Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle markets were steady to $2 higher compared to week-ago levels. All weight classes experienced lukewarm buying interest, despite improving margins in the feedlot sector. Most auction barns experienced minimal numbers; cow-calf producers are holding back on sales hoping for stronger values and extreme cold temperatures hindered cattle movement, especially in the […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle prices lukewarm on mixed factors
More bovine TB quarantines still expected
Reading Time: 2 minutes Tracking an outbreak of bovine tuberculosis through southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan is still expected to lead to more quarantines of more Prairie cattle ranches, though no new controls have been imposed since before Christmas. As of Wednesday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency reported no new cases of bovine TB in its investigation, beyond the […] Read more
Dairy producer takes the next big step
Change Makers: As a couple, the Craigs’ decision to transform their farm and leverage new opportunities has opened up a new future
Reading Time: 7 minutes Today’s farmers are change makers. Re-inventing our farms has become normal. So Country Guide asked top ag journalists from across the country to interview farmers who excel at change, taking their farms in very different directions with an eye to finding their best opportunities. Their stories start with our January 2017 issue and will continue through […] Read more
Klassen: Demand for shortkeep feeders drives complex higher
Reading Time: 2 minutes Most auction barns were in holiday mode last week, which made the market hard to define. However, comments from local buyers suggest demand is building for shorter-term replacements due to healthy feedlot margins. Small groups were on offer with limited numbers available, and there was a wide range on similar weight classes across the Prairies. […] Read more
No TB quarantines lifted over holidays
Reading Time: 2 minutes None of the 50 ranch properties still under federal quarantine for bovine tuberculosis in southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan have been released in the past two weeks, officials reported Thursday. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Thursday resumed regular updates on its ongoing investigation into cases of bovine TB in the area. As of Thursday, […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market starts new year on firm tone
Reading Time: 2 minutes February live cattle futures reached six-month highs during the last week of 2016, which quickly spilled over into western Canadian feeder cattle markets. While most auction barns were closed for the holiday season, there was some direct off-farm-to-feedlot movement. Limited sales were reported, but values were $2-$6 higher compared to the third week of December. […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures mixed on end-of-year positioning
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago/Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures were narrowly mixed on Friday, paring earlier steep gains on end-of-year positioning, traders said. Stronger bids for cattle in U.S. Plains cash markets underpinned prices. But some investors took profits after most-active February futures hit an eight-month high before turning slightly lower. Despite the recent rally, cattle […] Read more
Quarantines added in bovine TB probe
Reading Time: 2 minutes Federal inspectors’ search for animals exposed to one of six Alberta cattle confirmed with bovine tuberculosis (TB) has led them to quarantine more farm sites for testing. As of Wednesday, “approximately 50” farm sites, mostly in southeastern Alberta with “approximately five” in southwestern Saskatchewan, are under quarantine and movement controls, affecting about 26,000 animals, the […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle resume upward trend
Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle prices resumed the upward trend after a brief dip during the first major snowstorm of the year. Feeder cattle weighing above 750 lbs. traded $2-$4 above week-ago levels while calves were readily selling for $4 to as much as $8 higher. Optimism abounds in the feedlot sector, as Alberta fed cattle […] Read more
Six quarantines lifted in bovine TB probe
Reading Time: < 1 minute Six premises deemed to be “low-risk” have been released from federal quarantine as officials continue their hunt for Alberta and Saskatchewan cattle exposed to bovine tuberculosis. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Wednesday reported it had lifted movement controls on six premises where “appropriate testing” has been completed on cattle so far in the agency’s […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
