Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded steady to $5 higher compared to week-ago levels. Buyers were quite meticulous on flesh levels and quality features in the heavier weight categories; however, feedlot operators were definitely more aggressive this week. Major operations have liquidated a fair amount of fed cattle and these players are anxious to reload […] Read more
Klassen: Healthy margins drive feeder complex
U.S. livestock: Initial cash prices drop CME live cattle
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures finished lower on Wednesday, pressured by softer wholesale beef values and some preliminary cash prices that fell short of expectations, traders said. They said sell stops and fund liquidation compounded market losses. February live cattle closed 0.9 cent/lb. lower at 116.775 cents, and April 1.75 […] Read more
Klassen: Fed cattle uncertainty restricts upside in feeders
Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle were actively trading $3-$5 higher compared to week-ago levels. Order buyers felt like they were groping in the dark but realized there was a fair amount of buying interest by the week’s end. Alberta and Ontario orders were floating aggressively into Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan, which kept the market flat across […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle prices lukewarm on mixed factors
Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle markets were steady to $2 higher compared to week-ago levels. All weight classes experienced lukewarm buying interest, despite improving margins in the feedlot sector. Most auction barns experienced minimal numbers; cow-calf producers are holding back on sales hoping for stronger values and extreme cold temperatures hindered cattle movement, especially in the […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle gain on bargain-buying
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live and feeder cattle futures gained about one per cent on Monday, rebounding from earlier losses on support from a round of bargain buying, traders and analysts said. Feeders fell to a 3-1/2-week low before reversing higher, while live cattle tested Friday’s multiweek low and then turned higher […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle resume upward trend
Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle prices resumed the upward trend after a brief dip during the first major snowstorm of the year. Feeder cattle weighing above 750 lbs. traded $2-$4 above week-ago levels while calves were readily selling for $4 to as much as $8 higher. Optimism abounds in the feedlot sector, as Alberta fed cattle […] Read more
Klassen: Positive margins support feeder cattle market
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta packers were buying fed cattle at $150 this past week, which was $5 above breakeven pen closeout values. This rally in the fed cattle market was a long time coming and renewed optimism surged across the Prairies. Feeder cattle prices traded $3-$5 above week-ago levels, with lighter calves leading the charge higher. Fierce competition […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle fall as beef prices tumble
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures fell the most in 1-1/2 weeks on Wednesday in a selloff linked to lacklustre demand from meat packers and government data that showed the lowest wholesale beef prices in four years, traders said. Feeder cattle futures dropped the most so far this month while lean hogs declined […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market drops on fed cattle weakness
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta packers were buying fed cattle in the range of $128-$130 this past week — the lowest levels since December 2013 and down nearly $18 from a month ago. Weekly beef production continues to defy expectations, bludgeoning feeding margins across the Prairies. Western Canadian feeder cattle markets were quick to respond, trading $8-$10 below week-ago […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle losses deepen on supply woes, weak beef prices
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures declined more than two per cent on Tuesday, nearing their lowest levels in six years on pressure from big supplies of cattle and beef and lower wholesale meat prices, traders said. Cattle broke below the psychological threshold of 100 cents/lb. for the first time since November 2010 […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
