bull

Getting bulls prepped for breeding season

Bulls in optimum body condition have high sperm count and sex drive at breeding

Beef bulls are prepared in different ways before the upcoming breeding season. Some are ignored, maybe left on some distant stubble field or in a drylot pen, and inadequately fed. Other bulls are fed too well, so they waddle with fat. The rest are properly prepared for the breeding season, putting them in the best […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs hit contract lows on follow-through selling

Cattle futures edge upward

Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures dropped to contract lows on Tuesday on follow-through and technical selling after recent slides, traders said. Front-month April lean hogs settled down 0.725 cent at 77.05 cents/lb. after hitting a contract low at 77 cents (all figures US$). The contract has lost 12 per cent […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Stronger fed cattle market pulls feeders upward

Feedlots becoming more current with production

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling and calf markets were quoted steady to $5 higher on average. Strength was noted in southern Alberta. In the Lethbridge area, prices for lighter flesh replacements were up as much as $10 from seven days earlier. Larger supplies of backgrounded cattle are coming on the market at this […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: June live cattle, hogs continue lower

Feeder cattle also down on day

Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s most-active June live cattle and lean hog contracts continued on a downward track in Monday’s trade. June live cattle closed Monday at $155.525, beneath the lower end of its 20-day Bollinger range and down 87.5 cents from Friday’s close (all figures US$ per hundredweight). Front-month April, meanwhile, opened near its 50-day moving […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: Nearby CME lean hogs recover slightly from slide

April cattle futures lower; U.S. cattle on feed in line with expectations

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures ended slightly higher in the nearby contract on Friday in a rebound from steep declines this week, though deferred contracts extended losses, traders said. Lower cutout values continue to hang over the futures market, along with broader pressure from market turmoil in the banking sector, […] Read more

With good observational skills you can correct and save most calves when a cow is having difficulty during calving.

A great video that shows calving techniques

Animal Health: It helps to correct a malpresentation when you know what it looks like

Calving season is here and even though “hard pulls” — difficult deliveries or C-sections — are rare these days, they do happen. The calving cow needs our attention and help the most when there is some form of malpresentation. This is one time where we can make a big difference by recognizing something isn’t right, […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: Hogs limit down on disease chatter

Chicago cattle futures close higher

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures sank by the maximum daily trading limit on Thursday on rumours about a potential outbreak of a fatal pig disease which the U.S. government later said were untrue. Unsubstantiated chatter about a U.S. case of African swine fever swirled in the market, but the U.S. […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: CME cattle set multi-week lows as bank selloff hits Wall Street

April hogs, feeder cattle also lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures tumbled to multi-week lows on Wednesday as losses in U.S. stocks and fears about a banking crisis spilled into livestock markets, analysts said. The Dow and S+P 500 closed lower as problems at Credit Suisse piled more pressure on the banking sector. Declines in equities hit […] Read more


(WPohlDesign/iStock/Getty Images)

Klassen: Feeder market scaling fresh heights

Heifer retention expected in U.S. this spring

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $5 to as much as $10 higher. Replacements in the 650- to 800-lb. category were up $6-$12; calves under 650 lbs. were relatively unchanged although volumes were limited. Lightweight calves were hard to come by last week. Weather may have been a factor. Many factors contributed […] Read more

CME April 2023 live cattle with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hogs decline amid demand worries

April feeder cattle lowest since March 3

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange livestock markets ended lower again on Tuesday, with cattle and hog futures easing on demand concerns, analysts said. Front-month feeder cattle futures hit their lowest price since March 3, extending a retreat from a 2015 high reached last week. Front-month live cattle, meanwhile, touched a three-low on Monday. […] Read more