Ca t t l e prices at auction marts across Manitoba were

holding steady for the most part during the week ended July 11, with solid demand found in the butcher market.

Robin Hill, manager of Heartland Livestock at Virden, said a large portion of the animals at its sale on July 6 were butcher animals.

“Cows and bulls were pretty much steady. We still have lots of butcher animals coming in here,” Hill said. “In fact, about half of the sale was butcher cattle.”

A number of producers in the area had cows that lost calves due to a snowstorm during the winter, and that was one of the main reasons why they were bringing the animals to market, he said.

“The only reason they are selling cows today is because they don’t have a calf at their side for one reason or the other,” he said. “Nobody in their right mind would sell a cow today if she was doing her job.”

Feeder cattle were also mostly steady, Hill said, with some of the heavier animals slightly stronger than the week before. Most of the demand was from local buyers, he said.

“With the lower volumes we don’t have a full row of buyers, so a lot of the animals have just been staying local,” he said.

The Canadian dollar saw a fairly substantial increase in value throughout the week, as the loonie surpassed the US$1.04 level at the date of the sale. Hill said this limited any type of demand from south of the border.

“If the cows were lower at all, it was just by a little bit (from the previous sale), and that would be because of the strong Canadian dollar,” he said.

Volumes were pretty good, he said, considering that it’s the middle of summer, as nearly 600 cattle were sold. However, Hill noted, the increase was likely due to the lack of a sale at Virden last week.

“We took last week off, and we are going to take next week off as well, so with the biweekly sales we saw bigger numbers this week,” he said.

As for haying conditions, Hill said the southwest part of the province had a “great” week for haying, which allowed producers to make progress in their operations.

FROM THE AUCTION FLOORS

Note:AllpricesinCanadian dollarsperhundredweight (cwt).Thesepricesalsogenerally representthetopone-third ofsalesreportedbythe auctionyard.

Ashern Livestock Mart: Closed for summer. Sales to resume in August.

Gladstone Auction Mart: Prices unavailable from June 21 sale. Final sale in mid- July. Sales to resume in mid- August.

Grunthal Livestock Auction Mart:Summer schedule in place. No sales until August.

Heartland Livestock Services, Brandon:A total of 180 cattle were on offer in Brandon at the July 5 sale.

In the slaughter market, D1-D2 cows went for $66-$73; D3 cows, $58-$65; feeder cows $53-$61; and good bulls, $82- $88.75.

Feeder steers weighing 900-1,000 lbs. ranged from $103 to $114; 800-900 lbs., $110-$114.25; 700-800 lbs., $112-$122; 600-700 lbs. , $120-$133; 500-600 lbs. , $130-$141; and 400-500 lbs., $130-$146.

Feeder heifers weighing 800- 900 lbs. brought $100-$106.50; 700-800 lbs., $102-$111.50; 600-700 lbs., $112-$125; 500- 600 lbs., $118-$125; and 400- 500 lbs., $120-$138.

Heartland Livestock Services, Virden:There were about 549 cattle sold at the sale held on July 6. Butcher steers brought $90-$95.50 while butcher heifers sold from $89 to $93.50. Ageverified/ young cows ranged from $67 to $73; D1 and D2 cows, $66-$71; D3 cows, $60-$66; shelly cows, $45- $55; and mature bulls, $83- $89.

Feeder steers weighing 800- 900 lbs. brought $104-$117; 700-800 lbs., $110-$129; 600- 700 lbs., $117-$134.75; and 500-600 lbs., $122-$142.

Feeder heifers weighing 800-900 lbs. traded from $95 to $106; 700-800 lbs., $102- $113.50; 600-700 lbs., $108- $120; and 500-600 lbs., $111- $125.

There will be no sale on July 13. Auctions resume July 20.

Killarney Auction Mart: No auction this week. Sales to resume in August.

Ste. Rose Auction Mart: Sales finished for summer. Auctions to resume in fall.

Taylor Auctions, Melita: Sales concluded for summer. Auctions to resume Aug. 18.

Winnipeg Livestock Sales: There were about 406 cattle sold at the sale held July 8. In the slaughter market, age-verified/ young cows ranged from $55 to $70; D1 and D2 cows, $60-$65; D3 cows, $56- $60; shelly cows, $49-$56; and mature bulls, $78-$88.75.

Feeder steers weighing 800- 900 lbs. brought $105-$115; 700-800 lbs., $102-$110; 600- 700 lbs., $102-$119; and 500- 600 lbs., $110-$117. Feeder heifers weighing 800-900 lbs. traded from $97 to $104.50; 700-800 lbs., $102-$110; 600- 700 lbs., $102-$119; and 500- 600 lbs., $110-$117.

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BRENT HARDERCNSC