Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, Western Canadian yearling prices were $3 to as much as $10 higher while calves traded $2 to $5 above week-ago levels. Most auction barns remain in holiday mode; however, order buyers were extremely busy fielding calls for available cattle. This caused the yearling market in Western Canada to divorce from the […] Read more
Klassen: Yearling prices surge
Klassen: Feeder market experiences fortuitous bounce
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $2-$5 higher on average. Auction barns had limited numbers on offer but strong buying interest surfaced for quality packages. Alberta feedlots were the main buyers setting the price structure. There were two main factors enhancing demand this week. First, U.S. packers started to show some […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market softens on limited volumes
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle prices were steady to $3 lower on average. Many auction barns were on holidays last week. Auctions that did hold sales had limited numbers on offer. The feeder market remains under pressure due to negative feeding margins, firm feed grain values and weakness in deferred live cattle […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market enters summer doldrums
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded steady to $5 lower on average. Small volumes were available last week, which distorted the price structure. Many feedlot hands will rotate holidays through July; therefore, feedlot operators don’t want to bring in fresh replacements with a skeleton staff. Recent rains across Saskatchewan and Alberta […] Read more
Klassen: Fed cattle bounce supports yearling market
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were relatively unchanged while calf values were extremely variable. In Alberta, calf prices were holding value but in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, feeder cattle under 650 lbs. were $3 to as much as $8 lower in some cases. Recent rains in Saskatchewan have come too late and auction […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market shrugs off feed grain rally
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle prices were $2-$5 higher on average. Noted strength was in the 700-plus-lb. categories, which spilt over into the lighter calves. Quality groups of yearlings were limited and the scarcity fear factor had a grip on the market. The U.S. Department of Agriculture lowered its fourth-quarter beef production […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle demand softens
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were $2-$4 lower on average while calves were down $3-$5 depending on the region. Weakness in the fed cattle market continues to spill over into the feeder complex, as margins drift further into red ink. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle in the range of $245-$246 delivered […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market absorbs double-edged sword
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $3 to as much as $6 lower. The feed grains market is writing the story for the feeder market. August feeder cattle futures lost $10 this past week and U.S. cash feeder prices were also down US$4-$6 compared to seven days earlier. Ideas are that […] Read more
Klassen: Rising feed grains weigh on feeder market
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to the previous week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded steady to $3 lower over the past week. In some cases, calves were down $4 to as much as $6. Rising feed grain costs weighed on the overall feeder complex. Feed barley in southern Alberta traded in the range of $265-$275 per tonne delivered, […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market finds support
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded steady to $2 lower while calves traded $3 higher to as much as $8 lower. Adverse weather across much of the U.S. Midwest set a negative tone on both sides of the border. U.S. feeder cattle markets were down US$3-$6 from seven days earlier. Corn futures […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
