Veterinarian Mark Hilton shared his experiences working with an Indiana producer who co-operated with Purdue University on a preconditioning project from 1999 through 2009. When they boiled it down, four points came to the forefront as keys to success that could be transferred to other farms.
Four keys to successful calf preconditioning
Klassen: Feeder market drops on fed cattle weakness
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta packers were buying fed cattle in the range of $128-$130 this past week — the lowest levels since December 2013 and down nearly $18 from a month ago. Weekly beef production continues to defy expectations, bludgeoning feeding margins across the Prairies. Western Canadian feeder cattle markets were quick to respond, trading $8-$10 below week-ago[...]
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Klassen: Feeder market softens
Reading Time: 2 minutes Hope deferred makes the heart sick, goes the old proverb, and there is no greater example than in the cattle complex. Placid feedlot operators watched in dismay as fed cattle sold in the range of $133-$135 this past week, down approximately $6 from week-ago levels and $10 below breakeven pen closeout values. The stomach-churning fed[...]
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Klassen: Feeder market stable but demand remains soft
Reading Time: 2 minutes Comments from the country this week suggested the market was slightly firmer than week-ago levels. However, market reports stated prices were relatively unchanged and actually softened late in the week. The old saying that even a priest lies about his car’s gas mileage applies to overly optimistic cattlemen trying to bolster market enthusiasm. Feedlot margins[...]
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Beef industry challenged to do better
Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s no secret the beef industry is under attack from environmentalists and activists — or that they frequently distort the truth. “They have an agenda that they are trying to gain information to support — they’re looking for things that have gone awry in the industry, and there have been problems,” renowned Alberta cattle researcher[...]
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Washington begins killing wolf pack for preying on livestock
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Wildlife agents authorized to eradicate a group of 11 wolves for repeated attacks on cattle in Washington state have hunted down and killed six animals from the condemned pack and are searching for the rest, a state game official said on Monday. State biologists fatally shot two members of the so-called Profanity Peak[...]
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Klassen: Feeder market establishes defensive tone
Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were relatively unchanged from week-ago levels although a softer tone was noted late in the week. After two weeks of slightly higher values, buyers took on the attitude of cutting one’s coat according one’s cloth. Each cattle feeder appears to have his or her own view of the market and[...]
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Klassen: Feeder market brewing but caution prevails
Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were steady to $4 higher relative to week-ago levels. Yearling volumes are starting to increase in central and northern Alberta while the southern and eastern regions experienced limited activity. Buyers’ opaque attitudes resulted in a firmer tone and no one could feel guilty for a minor intemperance. However, the circumspect[...]
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JBS quarterly profits beat expectations
Reading Time: < 1 minute Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazil’s JBS SA, the world’s largest meat processor, posted better than expected second-quarter profits on Wednesday, helped by a sharp increase in revenues from its pork business in the U.S., said the company. São Paulo-based JBS earned 1.657 billion reais (C$650 million) in net income last quarter, compared with 252[...]
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Klassen: Feeder cattle market comes back to life
Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were $4-$6 higher on average — in some cases as much as $10 higher in the major feeding regions of Alberta. A couple of auction barns held their first yearling sale of the year and optimism returned with a vengeance. A minor bounce in feeder and live cattle futures along[...]
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A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
