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

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs touch new lows on fat supplies

Live cattle down on profit-taking, feeder cattle touch fresh highs

Chicago | Reuters — Choppy trade roiled the Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s livestock markets on Wednesday, while bountiful pork supplies and questions over consumer demand sent five of lean hog contracts slumping to new contract lows. The hog market turned sharply down, traders said, as the sector continues to wrestle with weak cash prices and larger-than-expected […] Read more

One producer uses this automatic robot feed-pusher to keep feed in front of his dairy cows. It is is programmed to move along the feed-bunk, where it then augers newly dumped feed, remixes it and pushes it up, every 2 1⁄2 hours.

Dairy cattle can be picky eaters

Dairy Corner: Keep a properly mixed ration ‘pushed up’ in front of the cows throughout the day

As a dairy nutritionist, I often bag a TMR sample from the feed bunk and then later Koster-test its moisture, which should be about 50 per cent. I also do a shaker box test with a three-screen Penn State Particle Separator. I like to see 15-20 per cent long-stem particles in the top-screen, 35-40 per […] Read more


CME May 2023 feeder cattle with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle hit new highs

Chicago lean hogs hit new low

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s April and May feeder cattle futures hit fresh contract highs on Tuesday on tight supplies, as analysts said they expected cattle placements to continue to trend down, traders said. Meanwhile, CME May lean hogs hit a contract low of 78.5 cents/lb., before closing down 2.175 cents at 78.825 […] Read more

For optimum rebreeding performance cows need a proper body condition score and also a balanced blend of vitamins and minerals. When comparing "vit-min" products be sure to read the label for feeding level. The feeding rate of loose mineral or mixed into the beef cows’ diet is between 100 – 300 grams, per head, daily.

A balanced mineral-vitamin program is a good investment

The key is to be raising healthy animals in good condition and ready for breeding

Spring is a good time to review your cow herd’s mineral-vitamin program, as nursing cows (and bulls) should be in good mineral and vitamin status that drive a solid return to active reproduction by the breeding season. In order to do so, beef producers often collect and review several commercial feed labels. Most list the […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market factors in lower barley prices

Strength in deferred live cattle futures also supportive

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearlings over 800 lbs. jumped $4 to as much as $10 in some cases. Steers in the 700- to 800-lb. category appeared to be up $10-$12 while similar-weight heifers were up $8-$10. Calves under 700 lbs. were up $10-$20. The feeder market was hard to define in some cases. […] Read more

Brazilian meatpacker JBS SA’s logo on a tower in Jundiai, northwest of Sao Paulo in southeastern Brazil, on June 1, 2017. (File photo: Reuters/Paulo Whitaker)

JBS to pay US$25 million in latest beef price-fixing settlement

Settlement calls for co-operation in cases against other defendants

Reuters — JBS SA has agreed to pay US$25 million to commercial beef purchasers that accused the meat-packing company of conspiring with industry rivals to restrict market supply in order to keep prices artificially high. The proposed settlement in Minnesota federal court was disclosed on Friday from plaintiffs’ lawyers representing a class of businesses that […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle hit new highs on supplies, cash market

Live cattle, lean hogs also up

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange feeder cattle futures hit new all-time highs in the nearby contracts on Monday, as bidding wars continue to rally cash prices as more producers show interest in expanding their herds, traders said. The rally helped give a boost to the pork market, where CME April lean hogs ended […] Read more

(Thinkstock photo)

U.S. begins testing bird flu vaccines for poultry after record outbreak

Four vaccines to be tested

Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. government is testing four potential bird flu vaccines for poultry, officials said on Friday, after more than 58 million chickens, turkeys and other birds have died in the nation’s worst outbreak ever. The trials, conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service, are the first step […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle pull back from all-time highs

Chicago lean hogs up off contract lows

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures retreated on Friday after racing to all-time highs during the previous three sessions as tightening U.S. supplies rallied cash prices. Profit-taking and technical pressured futures following the surge, though the market could still post new highs moving forward, analysts said. Surging cash prices this week […] Read more

The three scour vaccines on the market in Canada are good at getting protection to calves into colostrum for the different common causes of scours.

How to avoid scours getting at your calves

Several factors to hopefully reduce the impact of disease development

In this day and age, when you have the first case of scours develop, most veterinarians would advise to give electrolytes to counter dehydration, other ancillary treatments such as NSAIDs (anti-inflammatory medications) and if necessary, antibiotics. If a second case arises it’s a good idea to get it diagnosed to know exactly what you’re dealing […] Read more