Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis in the range of $265-$270 delivered this past week, up $3-$5 from seven days earlier. Live prices were quoted at $159-$162 delivered using a 60 per cent grading. If the feedlot operator booked their feed grains earlier in winter, live prices are $2-$3 above breakeven […] Read more
Klassen: Stronger fed cattle prices underpin feeder complex
Limited feed and forage hinder further upside
Klassen: Cattle producers facing drought-like conditions
Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis in the range of $262-$265 delivered this past week. Using a 60 per cent grading, the live price would be in the range of $157-$159. If a feedlot booked the bulk of its feed grains earlier in winter, feeding margins are now hovering in positive […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle divorce from futures’ direction
Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle prices were relatively unchanged. Higher-quality yearlings and calves were steady to $4 higher in Alberta and Saskatchewan; in Manitoba, yearlings traded $2-$4 lower while calves were $3-$5 higher. Domestic cattle markets appeared to divorce from feeder and live cattle futures. June live cattle futures finished the week […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle markets experience volatility
Beef prices encourage slaughter pace
Compared to the previous week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $3-$4 on either side of week-ago levels. Prices were quite variable across the Prairies with four main factors influencing buyer sentiment. First, the eastern Prairie regions experienced adverse winter weather. Auction barns in Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan had smaller volumes on offer. Buyers shied […] Read more
Klassen: Stronger demand drives feeder market
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were $3 to as much as $6 higher, but calf prices were relatively unchanged. Major feedlot operators were very aggressive on heavier calves and yearlings weighing 700-850 lbs. Yearlings over 850 lbs. were also well bid but not as strong as their lighter-weight counterparts. Feed barley prices […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market digests USDA acreage report
Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets were relatively unchanged. Lower flesh yearlings appeared to trade $2-$3 higher in certain pockets of Alberta but replacements carrying excessive butter experienced severe discounts of $6 to as much as $10 in some cases. October and December live cattle futures made fresh contract highs, which underpinned […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market exhibits defensive tone
March 30 — Compared to the previous week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded steady to $3 lower on average. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis in the range of $245-$249 delivered, down from the average value of $250 seven days earlier. Deteriorating feeding margins set a negative tone for the […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market remains volatile
Feed grain values remain firm
Last week, western Canadian yearling markets were traded $2-$4 above week-ago levels from Monday through Wednesday; however, buyers backed away from the market on Thursday and Friday as feeder cattle futures fell nearly $7 from Wednesday’s high. By the end of the week, yearlings were relatively unchanged from week-ago levels. Calf prices were relatively flat […] Read more
Klassen: Uncertain feed grain market weighs on feeder cattle
Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle prices were quite variable. Certain reports had yearling markets trading $3 on either side of unchanged while in southern Alberta, prices were down $2-$4 on average. Calves weighing 600 to 750 lbs. were $4 lower to $4 higher and feeders under 600 lbs. were steady to $3 […] Read more
Klassen: Deferred live cattle futures pull feeder market higher
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $5 lower to $3 higher while calves under 600 lbs. were $2 to as much as $7 higher. Yearlings were somewhat sluggish in the eastern Prairie regions, as feedlot operators in Alberta focused on local cattle. Fleshier backgrounded cattle are coming on the market at this […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
