COVID-19 made a mess of things in the cattle and beef markets. Things are starting to normalize, but the ride is bumpy – and made even bumpier by poor pasture conditions and $7.50/bushel corn. Compared to year ago levels, meat production last week was up by 51 percent; cattle slaughter up by 48 percent (slaughter weights were 10 pounds heavier this year over last), but last year at this time was when packing plants were being idled due to COVID. A better comparison for cattle slaughter is 2019. So far, cumulative slaughter for the year-to-date is 2.6 percent higher than in 2019.
However, cattle slaughter last week was down 2.4 percent from the week before, and actually was down 3.4 percent for the same week in 2019. Th...
The magpie goose (Anseranas semipalmata) is the sole living representative species of the family Anseranatidae. This waterbird is found in northern Australia and southern New Guinea.[2] The species is not truly migratory but it sometimes travels large distances to find food and water, especiall...
The common ostrich (Struthio camelus), or simply ostrich, is a species of flightless bird native to certain areas of Africa (and historically, Arabia) and is the largest living species of bird. The common ostrich is one of two extant species of ostriches, the only living members of the genus St...
A pika (/ˈpaɪkə, ˈpiːkə/ PY-kə, PEE-kə[3][4]) is a small, mountain-dwelling mammal native to Asia and North America. With short limbs, a very round body, an even coat of fur, and no external tail, they resemble their close relative the rabbit, but with short, rounded ears.[5] The large-eared pi...
Lobelia (/loʊˈbiːliə, lə-/[4][5][6]) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Campanulaceae comprising 415 species,[7] with a subcosmopolitan distribution primarily in tropical to warm temperate regions of the world, a few species extending into cooler temperate regions.[8] They are known g...
