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



File photo of young birds on a Canadian broiler operation. (Elena Bionysheva-Abramova/iStock/Getty Images)

B.C. farmers granted late entry for AgriStability

Avian flu, 'extreme weather' events considered

With bird flu outbreaks and last spring’s weather woes in mind, farmers and ranchers in British Columbia are now spotted until the end of June to enrol in AgriStability. The province and the federal ag department on Tuesday announced they’ve agreed on a late participation option for the 2022 program year. In this case, the […] Read more

(Stephen Ausmus photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

High-path avian flu pops back up in southern Ontario

Three outbreaks in Canadian poultry this month, plus skunks

Feather industry officials are calling for “extreme caution” among poultry farmers after cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza turned up at two southern Ontario properties in the past week. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said it has confirmed cases of the virus detected last Friday in a backyard poultry flock in the municipality of Chatham-Kent, […] 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

There will be a sharp year- over-year decline in U.S. beef production in the second quarter of 2023.

Lower cattle supplies will be the theme for 2023

Market Update with Jerry Klassen: Consumers keep buying despite inflation and high interest rates

As of mid-February, Alberta packers were buying fed cattle in a live basis in the range of $195-$196/cwt delivered, up $10/cwt from 30 days earlier. The market had been percolating higher due to tighter supplies of market-ready fed cattle. Dressed cattle marketing weights have been declining on both sides of the border, giving the feedlot […] 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

This Jersey cow bred to a new Black Angus heifer bull had no trouble delivering this crossbred  bull calf, indicating a good start to the calving season.

Getting ready for calving season

Eppich News: Milking two cows leads to a wide range of homemade dairy products

January passed by in a blink of an eye. Gregory fed cows every day and usually had to move snow around to either feed or to bed. Overall, the weather was pretty nice, so the boys and I would work on some schoolwork in the mornings, and then go out and play in the afternoon. […] Read more