Compared to last week, western Canadian yearlings traded $2 lower to as much as $5 higher. Strength was once again noted in southern Alberta where heavier yearlings recorded a fresh 52-week high. Calves were relatively unchanged from week-ago levels. Larger groups of quality weaned genetics traded as much $5 above average values. Feather-lite bawlers under […] Read more

Klassen: Finishing feedlot demand drives yearlings higher

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs notch fresh contract highs on export hopes
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures rose to contract highs for a third straight session on Friday on hopes for strong demand from China before easing from those peaks on profit-taking and technical selling, traders said. China is expected to be in the market for imported pork as the deadly hog […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle set one-year high on weather, supply concerns
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures reached a one-year high on Friday on concerns that cold, snowy weather next week may tighten supplies by slowing weight gain and transportation of livestock. Snowfall is expected to increase across the U.S. Plains, where the temperature outlook also is trending colder, according to weather forecaster Radiant Solutions. […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures rally after bullish USDA data
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures were higher on Wednesday, extending earlier small gains after government supply reports showed fewer-than-expected U.S. cattle supplies, traders said. U.S. Department of Agriculture monthly Cattle on Feed data showed 11.692 million cattle in U.S. feedlots as of Nov. 1. That figure was three per cent higher […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Feeder cattle extend gains on drop in placements
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures rose on Friday, shrugging off earlier declines on technical buying and support from government data showing fewer cattle placed in feedlots during April, traders and analysts said. Relatively thinly traded feeder cattle futures jumped more than one per cent after the U.S. Department of Agriculture released its monthly […] Read more

Klassen: Export, feedlot demand drives feeders higher
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices traded $2-$4 higher while calves and lighter-weight feeders were relatively unchanged. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis from $270 to $272, up $5-$7 from week-ago levels. This firmer tone in the fed market quickly spilled over into prices for shorter-term replacements. There is […] Read more

Drought lands more cattle into U.S. feedlots than expected
Chicago | Reuters — Ranchers sent nearly one per cent more cattle to U.S. feedlots in December than the same time a year earlier, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported on Friday. The result topped most analysts’ predictions, mainly led by worsening drought in the U.S. southern Plains that shriveled available winter wheat grazing pasture. […] Read more

U.S. feedlot cattle placements bigger than expected
Chicago | Reuters — Ranchers drove 13.9 per cent more cattle into U.S. feedlots in November than the same time a year ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported on Friday. The result exceeded the high end of the range of analysts’ forecasts, partly fueled by low feed prices in the wake of this fall’s […] Read more

U.S. September cattle placements surge
Chicago | Reuters — Ranchers in September drove 13.5 per cent more cattle into U.S. feedlots than the same month a year earlier, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported on Friday. The result topped analysts’ average forecasts and hit its highest level for the month in six years. “The good news for the consumer is […] Read more

U.S. April feedlot cattle placements jump to 14-year high
Chicago | Reuters — Ranchers placed 11 per cent more cattle in feedlots in April than a year earlier, the most for the month in 14 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported on Friday, beating average forecasts. Higher cattle prices paid by packers last month enhanced profits for feedlots, allowing them to buy more […] Read more