Reading Time: 2 minutes For the week ending December 7, Western Canadian feeder cattle weighing 700 pounds plus traded $10 to $20 higher compared to seven days earlier. Calves under 700 pounds were up $8 to $10 on average. The markets in Manitoba and Eastern Saskatchewan were premium to Alberta in the heavier categories due to stronger U.S. and Ontario buying interest.

Klassen: Feeder market continues to surge higher

Prairie forecast: Melting in the west, milder in the east
Forecast issued Dec. 4, covering Dec. 4 to 11, 2024
Reading Time: 3 minutes Things are looking not too bad for those who want to see snow or deep freeze temperatures. As we start this forecast period, a strong area of Arctic high pressure is dropping southeastwards over the eastern Prairies behind the strong area of low pressure that zipped through on Tuesday. Over the western Prairies, the weather models show a strong ridge of high pressure building over B.C. which is expected to transition eastwards.

Klassen: Canadian feeder market jumps on trade disruptions
Reading Time: 2 minutes For the week ending November 29, feeder cattle market reports from Manitoba had prices up $20-$40/cwt from week-ago levels. Prices in Saskatchewan and Alberta were up $10 to $20 on average. The market was hard to define this past week with a wide range prices across Western Canada for similar quality and weight cattle.

Prairie forecast: Short cold snap, then warmer
Forecast issued Nov. 27, covering Nov. 27 to Dec. 4, 2024
Reading Time: 4 minutes For this forecast period, it looks like some of the coldest air of the season is on its way to Saskatchewan while most of Alberta and Manitoba appear to miss the really cold stuff. The weather models are not showing any strong storm systems impacting the region but there a few weak systems that may bring a light shot of snow here and there.

Klassen: Upward momentum continues for feeder cattle prices
Reading Time: 2 minutes For the week ending November 23, Western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $3 to $6 higher with some quality heifer packages up as much as $10 compared to seven days earlier.

Prairie forecast: Winter settles in
Forecast issued Nov. 20, covering Nov. 20 to 27, 2024
Reading Time: 3 minutes You might be happy to know (or maybe not) that for this forecast period we should see a quieter but colder weather pattern across the Prairies. Arctic high pressure will be pulled southwards behind the eastern Prairie low and brings the first really taste of winter.

Klassen: Feeder market climbs another step
Reading Time: 2 minutes For the week ending November 16, Western Canadian calves over 650 pounds were up $3-$6/cwt compared to seven days earlier. Calves under 650 pounds traded $4/cwt to as much as $10/cwt higher.

Klassen: Strong demand continues to sustain feeder market
Reading Time: 2 minutes The weaker Canadian dollar has enhanced the feeding margin structure on incoming replacement calves and this translated into stronger values on premium genetic packages. Finishing feedlot operators in Alberta and Ontario were fairly aggressive in Manitoba and Saskatchewan markets.

Prairie forecast: Mild weather returns
Forecast issued Nov. 6, covering Nov. 6 to 13, 2024
Reading Time: 3 minutes The weather models are showing an area of low pressure tracking across northern Canada on Wednesday and Thursday. This, combined with a digging trough of low pressure off the West Coast, will open the door for mild air to flood across the Prairies—first from the Pacific then from the western U.S.

Klassen: Feeder market holds at higher levels
Reading Time: 2 minutes For the week ending November 2, Western Canadian yearling and calf markets were relatively unchanged from seven days earlier. Strong demand continues to support the feeder complex at historical high prices.