Activity at most of the cattle auction yards in Manitoba has now resumed, with some pretty good numbers being marketed during the week ended Jan. 15. Favourable weather conditions helped to facilitate the movement of cattle.

“Marketings were fairly aggressive overall, with prices as good as, if not better than they were before the Christmas and New Year’s break,” said Scott Anderson, manager of Winnipeg Livestock Sales.

The firmer price trend applied to all types of animals, whether they were cows, bulls, or feeders, he said.

“The only factor that continued to work against the price of the cattle was the strong Canadian dollar,” he said.

Demand for the cattle marketings, particularly slaughter animals, was also fairly brisk, Anderson said. “There was a fair amount of interest from the packers who were looking to replenish the animals they depleted during the holiday break.”

Demand from both eastern and western packers in Canada was solid, while interest from the U. S. continued to be on the light side, Anderson said.

Meanwhile, Canada’s cow herd liquidation helped to bolster the slaughter values seen for those animals.

“Essentially the continued liquidation of the cow herd has finally taken hold, and it’s likely that the shortage of these animals is going to be noticed in the second half of the year by consumers, especially in the availability of beef cuts,” said Herb Lock, a livestock analyst with Farm Sense Marketing in Edmonton.

The true state of the cattle herd in Canada and Manitoba will be better known when Statistics Canada releases its cattle inventory report at the end of January, he said.

Anderson pointed out that demand for age-verified cattle continues to be strong, with some of the buyers unable to purchase the animals without this certification.

He acknowledged cattle producers in Manitoba have been reluctant to go through the age-verification process, as there has been little reward in terms of better prices, but the benefit of doing so is starting to show up.

“Young, age-verified cattle are now bringing 42 to 45 cents per hundredweight – and the ones that haven’t, the values are in that 36-to 37-cent range instead,” Anderson said.

FROM THE AUCTION FLOORS

Note: All prices in Canadian dollars per hundredweight. These prices also generally represent the top one-third of sales reported by the auction yard.

Ashern Livestock Mart: An estimated 797 head of cattle were sold at the sale held Jan. 13. In the slaughter market, heiferettes traded from $47 to $55; older shelly cows, $25 and up; age-verified D1 and D2 cows, $42-$49.75; D3 and D5 cows, $35-$41; and good bulls, $50-$57.50.

Feeder steers weighing 600-700 lbs. ranged from $90 to $104.50; 500-600 lbs., $95-$115; and 400-500 lbs., $98-$117.50. Feeder heifers weighing 600-700 lbs. traded at $80-$89.50; 500-600 lbs., $84-$92.75; and 400-500 lbs., $85-$95.50.

Gladstone Auction Mart: The Jan. 12 sale saw a total of 665 head of cattle sold at the Gladstone yard. In the slaughter market, bulls sold from $35 to $50.25 while cows brought $25-$40, with age verified up to $45.

Feeder steers in the 900-to 1,000-lb. weight category traded from $80 to $84.75; 800-900 lbs., $75-$87.25; 700-800 lbs., $80-$99.50; 600-700 lbs., $85-$104; 500-600 lbs., $90-$114; 400-500 lbs., $95-$116; and 300-400 lbs., $100-$117. Feeder heifers weighing 800-900 lbs. sold from $60 to $78; 700-800 lbs., $65-$77.50; 600-700 lbs., $70-$86.50; 500-600 lbs., $75-$93.25; 400-500 lbs., $75-$95.50; and 300-400 lbs., $70-$95.

Grunthal Livestock Auction Mart: There were 180 slaughter cattle and 199 feeders sold at the Grunthal yard on Jan. 13. In the slaughter market, fleshy export cows traded from $46 to $51.25; lean export cows, $39-$44; mature cows, $30-$36; feeding cows, $45-$50; export bulls, $55-$60; and mature bulls, $45-$50.

Feeder heifers weighing 700-800 lbs. sold from $74 to $81.50; 600-700 lbs., $80-$85; 500-600 lbs., $83-$89; 400-500 lbs., $88-$95; and under 400 lbs., $90-$99. Feeder steers weighing 800-900 lbs. sold from $80 to $88; 700-800 lbs., $85-$91.50; 600-700 lbs., $89-$95; 500-600 lbs., $95-$109; 400-500 lbs., $100-$110; and 400 lbs., $109-$115.

Heartland Livestock Services, Brandon: A total of 1,377 cattle were on offer in Brandon during the week. A1-A2 steers traded from $72 to $75; A1-A2 heifers, $72-$75.75; D1-D2 cows, $38-$45, with age verified, $45-$49; D3 cows, $32-$37; feeder cows $15-$32; and good bulls $53-$60.

Feeder steers weighing 900-1,000 lbs. sold from $85 to $90.75; 800-900 lbs., $88-$93.50; 700-800 lbs., $88-$98; 600-700 lbs., $92-$107.50; 500-600 lbs., $98-$112; 400-500 lbs., $100-$116; and 300-400 lbs., $105-$119.

Feeder heifers weighing 800-900 lbs. sold from $78 to $84.50; 700-800 lbs., $78-$86; 600-700 lbs., $80-$88.50; 500-600 lbs., $84-$94.50; 400-500 lbs., $85-$93; and 300-400 lbs., $90-$101.

