File photo of a migrating flock of snow geese in Canada. (Pchoui/iStock/Getty Images)

Flu experts gather with H5N1 risk on the agenda

Threat to humans from current strain seen as low

London | Reuters — The world’s leading experts on influenza met this week to discuss the threat posed to humans by a strain of H5N1 avian flu that has caused record numbers of bird deaths around the world in recent months. The group of scientists, regulators and vaccine manufacturers meets twice a year to decide […] Read more

(Olymel video screengrab via YouTube)

Sollio books deeper loss for 2022

Olymel's fresh pork business takes biggest hit

Domestic and international market-moving events have dragged hard on the year-end bottom line for Sollio Cooperative Group, particularly in its fresh pork business. Quebec-based Sollio — which operates the ag input and farm service business Sollio Agriculture, meat packer Olymel and hardware retailer BMR — on Thursday reported full-year revenues of $8.876 billion for its […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: CME cattle set high on Brazil halting beef exports to China

April hogs close lower, June up

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures reached a contract high on Thursday amid hopes that Chinese importers will buy more U.S. beef after rival supplier Brazil suspended shipments to China, analysts said. Brazil said it would halt beef exports to China, the main destination for its overseas shipments, after confirming a […] Read more

A young foal stands to show the figure eight rump rope.

Putting a halter on a foal: Part 1

Horse Handling: Be gentle but firm in getting them use to halter and lead rope. Part 1 of a 4 part series on training foals

Horses are still a vital tool for many ranches. When they are not being used for work, they are a good source of recreation and exercise. Every good horse started out as a foal. A good foundation is so important for a horse’s later usefulness. As we start this four-part series on foal handling, let’s […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: CME hog futures sag as pork prices retreat

February live cattle up, April down

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures closed lower on Wednesday, retreating from six-week highs set a day earlier as wholesale pork prices backed down after spiking higher early in the week. Live cattle futures closed mixed, underpinned by surging beef prices. At the CME, April hogs settled down 2.55 cents at […] Read more

A microscope-level view of damaged brain tissue from a cow infected with BSE. (USDA photo via U.S. Food and Drug Administration)

Brazil to halt beef exports to China after BSE case

Indications point to 'atypical' case

Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazil’s beef exports to China will be halted starting Thursday after a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was confirmed in the northern state of Para, the country’s agriculture and livestock ministry said on Wednesday. The suspension is part of an animal health pact previously agreed between China and Brazil […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures climb

Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) cattle and hog futures came out of their U.S. Presidents Day break trading higher, with front-month live cattle posting eight-year highs. CME February 2023 live cattle touched 164.975 cents/lb. in Tuesday’s trade before closing at 164.75 cents, up 1.175 cents from Friday’s close and the highest close for the front-month contract […] Read more

While retaining or buying heifers are the two most common replacement strategies, they are far from the only options.

More than one way to get replacement cows

The general rule of an annual 10 per cent turnover in the cow herd may be an underestimate

I had the privilege of presenting a replacement female course in the Maritimes this fall (after three years or so of COVID, and airport-related delays). It provided a good opportunity to take some time to think through replacement strategies and the actual issues surrounding replacements. Most of us underestimate the replacement rate of our cow […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market stabilizes after recent climb

Calf prices in Manitoba show premium over Alberta

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $2-$3 on either side of unchanged. Replacements weighing 650-800 lbs. appeared to traded steady to $4 higher while calves under 650 lbs. were steady to $4 lower. The cost per pound gain is reaching unprecedented levels and fleshier cattle were discounted quite severely in some cases. […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle post near-eight-year highs

Firming cash prices support February, April live cattle; hogs lower

Chicago | Reuters — Benchmark live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange set life-of-contract highs on Friday and the front contract hit its highest since 2015 as shrinking cattle supplies lifted cash prices, traders said. Market-ready cattle traded in southern Plains cash markets at $160-$162 per hundredweight (cwt), traders said, steady to $2 higher […] Read more