Livestock & Production Tips

If a newborn calf is unable to nurse, the quickest and safest way to get colostrum into him is by tube.

Tips on using tube feeders with calves

Whether in nose or throat, insert gently and make sure it’s in the right spot

By Heather Smith Thomas May 22, 2020

Sometimes you must get fluid into a calf — a newborn that needs colostrum, or a sick calf that needs fluid orally. If a newborn is unable to nurse mama or suck a bottle, the quickest and safest way to get colostrum into him is by tube. A sick calf generally won’t suck a bottle, […] Read more

CME June 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

Livestock, Markets, Reuters

U.S. livestock: Hogs, live cattle gain against cash markets

Cold storage meat supplies down slightly, USDA says

By GFM Network News May 22, 2020

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live hog futures gained on Thursday on short-covering as contracts strengthened against cash markets, traders said. CME live cattle futures firmed, while feeder cattle dipped ahead of Friday’s U.S. Department of Agriculture cattle on feed report. The nearby CME June lean hogs gained 2.475 cents, to 59.35 cents/lb., while the […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Livestock, Markets

JBS resumes second shift at Alberta beef plant

Out of 650 COVID cases at plant, 11 are 'active'

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News May 21, 2020

Meat giant JBS’s Alberta beef packing plant has resumed two daily shifts as of Thursday, as fewer than a dozen of its 2,600-plus employees are now sidelined by COVID-19. The JBS plant at Brooks, about 170 km east of Calgary, is “slowly returning to two shifts as of today,” the company said Thursday in a […] Read more

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue holds a U.S. flag-themed face mask while speaking about the U.S. food supply chain as President Donald Trump listens during a COVID-19 pandemic response event at the White House on May 19, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Leah Millis)

Beef Cattle, Livestock, Markets

President’s cattle call finds expected marks in U.S.

Trump suggests killing trade pacts with unnamed cattle-exporting nations

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News May 21, 2020

U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks Tuesday about imports of live cattle into the United States resonated predictably among that country’s various cattle producer groups. At a White House event Tuesday, flanked by U.S. farm and ranch leaders and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue for a multi-billion-dollar COVID-19-related farm aid announcement, Trump said he “read yesterday where […] Read more

CME August 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

Livestock, Markets, Reuters

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures slip as slaughter rises

CME lean hog futures firm

By Reuters, GFM Network News May 21, 2020

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures fell on Wednesday, as cattle continue to back up, despite slaughter plants’ coming back online, traders said. CME lean hog futures firmed despite rising kill numbers, as social distancing rules in plants keep slaughter below normal rates. The nearby CME June live cattle futures contract settled down […] Read more

There are some pretty strict guidelines that define what is truly a closed beef herd.

Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Are you really running a closed herd?

You can’t be ‘a little bit pregnant’ or ‘mostly closed’

By Karin Schmid May 19, 2020

(Editor’s note: This column, written by Karin Schmid, Research and Production Manager with the Alberta Beef Producers, first appeared as a blog post on the Beef Cattle Research Council website at beefresearch.ca) A surprising proportion of producers believe they run a closed herd. The 2017 Western Canadian Cow-Calf Survey requested reasons why certain management practices […] Read more

CME July 2020 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving average. (Barchart)

Livestock, Markets, Reuters

U.S. livestock: Hog futures fall

Live cattle futures firm while slaughter numbers rise

By GFM Network News May 19, 2020

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures fell on Tuesday, pressured by an increase in daily slaughter totals as pork plants come back online, traders said. CME live cattle futures firmed despite rising kill numbers, with the most-actively traded contract passing through a key technical benchmark. The nearby CME June live cattle futures contract settled […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Livestock, Markets, Reuters

Trump floats halt to U.S. cattle imports as pandemic hurts ranchers

'We have a lot of cattle in this country'

By GFM Network News May 19, 2020

Washington/Chicago | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the United States should consider terminating trade deals under which it imports cattle as he looks to help U.S. ranchers hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak. The United States imports cattle from Mexico and Canada to supplement domestic supplies at lower prices and to […] Read more

Finishers, Livestock, Markets

Klassen: Feeder market jumps on renewed optimism

Weekly slaughter pace improving

By Jerry Klassen, GFM Network News May 19, 2020

Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle over 800 lbs. traded $8-$10 higher while lighter weight categories were up $4 to as much as $12 in some cases. Feeder cattle under 800 lbs. were very well bid across the Prairies; feeder cattle under 700 lbs. are now trading at prices similar to late February, […] Read more

Livestock, Markets, Reuters

U.S. livestock: Live cattle book third day of gains

CME to change cattle futures trading rules

By GFM Network News May 19, 2020

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures rose for the third day in a row on Monday, hitting their highest since April 1, with ongoing strength in the cash markets leading the way higher, traders said. Hog contracts were lower, with the front-month contract sinking to its lowest since April 29. The nearby CME […] Read more

GFM Network News

U.S. livestock: Cattle rebound on technical buying

U.S. grains: Soybeans fall as rapid harvest overshadows China trade hopes

Good weather pushes Alberta harvest along

Livestock

Tips on using tube feeders with calves

U.S. livestock: Hogs, live cattle gain against cash markets

JBS resumes second shift at Alberta beef plant

President’s cattle call finds expected marks in U.S.

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures slip as slaughter rises

Are you really running a closed herd?

U.S. livestock: Hog futures fall

Trump floats halt to U.S. cattle imports as pandemic hurts ranchers

Klassen: Feeder market jumps on renewed optimism

U.S. livestock: Live cattle book third day of gains

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