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: Fed cattle market leads yearlings higher
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
Klassen: Weaker barley prices enhance yearling prices
Compared to last week, yearlings traded $3 to as much as $8 higher, with strong buying interest noted from Lethbridge-area feedlots. Supplies of quality feeders are rather snug at this time of year and buyers were extremely aggressive on local packages. Prices in the non-major feeding areas appeared to lag southern Alberta markets but orders […] Read more
Klassen: Stronger demand sustains feeder cattle market
Western Canadian feeder cattle markets were relatively unchanged from week-ago levels. Feeder cattle numbers are declining at this time of year, so those buyers looking to secure ownership had to be more aggressive. Higher-quality packages were available in Saskatchewan, which traded at a small premium to Alberta markets. In central and southern Alberta, there appeared […] Read more
Klassen: Weaker corn, barley prices support feeder market
Western Canadian yearling prices traded $3 to as much as $8 above week-ago levels while calves were steady to $2 higher. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle in the range of $140-$143, unchanged from week-ago levels; however, a fortuitous $5 bounce in the U.S. fed cattle market bolstered buying enthusiasm for replacements. Feeder cattle futures […] Read more
Feeder red ink will affect fall calf market
Market Update: Consumer spending to slow while beef production increases
Alberta fed cattle prices were hovering in the range of $153 to $155 in mid-May as the market moved through a period of seasonal strong demand. U.S. cattle-on-feed inventories continue to run five to seven per cent above year-ago levels. Larger market-ready supplies have caused the U.S. weekly slaughter pace during May to average about […] 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
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
Cattle market absorbing larger supplies
Market Update: Beef consumption increasing after early-spring snowstorms
Alberta packers were buying fed cattle in the range of $263 to $265 per hundredweight on a dressed basis in late April while live sales were reported from $157 to $169. The market appears to have stabilized after a softer tone earlier in spring. Analysts are expecting second-quarter beef production to come in sharply higher […] 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