Heartland Livestock Services, Virden: There were about 1,341 cattle sold at the sale held Jan. 13. Butcher steers brought $72-$75, while butcher heifers sold from $71 to $74. Age-verified/young cows sold from $40 to $48; D1-D2 cows, $34-$40; D3 cows, $30-$33; shelly cows, $24-$30; and mature bulls, $51-$57.50.

Feeder steers weighing 900-1,000 lbs. brought $84-$90.50; 800-900 lbs., $86-$93; 700-800 lbs., $87-$99; 600-700 lbs., $90-$102; 500-600 lbs., $97-$110; 400-500 lbs., $100-$117; and 300-400 lbs., $102-$117.

Feeder heifers weighing 900-1,000 lbs. traded from $70 to $80; 800-900 lbs., $78-$84; 700-800 lbs., $80-$88; 600-700 lbs., $80-$89; 500-600 lbs., $81-$92; and 400-500 lbs., $84-$98.

Killarney Auction Mart: There were 674 cattle sold at the Jan. 14 sale. In the slaughter market, D1 and D2 cows went from $42 to $46; D3 and D4 cows, $35.25-$38; and bulls, $49.25-$54.50.

Feeder steers weighing 700-850 lbs. sold from $90 to $96, plain to medium $80-$86; 500-700 lbs., $107-$115, plain to medium $87-$96; and under 500 lbs., $118-$122, plain to medium $107-$110.

Feeder heifers weighing 700-850 lbs. brought $80-$88, plain to medium $70-$76; 500-700 lbs., $86-$91, plain to medium $74-$77; and under 500 lbs., $86-$92, plain to medium $76-$81.

Pipestone Livestock Sales: There were 324 cattle sold at the sale held Jan. 11. Included in the sale were 47 slaughter animals and 277 feeders.

In the slaughter market, D1 cows sold from $36 to $41, age verified $37-$44; D2 cows, $30-$35; D3 cows, $17-$30; and bulls, $47-$54.

Feeder steers weighing 800-900 lbs. fetched $86-$91; 700-800 lbs., $87-$97.50; 600-700 lbs., $90-$101; 500-600 lbs., $95-$106.50; 400-500 lbs., $100-$111.50; and 300-400 lbs., $100-$115.

Feeder heifers weighing 800-900 lbs. went for $75-$82.50; 700-800 lbs., $75-$84.75; 600-700 lbs., $77-$86; 500-600 lbs., $84-$96; 400-500 lbs., $85-$105; and 300-400 lbs., $85-$95.

Ste. Rose Auction Mart: A total of 1,236 cattle were sold at the Jan. 14 sale. In the slaughter market, D1 and D2 cows ranged from $30 to $36; D3-D4 cows, $18-$27; and bulls, $45-$52.

Feeder steers weighing 900-1,000 lbs., traded from $80 to $91; 800-900 lbs., $84-$91.50; 700-800 lbs., $90-$101; 600-700 lbs., $95-$111; 500-600 lbs., $100-$114; and 400-500 lbs., $100-$123. Feeder heifers weighing 800-900 lbs. went for $75-$85; 700-800 lbs., $77-$88; 600-700 lbs., $82-$90; 500-600 lbs., $85-$94; and 400-500 lbs., $88-$95.

Taylor Auctions, Melita: The sale held Jan. 14 resulted in 200 slaughter cattle and 181 feeders being sold. In the slaughter market, A1 and A2 steers over 1,000 lbs. brought $72-$74.50; A1 and A2 heifers over 850 lbs., $72-$74.25; D1 and D2 cows, $38-$48; D3 and D5 cows, $28-$38; and good bulls, $55-$60.

Feeder steers weighing 900-1,000 lbs. brought $75-$85; 800-900 lbs., $85-$90; 700-800 lbs., $88-$95; 600-700 lbs., $90-$100; 500-600 lbs., $100-$110; 400-500 lbs., $110-$122; and 300-400 lbs., $115-$128.

Feeder heifers weighing 800-900 lbs. traded from $78 to $82; 700-800 lbs., $80-$85; 600-700 lbs., $82-$88; 500-600 lbs., $85-$98; 400-500 lbs., $90-$100; and 300-400 lbs., $90-$102.

Winnipeg Livestock Sales: There were about 690 head of cattle sold during the week ending Jan. 15. In the slaughter market, choice steers and heifers sold from $72 to $74.25; dry fed cows, $34-$39; good fleshed, $29-$36; lean, $24-$32; young age verified, $35-$47.50; and good bulls, $45-$54.25.

Feeder steers weighing 900-1,000 lbs. brought $78-$83.50; 800-900 lbs., $85-$90.75; 700-800 lbs., $88-$93.75; 600-700 lbs., $92-$107.50; 500-600 lbs., $100-$114; and 400-500 lbs., $105-$123.

Feeder heifers weighing 800-900 lbs. traded from $75 to $78; 700-800 lbs., $80-$85.25; 600-700 lbs., $82-$91.50; 500-600 lbs., $90-$104; and 400-500 lbs., $92-$104.