Feeder cattle prices ended the year on a soft tone, trading steady with week-ago levels. Most auction barns were in holiday mode, resulting in minimal sales across the Prairies. Christmas couldn’t come soon enough for feedlot operators and the bounce in the live cattle futures early in the week was a refreshing gift. This past […] Read more
Klassen: Bounce in fed cattle supports feeders
Klassen: Feeder cattle market grinds lower
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices ended the year on a soft tone, trading $5-$10 below week-ago levels; fleshier unweaned calves were down $10 to $15 because adverse weather plagued much of the Prairie region. Cattle buyers were busy on the phone, but receiving no orders. Feedlots appear to be content with their current inventory levels […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market falls sharply
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices experienced a week-over-week decline of $12-$15 on average, with fleshier unweaned calves trading down $20-$25. Major feedlot operators reined in buying interest across the Prairies as fed cattle and wholesale beef prices remain under pressure. Feeding margins continue to deteriorate beyond pain thresholds and the backlog of market-ready feedlot supplies […] Read more
What a year for cattle — but sharpen your pencils for 2016
Market expert Anne Wasko says a 3.5-million-head increase in the U.S. herd is going to be the story going forward
Reading Time: 3 minutes Cattle prices may be ending the year on a low note, but even so, it’s been a record-breaking run. “Averages are averages, but 2015 will go down in the record books for the cycle highs for Canada,” said Anne Wasko, marketing analyst with Gateway Livestock Marketing. “Everybody’s focusing on today, and of course, the market’s […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle remain vulnerable
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were once again quite volatile this past week as market continues to digest overwhelming fed cattle supplies and lacklustre beef demand. In Alberta, calves under 700 lbs. were steady to $5 lower on average while heavier calves and yearlings were $3 to as much as $10 lower. In the eastern […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle stabilize near annual lows
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices traded $5 lower to $5 higher relative to week-ago levels. The market was quite variable across the Prairies, with eastern markets coming under more pressure comparable to southern Alberta. Feedlot operators and backgrounding farmers that were holding back on purchases earlier in the fall were stepping forward more aggressively this […] Read more
Klassen: Weaker fed cattle pressure feeder market
Alan Paton stated when men are ruled by fear, they strive to prevent the very changes that will abate it. The feeder cattle market is contending with a negative round of feeding margins over the next few months, which continues to result in weaker values. Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were generally $3 to $8 […] Read more
U.S. feedlot cattle placements hit nearly 20-year low
Chicago | Reuters — The number of cattle placed into U.S. feedlots last month declined four per cent from a year ago to their lowest level for October since the government began tabulating the data in 1996, a U.S. Department of Agriculture report showed on Friday. October’s placement results nearly matched forecasts by analysts, who […] Read more
Klassen: Feedlots curb buying interest
Despair is the price one pays for setting an impossible aim. Given the phone calls over the past week, producers have been expecting something the market cannot offer. Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were under severe pressure, with 700-plus-pound cattle down $8-$12 from seven days earlier; calves under 700 lbs. traded $4-$8 below week-ago levels. […] Read more
Klassen: Quality calves support feeder market
They say a sudden windfall can provide a false expectation of future performance. This is definitely true of the cattle feeding business. Western Canadian feeder cattle prices continued on a mixed volatile tone over the past week, trading $10 lower to as much as $10 higher. Feedlot operators shrugged off the sharply lower live cattle […] Read more