Feeder cattle prices across Western Canada were $2 lower to $3 higher last week depending on the location of the sale. Feeder cattle prices are running 20 per cent above year-ago levels and available financing is limiting the buying power. Despite the equity buildup over the past year, many feedlot operators and custom feeders are […] Read more
Klassen: Mixed volatile prices characterize feeder market
Klassen: Feeder cattle prices edge higher
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were steady to $2 higher on average last week. Alberta fed cattle prices reached $110 per hundredweight, up $3 from a week ago, and this strength spilled over into the feeder complex. A group of 100 Charolais-cross steers averaging 875 pounds, looking green and a bit fleshy, sold for $139/cwt […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle prices hold value
Western Canadian feeder cattle traded steady with week-ago levels. A softer fed cattle market, along with the firmer Canadian dollar, tempered strength in the feeder complex. Light-weight calves were in high demand as Black 480-weight steers on the Pfizer Gold program sold for $171 per hundredweight (cwt), f.o.b. the ranch in British Columbia. Simmental-Red Angus […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder prices continue the climb
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were $2 to $4 per hundredweight (cwt) higher last week on average. Deferred live cattle futures made fresh contract highs on Friday, resulting in steady demand in the feeder complex. Run-of-the-mill steer calves weighing 575 pounds averaged $160/cwt in central Alberta; calves averaging 650 lbs. brought back $155/cwt. The April […] Read more
Klassen: Feeders maintain upward trend
Heavier feeder cattle were steady to $2 per hundredweight (cwt) higher last week while calves under 600 pounds were up as much as $2 to $3 in some instances. Despite the softening of the nearby fed market, buying interest for feeders improved as the April and June live cattle futures made fresh contract highs. A […] Read more
Klassen: Fed cattle lead feeders higher
The weaker Canadian dollar, along with stronger beef prices and lower market-ready supplies, caused fed cattle to jump $4 per hundredweight (cwt) last week. Alberta packers paid up to $111/cwt in a struggle to fill nearby demand. Feeder cattle prices followed suit, edging up $2-$3/cwt on average, with lighter-weight cattle up as much as $5/cwt […] Read more
Klassen: Weaker corn, softer dollar strengthen feeder cattle
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were $2-$3 per hundredweight (cwt) higher last week on average. Strong demand was noted on all weight categories, with heavier replacements sometimes up $3-$4/cwt. A group of red and black Angus-based steers weighing 920 pounds with no special qualities sold for $123/cwt in central Alberta. A similar group of cattle […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle shrug off recessionary fears
Feeder cattle prices across Western Canada were steady to $2 higher on average with stronger demand surfacing in the lighter weight categories. Pee-wee steer calves under 350 pounds sold for $186 per hundredweight (cwt) in central Alberta, which is near all-time record highs for any weight category. Black Angus-based age-verified steer calves averaging 528 lbs. […] Read more
Klassen: Prairie feeder prices strengthen, U.S. prices soften
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were up $1-$3 on average last week as major feedlot operators were more aggressive to secure nearby supplies. Steers in the range of 700 to 800 pounds averaged $140 per hundredweight (cwt); yearlings in the 800- to 900-pound category averaged $130-$132/cwt while replacement cattle over 900 pounds brought back $125/cwt. […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market poised to consolidate
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were steady to $2 lower last week as weaker fed cattle prices and stronger feedgrain values set a negative tone. Wholesale beef prices have come under pressure due to weaker consumer confidence and softer equity values. Labour Day beef demand was somewhat disappointing and retailers were discounting ground beef in […] Read more