Photos: Deimagine/Getty Images

US undercounts bird flu in cattle as farmers shun testing

Farmers fear economic losses from positive tests, leading to under-reporting; USDA offers partial compensation

The U.S. bird-flu outbreak in dairy cattle is much larger than official figures suggest due to farmers' reluctance to test their animals and risk the economic consequences of a positive result, according to Reuters interviews with dairy experts, veterinarians, and farmers in six states with known cases.



Photo: File

U.S. livestock: CME cattle fall on rallying corn prices

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) cattle futures turned lower on Monday as corn futures rallied following the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s supply and demand report that lowered corn ending stocks, traders said. Meanwhile, hog futures were mixed as bargain buying counterbalanced seasonal price pressure. CME most-active October feeder cattle FCU24 closed down 2.05 cents at […] Read more





Shorter tubs protected by an electric fence wire give calves a chance to drink and learn about water.

Creating calf creep water tubs

Calves get their own water source while their trough is out of order

This spring we had to find a way to supply water to our baby calves. The pastures where we have our cow-calf pairs in the spring and early summer are fenced away from the creek, to avoid the risk of having a young calf swept away by high water. When we first moved onto this […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder rally stalls

For the week ending August 3, Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were relatively unchanged from seven days earlier. Strong buying interest continued on yearlings straight off grass; however, the “just get’em” type orders that were evident a week earlier now had limits. More cattle will come available in August and buyers are being more patient to see how the market develops.



Jewish organizations say that the decision resulted in a disruption in supply of kosher meat in Canada. Photo: Dave Bedard

CFIA won’t enforce some ritual slaughter requirements after appeal from Jewish organizations

The CFIA will no longer require three determinations of unconsciousness previously mandated for ritually slaughtered animals after a recent federal court ruling. Jewish organizations and companies had appealed the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulations in court, claiming they made kosher slaughter difficult, which resulted in a disruption in supply of kosher meat in Canada.