Southern Saskatchewan report, courtesy of Whitewood Livestock
Light run this week. Expect it to be the third week of September before we see many calves. Demand across all classes. Had several light, fresh calves but quality wasn’t the greatest. Expect this market to remain strong. Will see some pressure as we see larger sales.
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Cattle Market Summary
Break-evens, cow and calf prices, plus market summaries courtesy of Canfax and Beef Farmers of Ontario. Cost of Production May…
Volume of cattle traded this week totalled 350, with 20 per cent butcher cattle, 50 per cent feeders and 30 per cent fresh calves.
Steers weighing in at 400-500 lbs. traded at $425-$4.75., and 500-600 lb. steers ranged from $370-$420. Heavier steers in the 800-1,000 lb. range came in at $288-$333. Heifers in the 400-500 lb. range traded at $300-$360. Seven-hundred to 800 lb. heifers came in at $285-$306, and 800-1,000 lb. heifers traded at $270-$303. Cows ranged from $128-$144, and bulls $148-$162.
About five per cent of buyers were local, 40 per cent from the East, 40 per cent from southern Alberta and 15 per cent from the U.S.
Our next sales day is Sept. 12, then every Tuesday. If selling calves, try to make sure they are 375 lbs. or more as it is a little early for a lot of calf orders.
Western Manitoba report, courtesy of Heartland Livestock Services
Quality cattle, sorted into uniform packages, added major fuel to an already electric market this week. Right now the trend is your friend, as prices rise every week. The truck shortage will be the major factor going into the fall.
About 1,800 cattle traded this week in the Virden-Brandon region, with about 20 per cent of those being butcher cattle, 70 per cent feeders and 10 per cent fresh calves. Steers were up $10/cwt in the 400-800 lb. weight classes, and up about $5 in the 800 to 1,000 lb class. Lightweight heifers were up $15/cwt., while those in the 600-800 lb class were up $10. Heavyweight heifers were up $5/cwt. Cows were up $5, bulls up $7.
Five per cent feeder cattle buyers were local, 30 per cent eastern, 45 per cent from southern Alberta, and 20 per cent from the U.S.
If you have yearlings or big calves, get them to town. This thing is very, very good and waiting to put an extra 25 lbs. on — if this thing moves down $20/cwt — will be a major hit.
“You can never go wrong by taking a profit,” my buddy, Bill McComb once told me.
For more market analysis and seasonal health info, visit Calf Central.
