Hopefully the beef herd remains healthy, but when there is a case of illness or injury getting a proper diagnosis as well as prognosis for recovery will help determine whether treatment is warranted.

To butcher or not to butcher that cow?

Animal Health: Have a proper diagnosis of a sick or downed animal before administering any treatments

Which bovine conditions might prevail if butchering the animal to salvage the meat would produce the most practical or successful outcome? We often think of this after the fact when products such as antimicrobials or painkillers have already been administered. That is where the dilemma begins. What is the slaughter withdrawal period if you plan […] Read more

CME August 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures rise, hog futures dip

Wholesale pork highest since mid-November

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange extended their rally on Monday, with strong cash prices and technical buyers pushing the market higher. Live cattle contracts have risen for eight straight sessions and feeder cattle contracts have posted gains for five sessions in a row. But hog futures closed weaker even as pork prices surged […] Read more


Some of the cows enjoy a bite to eat from the homemade bunk feeder.

Cold, slow start to spring on the farm

Eppich News: Cows have calved and now it’s the mares’ turn to foal

Spring was very slow to come this year. The ground was completely snow-covered until Easter. Then suddenly it became spring. The snow melted very quickly. Only the deep drifts around the trees remained. There was not much at all for run-off. Our dugout at home is not even half full. Calving went fairly well this […] Read more

Pasture conditions during the spring and summer always have an affect on beef markets.

Positive margins underpin feeder complex

Market Update with Jerry Klassen: As usual, a lot will depend on whether there’s moisture for grass and feed grains

During the second week of April, Alberta packers were buying live fed cattle in the range of $229-$230/cwt f.o.b. feedlot in southern Alberta. This is up approximately $7 from mid-April. Breakeven pen closeouts are around $220/cwt. After struggling for nearly three years in a row, feeding margins have finally moved into positive territory. Strength in […] Read more


CME August 2023 live cattle with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle extend rally on surging cash market

Lean hogs follow firm trend

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures extended their run of life-of-contract highs on Friday, supported by a jump in cash cattle prices this week along with rising beef prices, traders said. Benchmark CME August live cattle futures settled up 0.525 cent at 172.9 cents/lb. after posting a contract high at 174.25 […] Read more

CME August 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle soar as cash prices explode

Lean hog futures mostly lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures surged on Thursday as cash cattle traded as high as US$180/cwt in Texas and Kansas, up to US$9 higher than last week, reflecting strong demand from meat-packers amid rising beef prices and tightening cattle supplies, traders said. CME’s most-active August live cattle futures contract settled […] Read more


CME July 2023 lean hogs with Bollinger bands (20,2) and CME’s cash lean hog index (brown line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs bounce on short-covering

Cattle futures up with beef prices, tighter supplies

Chicago | Reuters — Benchmark July lean hog futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange jumped nearly five per cent on Wednesday, extending their two-day rally to 11 per cent on a round of bargain-buying following a months-long slump, traders said. CME July hogs settled up 3.8 cents at 83.325 cents/lb., while front-month June hogs ended […] Read more

CME July 2023 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs limit-up on bargain buying

Cash and beef values lift cattle futures

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures surged their daily limit on Tuesday, rebounding from Friday’s life-of-contract lows on a round of bargain-buying and short-covering toward the end of the month, and as feed grain futures fell sharply, traders said. “It really got grossly overdone to the bottom side,” said Dennis Smith, commodity […] Read more


CME July 2023 lean hogs with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hogs down 10 per cent on week

Feeder cattle down on corn rally

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures dropped to contract lows again on Friday, as poor demand for U.S. pork continued to depress prices. The losses heap more pain on producers who have struggled with weak prices for pigs and high costs for expenses such as feed and labour. “Producers are losing their […] Read more

CME July 2023 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hogs sink to contract lows

Cattle futures up with beef sales, tight supplies

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures tumbled to contract lows on Thursday, as excess supplies and sluggish demand for U.S. pork fueled losses for a fifth consecutive session. Weak prices for pigs and high production costs continue to make it unprofitable to raise hogs, leading some analysts to project that producers will […] Read more