For the week ending August 30, Western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $4-$8/cwt higher on average. Quality yearling and calf packages were up as much as $15/cwt in some cases.
Weaker feed grain prices and stronger fed cattle values in the deferred positions are the main factors driving the feeder market higher. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis for delivery within two or three weeks at an average price of $510/cwt. Using a 60 per cent grading this equates to a live price of $306/cwt. For April 2026 delivery, Alberta packers were showing delivered bids at $549/cwt dressed and $329/cwt live.
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Harvest is progressing across the Prairies and feed barley offers are down $5-$10/tonne from week-ago levels.
South of Edmonton, a cattle producer reported mixed “run-of-the-mill” clean up steers with medium flesh levels on backgrounding barley and silage ration with full processing records evaluated at 985 pounds sold for $446/cwt fob backgrounding lot.
Near Coronation, the TEAM auction report had a group of 200 Charolais cross Angus steers with touch of exotic features off grass targeted at 1,040 pounds selling for $461/cwt with delivery scheduled for September 23. The same report had 180 Charolais heifers off grass weighing 1,020 pounds trading for $445/cwt fob ranch near Drayton Valley for mid-October delivery.
The Ponoka market report had 200 black steers weighing 950 pounds off grass and minerals with full processing data moved through the ring at $475/cwt. At the same sale, a group of 26 mixed heifers weighing 802 pounds off a diet of rolled barley and barley silage with processing records were last bid at $477/cwt.
In Central Saskatchewan, a cattle producer reported that Simmental Angus cross steers weighing 810 pounds off grass with full preconditioning were valued $515/cwt. Southwest of Calgary, a smaller package of Simmental cross heifers off grass apparently traded for $485/cwt.
Northeast of Calgary, a producer reported that black wide frame Limousin cross steers off grass and minimal weighing 720 pounds traded for $557/cwt. In the same region, larger frame mixed heifers averaging 730 pounds straight off pasture were valued at $510/cwt.
At the Gladstone Auction in Manitoba, red and black exotic steer calves averaging 516 pounds traded for $717/cwt. Over the next few weeks, we’ll see larger packages of calves providing a more defined price structure.
The feeder market is functioning to encourage expansion. According to Statistics Canada, beef cows that had calved as of July 1 were 3.466 million head, up 13,000 head from July 1, 2024. Heifers for beef cow replacement came in at 600,000 head, up 11,000 head from 12 months earlier
