Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle markets were rather subdued this past week; average prices were unchanged from seven days earlier. However, the bloom has come off the rose as the extreme highs from earlier in May have evaporated. Late in the week, shorter-keep cattle appeared to trade $3-$5 higher, especially on higher-quality larger groups. Major feedlot […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market experiences mixed tone
Klassen: Feeder cattle market remains firm
Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $3-$5 above week-ago levels although lighter weight categories experienced week-over-week gains of $8 to as much as $12. The fed cattle market went through a correction, with live sales quoted from $181 to $186, down from the last week average trade of $195. This weaker live cattle trade appeared […] 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
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: Feeder market aggressively searches for demand
Reading Time: 2 minutes A boulder falling off a mountain accelerates and gains momentum as it nears the ground. Until we see another force come into play, there’s no signal the lows are near in the feeder complex. Once again, the western Canadian feeder cattle traded $8 to $10 below week-ago levels, with sharper declines noted on unweaned calves. […] Read more
Klassen: Patient buyers await lower feeder market
Reading Time: 2 minutes Patience is a virtue, the old saying goes. Unlike the past few years, feedlot operators have been rewarded for waiting and there is no clear signal the market has any incentive to deviate from the current direction. Western Canadian feeder markets were trading $5-$8 below week-ago levels as larger numbers come onstream in all weight […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market experiences mixed tone
Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle markets experienced a diverse tone across the Prairies, with notable buying interest surfacing on yearlings. Compared to seven days earlier, prices for yearlings in southern Alberta were $5-$7 higher on average, as feedlots focused on purchasing local cattle. In southern Alberta, larger-frame lower-flesh black steers weighing 900 lbs. were quoted at […] Read more
Four keys to successful calf preconditioning
Veterinarian Mark Hilton shared his experiences working with an Indiana producer who co-operated with Purdue University on a preconditioning project from 1999 through 2009. When they boiled it down, four points came to the forefront as keys to success that could be transferred to other farms.
The business of beef in Canada
There’s no such thing as commodity beef anymore, says Alberta feedlot producer Ryan Kasko. It’s an attitude that is transforming the heart of Canada’s beef country
Reading Time: 13 minutes Canada’s beef industry seems like it’s built on a contradiction. It’s a sector living right on the edge of the future. Every aspect of production is undergoing change. New technology is revolutionizing how herds are raised and managed, and new consumer preferences are raising the bar in their own way too, perhaps faster in beef[...]
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VIDEO: What cattle buyers want
There's more than one way to sell a calf these days
Reading Time: < 1 minute Country Guide reporter Lisa Guenther caught up with Sean McGrath of Round Rock Ranching to find out how he and his family sell their calves. The McGrath family ranch south of Vermilion, Alta, and they’ve sold into a variety of beef programs. In this video interview, McGrath talks about what those buyers are looking for.
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
