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Beef cattle

U.S. livestock: Live cattle end higher ahead of monthly USDA data
Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended modestly higher on Thursday as traders squared positions ahead of a monthly feedlot report due on Friday from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), traders said.

Domestic birds confirmed as hosts for bovine influenza A virus
Epidemiologist says there is “still lots” to investigate about how virus jumped from from birds to dairy cattle
Domestic birds that live in and around barns have been confirmed as the avian hosts of an outbreak on dairy farms in the United States of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

Why dairy and not beef?
Several factors favour bovine influenza A detection on dairy versus beef farms
Recent detection in the United States of a highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus in dairy cattle is the first instance of this strain in bovines. The World Organization for Animal […] Read more

Conference panelist questions research favouring grain-finished beef
Ted Zettel says carbon sequestration from pasture should give grass-fed the nod
Comparing the climate impact of grass-fed versus grain-fed beef isn’t straightforward, according to panelists at the Guelph Organic Conference. A recent study claimed grain-fed beef has less of a carbon […] Read more

Federal budget draws mixed reaction from Canadian ag groups
Livestock tax deferral, capital gains exemption praised; overall lack of investment in agriculture noted
The 2024 federal budget, released Tuesday afternoon has drawn mixed reactions from ag groups across Canada. While some have praised aspects of the plan, others have condemned the lack of attention paid to agriculture and farmers.

U.S. livestock: Live cattle extend recovery
Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher for a second consecutive session on Tuesday as the market extended a recovery from oversold conditions, analysts said.

Klassen: Adverse weather weighs on Western Canadian feeder market
Southern Alberta has received over 200 percent of normal precipitation over the past 30 days. Pen conditions are rated poor to very poor in the main feeding pockets of Alberta. Saskatchewan and Manitoba have received less than 40 per cent of normal while Central Alberta has normal to below normal precipitation.

Bovine flu a reminder of risk management in markets
While recent price drops have limited options, cow-calf producers can still lock in a profit, says market analyst
The fundamentals still look strong for cattle prices, despite recent hiccups in the futures market, says a market analyst, but for those buying stockers, a little risk management can go a long way.

Denmark bets on cow feed additive to reduce methane emissions
The Nordic country has pledged to reduce emissions by 70 per cent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
Denmark has agreed to help farmers finance a feed additive that is expected to reduce methane emissions from cattle by up to 30 per cent, as part of efforts to meet ambitious climate goals, its government said on Monday.

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures sink to multi-month lows
Technical selling, fund liquidation and demand concerns drove Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures to multi-month lows on Friday, analysts said.