(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market may have overextended to the upside

Reading Time: 2 minutes For the week ending July 4, there were no feeder cattle sales in Western Canada due to holidays on July 1 and July 4. Major auction markets in the U.S. were also closed or had limited numbers on offer. Prices quoted from south of the border were steady to $4 higher on average but the market was hard to define.







(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Prairie forecast: Mostly warm and dry weather expected

Forecast issued May 28, covering May 28 to June 4, 2025

Reading Time: 3 minutes We start off with high pressure dominating most of the Prairies. A large surface high is sitting over the north-central U.S. This is beginning to tap into more heat and moisture, which will allow for warmer daytime highs and nighttime lows as dewpoints creep up.


(Geralyn Wichers photo)

Klassen: Lower beef production forecasts support feeder complex

Reading Time: 2 minutes Improving feedlot margins contributed to the stronger feeder market. Alberta packers were buying finished cattle on a dressed basis at $500/cwt delivered which was fresh record high. Using a 60 per cent grading, this equates to a live price of $300/cwt. Feedlot breakeven pen closeouts are in the range of $260-$270/cwt. Feedlots are anxious to reload and larger groups of quality packages are limited at this time of year.



Photo: Geralyn Wichers

Klassen: Feedlot operators become cautious on purchases

Reading Time: 2 minutes For the week ending May 10, Western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded steady to $5 higher on average. Quality packages of lighter calves were priced $10-$15 above week ago levels. Many auction barns are only holding sales every two or three weeks at this time of year with limited numbers on offer. This made the market hard to define in certain weight categories.