Livestock & Production Tips

Getting newborn calves off to a good start

Colostrum intake soon after birth is critical in first few hours

By Beef Cattle Research Council March 5, 2020

The most important day of a calf’s life is the first one. There are key factors that play a role in whether a baby calf gets off to a good start and research has demonstrated that the first 24 hours of life are critical for a calf to survive to weaning and beyond. Dystocia, or […] Read more

Cows need their space at calving — even just a few minutes alone so they can properly bond with the calf.

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

There is a reason pregnant cows prefer to isolate

Being alone at calving is natural, and improves bonding

By Bruce Derksen March 5, 2020

The act of a pregnant cow seeking isolation and birthing a calf without interruption to establish a strong and healthy bond is never guaranteed. It can be a fragile chain of events in need of support. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Beef Systems extension educator Aaron Berger sees the process as complex. “Weather conditions, the environment the […] Read more

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

Livestock, Markets, Reuters

U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hogs rise with equities

Livestock futures await export sales data

By GFM Network News March 5, 2020

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. livestock futures strengthened on Wednesday as gains in financial markets helped fuel a recovery from contract lows reached last week in the live cattle market. Live cattle futures have been looking to equity markets for direction as uncertainty about the impact of the coronavirus epidemic has fueled swings in stock […] Read more

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

Livestock, Markets, Reuters

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle ease with equities

Chicago lean hogs rise

By GFM Network News March 3, 2020

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures weakened with equities on Tuesday, while hog futures advanced. Moves in the cattle market have nearly mirrored those in equities since last week, traders said, with the global spread of the new coronavirus fueling sharp moves. All three major U.S. stock market indexes dropped more […] Read more

An image created by Nexu Science Communication, together with Trinity College in Dublin, shows a model structurally representative of a betacoronavirus, the type of virus linked to COVID-19. (Nexu Science Communication via Reuters)

Beef Cattle, Finishers, Livestock, Markets

Klassen: Coronavirus fears weigh on feeder markets

By Jerry Klassen, GFM Network News March 3, 2020

Western Canadian feeder prices were not immune to the meltdown of financial and commodity markets last week. Buyers appeared to incorporate a risk discount due to uncertainty in beef demand over the next few months. Compared to last week, larger groups of quality yearlings traded $3-$5 lower while smaller packages were down $4 to as […] Read more

Livestock, Markets, Reuters

U.S. livestock: CME cattle rise in recovery from contract lows

Hogs close mixed as China uncertainty looms

By GFM Network News March 2, 2020

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Monday recovered from contract lows reached last week as concerns temporarily eased about the economic impact from the global coronavirus outbreak. Equity markets also rose on speculation that central banks will cut interest rates to soften the economic blow of the epidemic. “The market […] Read more

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

Livestock, Markets, Reuters

U.S. livestock: CME cattle dive as coronavirus slams global markets

Technical buying limits hogs' losses

By GFM Network News February 28, 2020

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures extended a steep sell-off on Friday on growing worries that the spread of coronavirus would dent global economic growth and could tip the world economy into recession. Global stocks and oil prices fell sharply as traders fretted over the economic toll of the virus that […] Read more

Hogs, Livestock, Markets, Reuters

CME to raise hog futures trading limits as swine fever fuels volatility

New daily limit of 3.75 U.S. cents proposed for mid-April

By Tom Polansek, GFM Network News February 28, 2020

Chicago | Reuters — CME Group said Thursday it plans to increase daily trading limits for its lean hog futures in April, then adjust them annually because of heightened volatility linked to the outbreak of a fatal pig disease in China. The spread of African swine fever in China, the world’s biggest pork consumer, has […] Read more

Livestock, Markets, Reuters

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle sink to new lows

COVID-19 continues to spook investors

By GFM Network News February 28, 2020

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures ended mostly lower on Thursday, with several key contracts notching new contract lows on nagging worries about the spread of coronavirus and its impact on global economic growth and demand for beef. Commodity funds, which had recently built up a sizable net long position in live […] Read more

CME April 2020 live cattle with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

Livestock, Markets, Reuters

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle sink on fund selling

Commodities funds take risk-off stance due to COVID-19

By GFM Network News February 27, 2020

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell sharply in actively traded nearby contracts on Wednesday as concerns about the spread of coronavirus and its impact on demand triggered active selling by commodities funds. Slumping cash market prices further fueled the slide, with the benchmark April contract sinking to its lowest point […] 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

Getting newborn calves off to a good start

There is a reason pregnant cows prefer to isolate

U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hogs rise with equities

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle ease with equities

Klassen: Coronavirus fears weigh on feeder markets

U.S. livestock: CME cattle rise in recovery from contract lows

U.S. livestock: CME cattle dive as coronavirus slams global markets

CME to raise hog futures trading limits as swine fever fuels volatility

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle sink to new lows

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle sink on fund selling

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