Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were steady to as much as $5 higher over the past week. Lighter-weight calves under 600 pounds experienced notable gains, while stronger buying interest was also noted on medium- to lower-flesh backgrounded cattle in the 800-pound-plus category. Major feeding operations were quick to discount cattle that appeared to have too […] Read more
Klassen: Uncertainty looms for feeder cattle market
Klassen: Renewed buying interest drives feeder market
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices experienced extremely aggressive buying interest this past week. Feeder cattle in the 700-pound-plus category were trading $2 to as much as $8 higher in some cases, while lighter-weight cattle were steady to $5 above week-ago levels. I was extremely surprised by prices and comments after the dismal January market behaviour. […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle prices feel vulnerable
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were extremely volatile this past week. In eastern Saskatchewan and Manitoba, the weaker Canadian dollar had a noticeable effect on demand, with the market trading steady to slightly higher in certain cases. Alberta values, however, were definitely softer as cattle prices came under pressure causing feeding margins to narrow. Buyers […] Read more
Klassen: Feeders trade $2 to $6 higher
Western Canadian feeder cattle values started the year on a very strong tone. Lighter-weight calves under 700 pounds were a solid $4 to $6 higher in comparison to mid-December; replacements over 700 lbs. were $2 to $4 higher on average. This was the first week of major sales in 2015 and cattle buyers were extremely […] Read more
Klassen: Holidays leave feeder cattle market undefined
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were undefined this past week as most auction markets remained on holidays or had limited volumes. Cow-calf producers were not anxious to market calves with adverse temperatures across the Prairies and news of stronger U.S. prices confirmed waiting another week would pay off. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported feeder […] Read more
When cattle (prices) fly
Five to Remember: The year began with producers wondering if ‘fantastic’ prices could last — they did a lot more than that
Reading Time: 2 minutes At the start of the year, the big question in the cattle sector was, ‘Can prices stay this high all year?’ “The market right now is fantastic,” Herb Lock of Farm$ense Marketing said back in February. “Cow-calf producers right now are in their second world, floating around in the sky compared to other years.” Lock […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market looking forward
Auction markets across Western Canada will start off the New Year with fairly strong momentum. Newton’s first law of physics states that an object in motion will stay in motion until acted upon by an opposite force. U.S. fed cattle prices staged a miraculous recovery last week and it now appears we could see further […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market ends on mixed tone
Western Canadian feeder cattle markets have ended the year on a mixed tone with most auction barns closed for the holiday season. Alberta packers were buying limited volumes of fed steers at $178 per hundredweight (cwt), down from highs of $183 earlier in December. The uncertainty over feedlot margins for the first and second quarters […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market becomes extremely vulnerable
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were relatively steady early in the week but dropped $3 to $6 on average by Friday. Weakness at local auction barns was led by a softer fed cattle market and a extreme weakness in U.S. feeder values. U.S. fed cattle prices in Kansas have dropped like a power window, trading […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market absorbs larger supplies
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were well supported this past week, with strong buying interest from both larger feedlot operators and the “year-end buyer” custom cattle feeder. Fed cattle prices continue to trade near historical highs, causing feedlots to aggressively liquidate market-ready supplies. Empty pens can have significant opportunity cost in this environment, so there […] Read more
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