File photo of cattle on pasture.(MikeEntertainment/iStock.Getty Images)

Klassen: Feeder cattle market takes defensive tone

It’s that time of year when available supplies start to decline. At the same time, demand is limited. Most backgrounding operators have sufficient numbers and demand for grassers is waning. Ontario interest was noted in Manitoba and Eastern Saskatchewan, which appeared to sustain prices near last week’s levels.







Although wild birds are the reservoir for the latest cases of avian influenza, the bovine version may also have spread between farms by cattle.

Comment: What we know so far about the bovine flu

By the time our May issue hits your mailbox, the bovine influenza situation may have changed. Hopefully, it will have fizzled out by May, but the birds are still coming north. So, here’s what we knew as of April 18 about the bovine influenza A outbreak in the U.S. The disease was first noted in […] Read more



(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder cattle experience weather market

For the week ending May 4, Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were quite variable and the market was hard to define. Alberta and certain regions of Saskatchewan received snow, which caused the market to trade $3 to $5 lower. However, in Eastern Saskatchewan and Manitoba, feeder cattle prices were steady to $3 higher.