CME December 2020 lean hogs with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Lean hog futures climb to more than 10-month high

Live cattle lower on new lockdown concerns for beef demand

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures on Thursday soared to their highest prices in more than 10 months, as meat demand continued to strain processor capacity and COVID-19 cases are rising in the United States, traders said. Thursday’s daily U.S. hog slaughter was 490,000 head — 2,000 fewer than the same period last […] Read more

Don’t underestimate the value of provide cattle with good quality water.

Do you know what’s swimming in your livestock water?

Good clean water is the most important nutrient

A university professor once told our beef science class that many things that aren’t fish are swimming in most beef cows’ drinking water. As an undergraduate, I envisioned snails and frogs being sucked up by thirsty cows, but soon realized that he was talking about the many undesirable things not visible to the naked eye. […] Read more


CME December 2020 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs up on lower-than-expected inventory

CME live cattle follow cash cattle lower

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures climbed on Wednesday as traders grappled with mounting confusion on lower-than-expected slaughter rates, traders said. Wednesday’s daily U.S. hog slaughter was 489,000 head — or 2,000 fewer than the same period last year, according to data published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For the week to […] Read more



CME December 2020 live cattle with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures rebound on wholesale strength

Softening cash market drags on hog futures

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures rebounded on Tuesday, correcting after the biggest drop since June 30, amid a stronger wholesale market, traders said. Lean hogs stepped back for a second day, reflecting a softer cash market, while feeder cattle followed the cash market higher. Chicago Mercantile Exchange December live cattle futures added […] Read more

CME January 2021 feeder cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

Klassen: Feeder market digests rising COVID-19 cases

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were relatively unchanged while calves traded steady to $2 lower on average. The grain harvest is in its final stages and buying interest was noted from the farmer/backgrounding operator. The buying frenzy over yearlings has eased and finishing feedlots were active on all weight categories. Feather-light calves […] Read more


CME December 2020 live cattle with 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Futures slip on seasonal pressure

Slaughter backlogs remain a drag on live cattle

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures fell on Monday, pressured by a softening in seasonal demand and the continued impact from backlogs at slaughterhouses, traders said. Lean hogs also eased on profit taking, while feeder cattle also followed live cattle for a loss. CME October live cattle futures fell 1.525 cents, to 108.35 […] Read more

If you don’t have the numbers to make a truck load lot, it may be worthwhile to team up with another producer.

Numbers matter when marketing cattle

Genetics may not matter as much as larger, more consistent lots

The definition of marketing for some cow-calf producers could be “rounding up the calves, loading them into trailers and sending them to the local auction market.” While this method will put a cheque in the bank account, it’s not likely the optimum definition to tie the financial proficiency of an operation to. Advertise herd genetics […] Read more