(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Yearlings define feeder market

Western Canadian feeder cattle markets became more established this past week as early yearling sales captivated major feedlot operators. Prices were relatively unchanged from week-ago levels; however, larger volumes confirmed the price structure. Higher-quality lower-flesh cattle were featured weighing 850 to 1,050 lbs. at most sales. Feedlots have plenty of pen space and with the […] Read more

Precondition calves regardless of weaning time

Precondition calves regardless of weaning time

The well-prepared, preconditioned calf rewards the producer, the buyer and, most importantly, the calf

Now is the time to start preparing calves for marketing with a sound preconditioning program developed in concert with your veterinarian. Drier weather may mean selling this year’s calves earlier, so preconditioning your calves sooner rather than later makes good sense. Do not wait and, out of frustration, call the trucker and just send the […] Read more


Left to right: Brett Jensen, auctioneer; Donnie Peacock, auctioneer; Lee Crowley, manager (Heartland Livestock Services, Swift Current); Bob Toner, director of business development Sask./Man.; and Brian Good, senior director of business development B.C./Alta. (Canadian Angus Association).

Heartland Livestock receives Auction Market of the Year Award

Purely Purebred with Mike Millar: News about you from the June 2017 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

The Canadian Angus Association presented Heartland Livestock Services from Swift Current, Sask., with its Auction Market of the Year Award last month at the Livestock Markets Association of Canada annual conference in Lethbridge. The Heartland Swift Current facility was built in 1991 and covers 130 acres. There are 60 holding pens with water and feed, […] Read more

The challenge with Ontario calves

Calves from Ontario generally continue to miss the quality mark for larger feedlots in the province which continue to rely on cattle from Western Canada for the uniform lots of vaccinated cattle they need.“We need 200, 300, 400 head together because that’s our pen size,” says Steve Eby, who runs a feedlot near Kincardine. They […] Read more


Making dollars out of sense

Making dollars out of sense

Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen

Aside from price insurance (in provinces where it is available), cow-calf producers can’t do much to control the price they receive for their calves, so managing input costs is often the biggest opportunity to improve profitability. The Western Beef Development Centre has found that annual production costs differ by at least $100 per cow between […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder cattle prices remain firm

Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were relatively unchanged from week-ago levels, although larger groups of quality cattle were priced $3-$5 higher. Most auction barns reported small packages on offer with a larger variance in quality. However, there was limited slippage, even on late stragglers. Prices were rather surprising, with one producer noting that medium-frame, medium- […] Read more


cows and calf

Should you preg check your cows?

News Roundup from the May 2017 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Really, should you preg check? That’s a question almost everyone in the cow business faces every fall. The advice from governments and veterinarians is generally yes, you should find out if the cows you are going to carry through the winter will give you a calf at the end of it. So why did 50 […] Read more

Dr. Tye Perrett, Feedlot Health Management Services.

Calves from vaccinated dams did better in the feedlot

Canadian study looked at protection from respiratory and viral diseases

A uniquely Canadian study provides the first comprehensive look at feedlot health outcomes for calves from dams vaccinated before conception with Express FP. Dr. Tye Perrett, a managing partner with Feedlot Health Management Services, Okotoks, Alta., oversaw the project that reviewed Canadian feedlot records on 1.4 million calves born between 2007 and 2014 to compare […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder cattle market stabilizes

After the recent rally, cattle buyers noted that price spreads between weight categories came back in line with traditional levels this week. Shorter-keep yearlings were steady to $4 weaker compared to seven days earlier; mid-weight cattle from 700 to 800 lbs. were relatively unchanged while feeders under 700 lbs. were $4 to $8 higher. On […] Read more