buffalos

Bison, buffalo and beefalo

A brief history of the North American bison and how its story almost ended in extinction

What’s in a name? The big imposing animals that roamed the North American prairies and northern woodlands were called buffalo. Strictly speaking, buffalo are African and Asian cattle, distinct species from the North American and European animals. Technically and biologically speaking, our buffalo are not buffalo but bison. The North American Plains buffalo is classified […] Read more

CME August 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 100- and 200-day moving averages (pink, red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle reach three-week peak

Lean hogs mixed; U.S. Plains heat wave looms

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures hit a three-week high on Tuesday on sinking corn feed prices and concerns that hot, dry weather at central and southern Plains feedlots will continue to shrink livestock supplies, traders said. Technical buying further fueled the gains as cattle markets advanced despite broad-based selling across […] Read more


How does creep feeding pencil out for 2022?

How does creep feeding pencil out for 2022?

There may be a profit, but producer needs to decide if it is enough

Spring calves can be creep-fed in several ways, from home-made grain rations to well-balanced commercial feed pellets. All can be directed into a traditional creep feeding program, which can add extra saleable weaning weight by fall. Unfortunately, this premium growth may not always be nutritionally necessary or profitable. A little homework is necessary to calculate […] Read more



Smoke billows during a fire in an area of the Amazon rainforest near Humaita, Amazonas State, Brazil on Aug. 14, 2019. (Photo: Reuters/Ueslei Marcelino)

Market value alone is selling nature short, governments told

Economic valuations needed but 'not sufficient,' co-chair says

Reuters — What is the value of a river? Is it for the nutritional content of the fish it sustains? The economic benefit of the local livelihoods it supports? Or does the river have its own value which humans cannot measure? Such questions may seem removed from the issues the world faces, from deepening climate […] Read more

CME August 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 200-day moving averages (pink, dark red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle jump on cash market premiums

Feeder cattle firm, lean hogs mixed

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts firmed on Monday on technical buying and support from the premium of cash market prices to the actively traded front-month futures contract. Live cattle drew further support from firm beef prices and gains in feeder cattle futures. “Live cattle were up on the strong cash […] Read more


A Savoye X-PTS shuttle. Scott Technology has had a joint venture agreement in place with Savoye since 2020 to use Savoye automated carton storage and retrieval systems in Scott material handling systems. Scott said it also plans to use the Savoye system in its project for JBS at Brooks. (ScottAutomation.com)

JBS to automate beef warehousing at Brooks

Packer to replace current fully manual system

International meat packer JBS has enlisted a major robotics and automation company to overhaul the warehousing system at one of Canada’s biggest beef plants. JBS Foods Canada on Friday announced a $71 million project in partnership with New Zealand-based Scott Technology, to design and build a system that can handle and store up to 85,000 […] Read more

CME August 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20- and 100-day moving averages (pink and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle, feeder cattle slump

Deferred-month lean hogs up

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures eased on Friday as brokers said steady-to-lower cash prices were seen as disappointing. Feeder cattle futures also finished weaker, under pressure from climbing prices of grain used for livestock feed, brokers said. Traders kept an eye on the cash market, where prices are trading at […] Read more


CME August 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs touch highest level since April

Live cattle up, feeder cattle lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures jumped to their highest price since April on Thursday on U.S. supply concerns and strength in outside markets, brokers said. Live cattle reached a two-week high in the most-active contract, while feeder cattle futures slumped under pressure from soaring costs for grain used for livestock […] Read more

(GFM Staff photo)

National cattle producer group rebrands

Former Canadian Cattlemen's Association renamed

Canada’s national beef cattle producer body is rebranding under a slightly shorter new name that serves in part to clear away any potential whiff of a guys-only club. The organization formerly known as the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association on Thursday launched what it describes as a “a new brand identity, highlighting the strong and diverse group […] Read more