For the week ending December 7, Western Canadian feeder cattle weighing 700 pounds plus traded $10 to $20 higher compared to seven days earlier. Calves under 700 pounds were up $8 to $10 on average. The markets in Manitoba and Eastern Saskatchewan were premium to Alberta in the heavier categories due to stronger U.S. and Ontario buying interest.
Prices for lighter calves were quite variable across the Prairies with no notable premium in Southern Alberta. Certain auction barns in the eastern Prairie regions were reporting 15 to 20 active buyers with full decks of “just get’em type” orders. Quality genetic packages were extremely precious in Manitoba.
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On Wednesday, Dec. 3, Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis at $415/cwt delivered, up $3-$7/cwt from a week earlier and up a solid $10/cwt from values on November 21.
In central Alberta, medium to larger frame, lower flesh Angus Simmental blended steers on light grain and silage diet with full processing data, averaging 940 pounds sold for $347. In the southern Alberta, tan heifers on silage and limited grain ration averaging 920 pounds reportedly sold for $332.
Northwest of Winnipeg, lower flesh Charolais blended steers weighing 840 pounds were last bid at $390. South of Edmonton, Angus based steers with mean weight of 816 pounds on light grain and silage diet with full processing records were last bid at $380.
In southwest Manitoba, semi-weaned “run of the mill” mixed steers weighing 705 pounds supposedly notched the board at $410. Northwest of Saskatoon, larger frame short-weaned black steers with lighter butter around 723 pounds reached up to $405. South of Edmonton, Simmental Limousin cross large-wide-frame steers off cows and grass with full health data averaging 720 pounds dropped the gavel at $416 and similar quality heifers weighing 696 pounds sold for $375.
Northwest of Winnipeg, a smaller package of Charolais steers apparently off cows and forage diet with a mean weight of $624 reached up to $430 while similar quality heifers on the card at 630 pounds moved through the ring at $396. Northeast of Saskatoon, a smaller package of Angus based steers off cows and forage diet evaluated at 600 pounds reached up to $444. In southern Alberta, Charolais short-weaned steers with full processing records on hay and forage diet with a mean weight of 610 pounds were valued at $460.
South of Brandon, a small package of 500 pound black bawling steers were last bid at $522 and Charolais heifers weighing 549 pounds were quoted at $419. South of Calgary, Simmental based steer with full processing records off cows and hay diet weighing 510 pounds were quoted at $505. In the Saskatoon region, British blended heifers weighing 549 pounds were on the market report at $440.
Ideas are that it will take two to four months for government officials to work out procedures and protocols to allow U.S. feedlots to resume imports of Mexican feeder cattle. There is significant open demand as buyers work to secure ownership before the end of the year.
— Jerry Klassen is president and founder of Resilient Capital, specializing in proprietary commodity futures trading and market analysis. Jerry consults with feedlots on risk management and writes a weekly cattle market commentary. He can be reached at 204-504-8339 or via his website at ResilCapital.com.
