(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: U.S. feeder markets pull Canadian values higher

Feedlots aggressively seek U.S. corn

For the week ending July 1, western Canadian feeder markets traded $2-$5/cwt higher compared to seven days earlier. Quality groups of yearlings were up $8-$10/cwt from a week earlier. South of the border, major markets in Oklahoma had feeder steers and heifers trading US$5-$10/cwt above week-ago levels. The Canadian market is functioning to ration demand

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Fed market supports feeder complex

Strength in loonie tempers market upside

For the week ending Saturday, western Canadian yearlings over 800 lbs. were relatively unchanged. Feeder cattle in the range of 600-700 lbs. were up $4-$8/cwt. The market was hard to define for feeder cattle under 600 lbs. due to limited numbers. Prices for quality calves were unchanged from seven days earlier while straggler types were


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: 800-lb. steers touch $300/cwt mark

Nearby cash market at odds with futures

For the week ending June 17, western Canadian feeder cattle prices were quoted $2-$5/cwt higher on average compared to seven days earlier. However, larger packages of quality yearlings traded $8-$10/cwt above week-ago levels. The market was hard to define because available supplies are dwindling at this time of year. The quality of cattle was extremely



Cattle prices, temperatures stay hot

Cattle prices, temperatures stay hot

Continued dry weather could drive producers to sell

As a number of cattle auctions prepare for summer shutdown, prices and the thermometer remain high. More than 4,000 cattle went through the rings during the week ended June 1, compared to 2,009 the previous week, and prices continued to move upward. Feeder steers weighing up to 700 lb. were sold for more than $350

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Texas flooding lifts Canadian feeder market

Fed cattle in counter-seasonal trend

For the week ending Sunday, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $6-$8 higher. In some cases, quality yearling packages traded as much as $10 above week-ago levels. Live and feeder cattle futures closed the week US$8-$9 higher as traders monitored flooding conditions in Texas. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a live basis in


Cattle prices remain strong as sale volumes grind lower

Cattle prices remain strong as sale volumes grind lower

Several yards will operate at a reduced pace over the summer

Activity at Manitoba’s cattle auction yards was subdued during the week ended May 26. The Victoria Day long weekend marks the unofficial start of summer and movement slows down for the season. Prices remained strong, especially for butcher cows, which accounted for most of the trade at some yards. “Butcher cows continue to hit new

CME October 2023 feeder cattle with 20-, and 100-day moving averages and May 2023 feeder cattle (black line). (Barchart)

Klassen: Weather forecasts underpin feeder market

High forage costs pose problem for cow-calf expansion

For the week ending Saturday, western Canadian feeder cattle markets were relatively unchanged from seven days earlier. The finishing feedlot operator appears to be dominating the feeder market across all weight categories. Ontario interest was creeping all the way into Alberta, especially for Limousin-type genetics. There were limited numbers on offer in Manitoba and Saskatchewan


Prices strong despite fewer cattle on offer

Prices strong despite fewer cattle on offer

Short supplies overcame a recent slump in cattle futures

Cattle prices have slipped a little but remain strong, according to Kirk Kiesman of Ashern Auction Mart. He said the number and quality of cattle at auction have both fallen in the last few weeks. “The market was still pretty good overall. The run is definitely getting smaller as most of the cattle in Manitoba

Smoke rises from a wildfire in Alberta’s Strathcona County, east of Edmonton, on May 5, 2023. (Photo: Video screengrab from @hellohildy on Twitter via Reuters)

Alberta fairs, auctions offer space for evacuated livestock

Central areas catch break with moisture, cooler weather; CN service resumes

Alberta’s ag societies and livestock auction marts are offering up pen space for producers forced to evacuate animals away from dozens of wildfires in the province’s northern and west-central regions. As of early Thursday evening, the province was tracking 76 active wildfires, of which 22 were listed as “out of control” and 17 as “being