. They are less able to quickly mobilize magnesium from their bones to meet the body’s needs, and also have a reduced ability to absorb this mineral.

Grass tetany relates to magnesium deficiency

It goes by many names and has many causes

Springtime brings risk for metabolic and nervous system problems brought on by acute magnesium deficiency. This condition has been called tetany, grass staggers, milk tetany, lactation tetany, winter tetany, wheat pasture poisoning, crested wheatgrass poisoning, barley poisoning, and perhaps others. It mainly affects mature cattle grazing lush forage and is due to deficiency of magnesium […] Read more

An original proposal by Health Canada to label ground beef as high in saturated fat has been shelved.  Photo: Jeff Haynes/Reuters

Health Canada to slap warning labels on sugary, salty and fatty foods

Ottawa | Reuters – Foods high in sugars, sodium and saturated fat will come with clear warning labels in Canada starting in 2026, the federal government said on Thursday, in an effort to promote healthier eating choices and reduce chronic health risks. “We know that it’s not always easy to make healthy choices,” Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos told […] Read more





Photo: File

U.S. livestock: Live cattle mixed on seasonal slump, domestic demand worries

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange spot live cattle futures rose on Tuesday, as the northern cash market continued to trade at a record premium over the south amid drought-hit grazing grounds, traders said. But CME’s benchmark August live cattle futures LCQ2 and deferred contracts slipped on worries about the health of the U.S. economy, and […] Read more



(Photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)

Cash advances’ interest-free portion temporarily raised

APP funds now interest-free for first $250K

The federal government’s low-interest loan guarantee program for Canadian farmers will sweeten the interest-free portion of its offer for the next two program years to help with farm cash flow. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Thursday announced a temporary increase in the interest-free portion of the Advance Payments Program to $250,000, up from the usual […] Read more

Photo: Canstock

U.S. livestock: Hog futures rise as traders cover short positions

Chicago | Reuters – CME Group hog futures firmed on Friday as traders covered short positions after prices fell 5.6 percent over the last two sessions, though demand concerns capped gains. A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report showed that pork export sales in the week ended June 16 totalled 27,600 tonnes, unchanged from a week earlier. […] Read more



U.S. livestock: Hog futures retreat from two-month high; cattle also fall

Chicago | Reuters – CME Group cattle futures fell on Wednesday, as surprise deliveries in Texas showed that cash market supplies were higher than expected, traders said. Hog futures were lower, snapping a streak of four straight higher closes as traders locked in profits from the market’s move to a two-month high. CME July lean […] Read more