In the most severe cases the hair coat of cattle may change colour, but most copper deficiencies in cattle are subtle in nature, which makes it difficult to spot.

Several symptoms relate to copper deficiency

Poor pregnancy rates and lots of foot rot are common indicators of insufficient amounts

As a beef nutritionist, I have formulated hundreds of cattle minerals. Some are very simple and basic formulas while others are customized to take care of a specific cattle need. Still a few others may contain non-mineral feed additives. Regardless of their final mineral choice, beef producers often request that it be fortified with a […] Read more

(File photo by Dave Bedard)

Manitoba pork industry grows despite ‘uncertainty’

Bacon plant, breeding facility show sector strength

MarketsFarm — The current state of Manitoba’s pork industry is evident in a pair of large investments within the sector, according to the general manager of Manitoba Pork. Cam Dahl, who was named GM of the provincial pork organization in February last year after previously working for Manitoba Beef Producers and Cereals Canada, cited two […] Read more


CME December 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs end firmer, live cattle stumble

Feeder cattle futures mixed

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures ended higher on Friday as the market moved up toward cash prices, analysts said. October lean hogs closed 0.85 cent stronger at 96.9 cents/lb. (all figures US$). The contract earlier in the session rose to 96.925 cents, its highest price since Aug. 23. Most-active December […] Read more

CME December 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks, right column) with 20-day moving average (brown line) and CME cash lean hog index (pink line, left column). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: December lean hogs hit four-week high

CME live cattle also finish stronger

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures touched a four-week high on Thursday on technical buying and concerns about tightening supplies, analysts said. Demand from pork processors helped underpin futures as packers’ profit margins improved, a broker said. Margins were estimated to be $2.45 per hog, up from a loss of $4.15 […] Read more


(Scott Bauer photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Avian flu circles back in Western Canada

All western provinces book new cases in commercial birds

A relatively quiet summer for highly pathogenic avian influenza in Canada has turned for the worse, with outbreaks on commercial poultry farms in all four western provinces in the past week alone. Cases of high-path avian flu in domestic birds in Canada confirmed and reported by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency since Aug. 31 include: […] Read more

CME October 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures fall

Cattle futures mixed

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures fell on Wednesday, turning lower on a round of profit-taking after the most-active December contract hit its highest in more than three weeks early in the trading session. Cattle futures were mixed, with live cattle contracts easing for the second day in a row while feeder cattle futures […] Read more


File photo of a plate of tandoori chicken legs. (Paul_Brighton/iStock/Getty Images)

Ontario halal processor to buy poultry packing capacity

Amir Quality Meats taking up Wellington Poultry

An Ontario meat processor specializing in the halal market has a deal in place to boost its capacity by buying a nearby chicken and specialty fowl packer. Amir Quality Meats, which operates a federally registered HACCP-certified boning and cutting plant at Brampton, has an agreement in place to buy the processing plant and “associated supply” […] Read more

Livestock nutrition stands as the hub of Bullseye, but around that hub includes herd health, cow comfort, optimized and balanced rations, forage management, calf health and water quality.

Beef marketing closely linked to herd health, nutrition

When to buy, when to sell and how management changes make a difference

So what is a beef marketing specialist doing working with a livestock nutrition company? For the Alberta-based, Prairie-wide More Than Just Feed, marketing cattle is all part of the production cycle. That’s why they’ve recently brought Brian Perillat, former longtime manager with Canfax, on board to work with company consultants as well as directly with […] Read more


The developer of Velcro got the idea from burdock seed heads. While Velcro turned out to be a great thing for consumer products, the burrs that stick to livestock (and humans) are not just a nuisance but can have a negative health and economic impact.

Burdock control is a year-round project

Plants reduce forage production and their sticky burrs can devalue and injure livestock

Burdock is an invasive plant that causes problems for livestock and crops. The tall burdock plant (a native of Eurasia, brought to North America by seed burrs stuck to imported animals) is a biennial. Burdock flowers in late summer, producing a composite seed head which matures by mid-August in southern areas and later in northern […] Read more

CME October 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, dark red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures slip from seven-year peak

Hogs up on technical buying

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell after hitting their highest in seven years on Monday. Feeder cattle futures continued to weaken, with the front-month contract dropping to a five-week low, as the prospect of high feeding costs due to strong corn prices pressured the market. Hog futures firmed on technical […] Read more