After last weeks two posts on the Canada / EU free trade agreement I received several emails from people saying that they believe that this deal will provide limited benefit to the farmer or livestock producer in Canada. The NFU has been very vocal but I find it hard to take much that they say... Read More
Category: Livestock
Not since the early 2000's have Canadian feedyards imported US feeder cattle in great numbers. Rumours are swirling that 2010 may be the year that this practice becomes popular again. There is no doubt that this will not sit well with Canadian ranchers due to the possible extra supply dragging down the current healthy calf... Read More
Canada has been working at increasing the access of Canadian beef into Europe for quite some time. If the EU / Canada free trade agreement is ratified later this year the benefits will be very positive for Canadian beef producers. Gaining access for hormone free beef into Europe will have large benefits for the industry... Read More
We have lots of cows in Canadian Agriculture, but we also have some sacred cows a well. One of these is the ability to shelter income through the cash method of reporting farming income. For those who don€™t know how this works, it is a simplistic formula whereby as long as you have more expenses... Read More
With the US market moving higher this week, Canadian producers have also enjoyed some higher fat sales as well. Immediately the resulting question is whether or not there is follow through in this market or will the price slowly slide down. The United States has done well exporting beef this year with its weaker dollar.... Read More
Distiller dried grains (DDG's) have quickly become a very important part of a beef ration and increasingly at dairies. Created by the ethanol industry DDG's have allowed many livestock feeders to diversify the feeding ration. When DDG's first came to the market the supply and delivery logistics of corn DDG's to Canada was a major... Read More
Whether you have a dairy or a beef operation you have probably had to make the decision between a paddle mixer or auger feed box. Whether you own a Harsh, RotoMix or a Keenan you need to weight the benefits and disadvantages of each. What I tend to find in discussing this issue with many... Read More
In this weeks Beef Market Update Anne Dunford and I discuss the difficult market for feeders right now as cattle feeders await the arrival of the calf run. Limited calves have come to the market so far but the ones that have have a nice little premium attached. With a flat fat cattle market, weaker... Read More
Animal activists often criticize that animal agriculture does not care for its livestock in a humane manner. Those of us in the industry realize that this is a ridiculous notion. At a dairy, animal care is ever more important due to the rule of "a happy cow produces more milk." In the category of providing... Read More
The rancher has some decision making to do. Should I bring my calves to market, retain ownership feeding them or hold back the heifers for breeding stock? Everyone has an opinion on this topic but getting a definite conclusive opinion is very difficult. In reality we can only look at the market dynamics and see... Read More