Swine Feeding Projections – August 13, 2018 Changes week over week: Open-market value of weaned pigs was down modestly (-$1.34/head), but feeder pig values bounced back moderately (+3.49/head). Expected lean hog values rebounded for both January/February and November/December marketings (+$2.43 and +$2.25/cwt, respectively). Feed costs -$0.80-1.00 per head: corn -$0.12/bushel, SBM -$5.50/ton, DDGS +$4.75/ton, lysine […]

August 2018 Cattle Feeding Projections Year-to-date domestic production data through the end of last week as compared to 2017: Federally inspected slaughter +2.9%, 19.184 million head Cow slaughter +6.8%, 9.174 million head Carcass weight +0.4%, 810 pounds Beef production +3.3%, 15.545 billion pounds   Changes month over month on our feeding projections: Softer feeder cattle […]

Swine Feeding Projections – August 6, 2018 Changes week over week: Open-market value of weaned and feeder pigs was down modestly (-$1.67 and -$2.90/head, respectively) Expected lean hog values slipped for both January/February and November/December marketings (-$1.48 and -$1.80/cwt, respectively). Feed costs +$0.60-0.80 per head: corn +$0.03/bushel, SBM -$4.00/ton, DDGS +$9.75/ton, lysine unchanged, and fat […]

As part of my summer internship with Form-A-Feed, I had the opportunity to visit with many dairy farmers in the Upper Midwest that are utilizing robotic milking systems.  During my visits with the robotic herds, I came across some common advice from those farmers:   Do your homework! Research robot brands and barn designs. Do […]

Swine Feeding Projections – July 30, 2018 Changes week over week: Open-market value of weaned pigs firmed slightly (+$1.11/head) while feeder pig values tumbled (-$10.55/head). Expected lean hog values rebounded for both December/January and November/December marketings (+$1.20 and +$0.82/cwt, respectively). Feed costs +$1.50-1.75 per head: corn +$0.13/bushel, SBM +$9.00/ton, DDGS +$5.00/ton, lysine -$0.20/cwt, and fat […]

Have you ever heard the saying “sweat like a pig?” I’m sure you have! The ironic thing is…pigs don’t sweat. I know— Earth shattering news. The fact that pigs don’t sweat leads them to be susceptible to heat stress. Heat stress is a commonly used term that becomes a sizzling topic in the livestock industry […]

I often tell a dairy producer that I must speak for the cows when I am justifying the need to make a change to a feeding strategy, management protocol, facility design, and so on.   I don’t like to give human emotions and qualities to cows, but we often hear about the importance of having happy […]

Swine Feeding Projections – July 23, 2018 Changes week over week: Open-market value of weaned and feeder pigs increased modestly (+$0.22 and +$2.44/head, respectively). Continued downward pressure on lean hog values further depressed expected prices for both December/January and October/November marketings (-$4.57 and -$3.40/cwt, respectively). Feed costs -$0.10 per head: corn +$0.15/bushel, SBM -$2.75/ton, DDGS […]

Swine Feeding Projections – July 16, 2018 Changes week over week: Open-market value of weaned and feeder pigs fell modestly (-$2.38 and -$1.08/head, respectively). Continued downward pressure on lean hog values dropped expected prices for both December/January and October/November marketings (-$4.20 and -$5.93/cwt, respectively). Feed costs -$1.75 per head: corn -$0.13/bushel, SBM -$10.00/ton, DDGS -$3.25/ton, […]

July 2018 Cattle Feeding Projections Year-to-date domestic production data through the end of last week as compared to 2017: Federally inspected slaughter +3.0%, 17.278 million head Cow slaughter +6.8%, 8.836 million head Carcass weight +0.4%, 810 pounds Beef production +3.5%, 13.999 billion pounds   Changes month over month on our feeding projections: Stronger feeder cattle […]

Swine Feeding Projections – July 9, 2018 Changes over the previous few weeks: Open-market value of weaned pigs held steady (+$0.02/head), while feeder pig values dropped significantly (-$9.56/head). Mixed changes in predicted lean hog values for the December/January and October/November markets (+$0.41 and -$11.89/cwt, respectively). Feed costs -$2.50-3.50 per head: corn unchanged, SBM +$5.00/ton, DDGS […]

Which implant should I use? How many days does it last? What happens if I don’t implant at the proper time? What hormone levels should I be using? These are all viable questions if you want to understand how to get the biggest return on investment (ROI) out of your implant program. In the beginning […]