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

U.S. livestock: CME hogs up off three-month low on bargain buying

Chicago cattle futures also gain

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures bounced from a three-month low on Monday and settled higher for the first time in eight sessions in a technical and bargain-buying rally to start the first full trading week of the year. Cattle futures also gained on improved packer demand following recent weeks of […] Read more

Once the calf hits the ground it is important to make sure the cow has proper nutrition leading up to breeding season.

Get and keep cows ready for rebreeding

A balanced ration needs to include essential mineral mix

Last year, a record-breaking cold Prairie winter followed by a snowy spring and a shortage of good-quality forage left a lot of overwintered beef cows in dire body condition by the time they calved. Many didn’t recover during the months leading up to the breeding season. As a result, many cows were not prepared to […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs extend slide to three-month low

Cattle also lower; "no urgency in this market right now"

Chicago | Reuters — CME lean hog futures sank to a three-month low and closed weaker for the seventh consecutive session on Friday on concerns about weak demand, brokers said. An increase in hog weights also hung over the market, after recent winter storms delayed processing and backed up livestock on farms, brokers said. Pork […] Read more

Beef supplies will tighten by mid-2023 

Beef supplies will tighten by mid-2023 

Market Update with Jerry Klassen: Feeder cattle market will function to encourage expansion

Western Canadian feeder cattle prices trended lower throughout the fall. During late August and the first half of September, higher-quality yearlings in Manitoba weighing 850 pounds were trading in the range of $255-$260/cwt. In early December, replacement cattle of similar quality in the same region were quoted at $240. Calves had a similar trend, dropping […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs touch three-week low

Most live cattle futures settle lower

Chicago | Reuters — CME lean hog futures set a three-week low on Thursday, under pressure from losses in broader markets and following recent weakness in cash hog prices, analysts said. Feeder cattle futures also ended lower as the market pulled back one day after hitting a September high. Livestock markets took signals from a […] Read more

Fortunately, a cow herd can acclimatize to cold weather but their feed intake will increase in order to stay warm.

Increase in open cows blamed on poor diet

Start with a decent body condition after summer grazing and keep it maintained through to calving

Many beef producers this fall confirmed a surprising number of open cows after they brought them home. I speculate that not enough feed last winter, a record-breaking cold winter and a wet spring failed to prepare many beef cow herds for good conception rates. Fortunately, most producers now have good feed inventory, which I am […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: CME hogs weaken, cattle rise as winter storms hit

Hogs touch lowest since Dec. 16

Chicago | Reuters — CME lean hog futures fell to their lowest price in more than two weeks on Wednesday and live cattle futures strengthened as snowstorms continued to disrupt livestock operations. Feeder cattle futures reached their highest price since September. Wintry weather in the northern U.S. Plains has delayed livestock shipments, reduced cattle weights […] Read more

Close-up of a McDonald’s double Quarter Pounder with bacon. (Corporate.mcdonalds.com)

McDonald’s reported set to exit Kazakhstan on Russia war spillover

Reuters — McDonald’s Corp. is set to abandon Kazakhstan as disruptions triggered by the Ukraine crisis have left the nation without a substitute for Russian meat supplies, Bloomberg News reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The fast-food giant, which exited Russia in May, banned its local franchisee from procuring meat patties from Russian […] Read more


The Banff Pork Seminar runs Jan. 10-12, 2023.

Pork producers heading to Banff

2023 seminar will be in-person with a twist

Pork producers from across the country will be heading to Banff in early January for the live, in-person 51st edition of the Banff Pork Seminar (BPS). There is still time to register for the event, which runs Jan. 10-12, 2023 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. Following modified versions of the conference in recent years […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hog futures near two-week lows in broad selloff

Boxed beef values limit losses in cattle

Chicago | Reuters — CME Group livestock futures hit their lowest prices in about two weeks on Tuesday on profit-taking and widespread selling that dragged down commodity and financial markets, analysts said. Traders booked profit in live cattle after the most-active contract reached a fresh high on Thursday, brokers said. Benchmark CME February live cattle […] Read more