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

U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures end higher in short-covering bounce

Hogs extend slide

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Tuesday, on a technical bounce a day after falling to three-week lows, with optimism about a slight improvement in the U.S. slaughter pace lending support, traders said. But worries about slowdowns at packing plants due to worker shortages continued to hang over […] Read more

When pulling a calf, once you snug the chains up make sure the tail is down and there is enough room.

Tips for delivering a backwards calf

Animal Health with Roy Lewis: If one calf presents backwards, there is a good chance there may be another

With improved breeding practices nowadays, calving season is more about mothering up, colostrum consumption and keeping calves warm and dry. Cases of calving difficulty have been greatly reduced. However, the backwards calf is still the most common calving malpresentation that require some intervention. With the alignment of the calf and the way the feet are […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder markets start 2022 with a roar

Compared to late December, western Canadian yearling prices were quoted $6-$8 higher on average; however, fancier, lower flesh packages in the 850- to 900-lb. category were $10-$12 higher. Calf markets were quite variable. Early in the week, calf prices were relatively unchanged but markets were up $3-$6 by Friday. Ontario buyers were extremely aggressive last […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hogs sag on Wall Street woes, worker shortages

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog and live cattle futures closed lower on Monday, pressured by declines on Wall Street along with slowdowns at slaughterhouses due to worker shortages, traders said. CME February live cattle futures settled down 1.075 cents at 136.25 cents/lb., while March feeder cattle futures ended down 1.325 cents […] Read more


Indian pork curry with naan bread. (Paul_Brighton/iStock/Getty Images)

India to allow imports of U.S. pork and products

Washington | Reuters — India has agreed to allow imports of U.S. pork and pork products into India, removing a longstanding barrier to U.S. agricultural trade, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on Monday. “India’s agreement to allow U.S. pork imports for the first time is great news for U.S. […] Read more

A view of the pig heart used in the transplant, before its removal from the pig, on Jan. 7, 2022. (Medschool.umaryland.edu)

Maryland man recovering after ‘breakthrough’ pig-heart transplant

Hog's genes edited to reduce rejection risk

Chicago | Reuters — A U.S. man with terminal heart disease was implanted with a genetically modified pig heart in a first-of-its-kind surgery, and three days later the patient is doing well, his doctors reported on Monday. The surgery, performed by a team at the University of Maryland Medicine, is among the first to demonstrate […] Read more


Bulalo, a Filipino soup dish made with boiled bone-in beef shank. (Jun Pinzon/iStock/Getty Images)

China, Philippines suspend beef imports from Canada on BSE case

Winnipeg | Reuters –– China and the Philippines have suspended imports of Canadian beef due to Canada’s detection in December of a cow infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a spokesperson for Canada’s agriculture department said on Monday. The moves follow an import suspension by South Korea last month, after Canada reported its first BSE […] Read more



CME March 2022 feeder cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle, lean hogs fall on weaker slaughter

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle and lean hog futures fell on Friday as sluggish slaughter rates continue to drag on prices, traders said. “They’re both facing the same fundamental music – this slaughter disruption due to weather, labour tightness and COVID,” said Dennis Smith, commodity broker at Archer Financial. CME February […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures firm

Cash cattle prices provide support; lean hogs also firm with cash index

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures moved higher on Thursday, supported by cash cattle prices in the northern U.S. Plains, analysts said. “We’ve been under some pressure recently, but the cash trade was still at $138 to $140,” said Doug Houghton, technical analyst at Brock Capital Management (all figures US$). “That’s […] Read more