Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets were $4 on either side of unchanged and the market was quite variable across the Prairies. Strength was noted early in the week but feedlot operators pulled in the reins on Thursday and Friday. Strength in the barley market along with lower feeder cattle prices south of […] Read more

Klassen: Feeder market eyes feed grain prices

Even in Feedlot Alley, consumers don’t trust hormone use
The beef sector has long said hormone implants are safe, but most Lethbridge residents aren’t convinced
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s a pretty disheartening finding: Nearly two-thirds of residents of Lethbridge — located in Feedlot Alley — oppose the use of growth hormones in cattle, according to a recent survey. “I would suspect that a lot of people don’t understand,” said Roland Cailliau, a cow-calf producer from Valleyview. “They don’t read and they don’t understand […] Read more

Klassen: Fed cattle market leads yearlings higher
Compared to last week, yearlings traded $3 to as much as $6 higher. While many auction barns were on holidays, buyers had a full deck of orders for the limited supplies on hand. Many buyers and few sellers characterized the market environment. The quality of cattle is quite variable at this time of year but […] Read more

Klassen: Yearlings lead feeder complex higher
Compared to last week, yearlings traded $3 lower to as much as $8 higher. Lower supplies made the market hard to define in some regions but quality packages were very well bid. Heifers were somewhat softer but overall, the market continues to strengthen. Larger operations in southern Alberta were once again leading the charge higher […] Read more

U.S. feedlots draw more cattle than expected in May
Chicago | Reuters — Ranchers in May drove more cattle into U.S. feedlots than anticipated compared with the same period a year ago, said analysts after Friday’s U.S. Department of Agriculture monthly Cattle on Feed report. The data also showed the June 1 feedlot cattle supply climbed 4.1 per cent from a year earlier — […] Read more

Klassen: Feeder market stabilizes on lower supplies
Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle prices were unchanged to $2 higher on average. Feeder cattle markets appear to have divorced from the fed cattle complex and calves are now reaching levels not seen since November last year. Feedlot operators were fairly aggressive on all weight categories under 900 lbs., but heavier yearlings […] Read more

Feed weekly outlook: Feed grains slip, but still solid overall
CNS Canada — Feed barley prices may have come down slightly from their highs earlier in the spring, but remain solid overall, according to an Edmonton-based merchant. Dry weather and the late spring created some uncertainty in the market, and led to opportunities for some growers, said Samantha Metcalfe, a grain trader with Market Master […] Read more

Klassen: Feeder market undergoes minor recovery
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearlings sold $3 to as much as $6 higher while calf markets were relatively unchanged. Feeder cattle futures experienced a $5-$7 rally, which quickly renewed optimism in the cash trade. Ideas that yearling supplies will drop below year-ago levels on both sides of the border this August spurred on […] Read more

Klassen: Fed cattle market drops, feeder market follows
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were trading $3-$5 lower; markets for calves and feeders fit for grass were unchanged to $3 lower. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle at $242 on a dressed basis, down $20-$28 from seven days earlier. The sharp drop in the fed cattle market caused feedlot operators to […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle rebound on technical buying, short-covering
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures bounced on Thursday on technical buying and short-covering following three days of steep declines that had sliced prices by more than five per cent, traders said. Optimism that a deal on a revamped North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) could be reached by the end […] Read more