Southern Alberta, courtesy of Perlich Bros.

350 feeder cattle sold this week. The market remained steady. Fancy red-cross replacement heifers sold at a premium. Last sale for 2023 is Thursday, Dec. 21 at 10:00 a.m.

Yearlings sold as follows:

• 300-400 lb. Steers $290-$400
• 400-500 lb. Steers $250-$350
• 500-600 lb. Steers $275-$370
• 300-400 lb. Heifers $250-$325
• 400-500 lb. Heifers $250-$350
• 500-600 lb. Heifers $225-$337
• 600-700 lb. Heifers $225-$325
• 700-800 lb. Heifers $240-$299
• 800-900 lb. Heifers $260-$304
• 900-1,000 lb. Heifers $260-$269

350 cull cows and bulls sold this week:

• D1 – D2 Cows $115-$125
• D3 – D4 Cows $95-$115
• Feeder Cows $130-$154
• Heiferettes $175-$240
• Bulls 1,901-plus lbs. $115-$152
• Holstein cows $85-$105
• Bulls 901-1,300 lbs. $190-$241

Last chance bred sale, Tuesday, Dec 19 at 1:00 p.m. Over 500 breds on offer, go to website for more info or call us at 403-329-3101.

• Bred Heifers, Good Quality $3,000-$3,500
• Bred Heifers, Med. Quality $2,700-$3,000
• Bred Cows, Good Quality $3.000-$3,500
• Bred Cows, Med. Quality $2,400-$3,000
• Bred Cows, Mature Pairs $1,800-$2,400

The post Auction mart report for the week of December 15, 2023 appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

Ninety butchers and 1,260 feeders through the ring this week at Killarney Auction Mart.

The extreme volatility we have seen in the futures market in recent weeks has affected calf prices. The top-end steers are still selling very well and producers are being rewarded for looking after all the details.

Discounts for improper or no castration, horns and short weaning are getting larger as we get to the end of fall run. There is as much opportunity now as we have ever seen to buy claves that just need some love.

It has been a high-volume fall run and some pens are filling up. Some buyers, especially out of the East, are demanding and will pay more for vaccinated calves.

There are only two weeks left to sell calves before orders dry up for the Christmas break. There is another week after that for butcher cows.

In Manitoba, there are lots of reports of poor preg checks. Make sure to get yours done if you haven’t already to replace any open cows. This is the season to buy replacement breds and there are lots for sale. Whatever fits your program is out there, just talk to your local market about what they have coming in.

Southern Alberta, courtesy of Perlich Bros.

The last calf sale finished with the market closing steady. If you still have calves to market this fall, you can bring them in for our regular Thursday sales.

We would like to thank all the producers for marketing their calves with us this fall. And a shout out to all the buyers who participated in our Rancher Calf and Pre-sort sales this fall!

• 300-400 lb. Steers $300-$445
• 400-500 lb. Steers $410-$457
• 500-600 lb. Steers $300-$386
• 600-700 lb. Steers $290-$350
• 700-800 lb. Steers $250-$301
• 300-400 lb. Heifers $370-$392
• 400-500 lb. Heifers $275-$357
• 500-600 lb. Heifers $300-$336
• 600-700 lb. Heifers $275-$322
• 700-800 lb. Heifers $230-$280
• 900-1000 lb. Heifers $215-$268

The seasonal run of cows and bulls are selling at steady money.

• D1-D2 Cows $115-$125
• D3-D4 Cows $95-$115
• Feeder Cows $120-$130.50
• Heiferettes $180-$262
• Bulls 1,901-plus lbs. $119-$147.50
• Holstein Cows $94-$106.50

We have a great lineup of bred cattle in the coming weeks, with 1,500 head on offer next week.

• Bred Heifers, Good Quality $3,000-$3,700
• Bred Heifers, Med. Quality $2,500-$3,000
• Bred Cows, Good Quality $3,000-$3,800
• Bred Cows, Med. Quality $2,400-$3,000
• Bred Cows, Mature Pairs $1,700-$2,400

The post Auction mart report for the week of Dec. 1, 2023 appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

Virden saw 500 cattle through the ring this week. Half of those were butcher cattle, and the remainder split evenly between fresh calves and feeders. Southern Alberta buyers purchased half the cattle, local buyers 30 per cent and the remaining 20 per cent went east.

Cows and bulls traded $10 lower due to large volumes across the west. Feeder numbers are slowing, but the market is strong. Looks like owning feeders in 2024 is going to be a great thing. Four to 500 lb. heifers and steers were both up $10. Calves from 500-800 lbs. were all up $5.

Don’t ship short-weaned calves, as there are big discounts for these animals.

Southern Alberta, courtesy of Perlich Bros.

The calf run is coming to an end with prices continuing steady.

Also, a good run of yearlings this week with mostly open heifers.

Forty-two Black Angus heifers averaging 1,002 at $284. Another 30 Black Anugs heifers averaging 946 lbs. at $291.

Last calf sale is Wednesday Nov 29 at 10:00am. If you have calves to sell, be sure to give us a call at 403-329-3101.

Prices for calves as follows:

• 300-400 lb Steers $325-$450   
• 400-500 lb Steers $300-$425 
• 500-600 lb Steers $290-$375 
• 600-700 lb Steers $285-$350 
• 700-800 lb Steers $272-$337 
• 300-400 lb Heifers $300-$350           
• 400-500 lb Heifers $270-$352           
• 500-600 lb Heifers $290-$345           
• 600-700 lb Heifers $290-$305           
• 700-800 lb Heifers $205-$261           
• 800-900 lb Heifers $275-$291           
• 900-1,000 lb Heifers $235-$284        

Seasonal run of cull cows selling this week with over 325 head on offer, selling at steady money.

• D1-D2 Cows   $115-$125      
• D3-D4 Cows   $90-$115        
• Feeder Cows   $120-$135      
• Heiferettes       $175-$232      
• Bulls                $105-$154      
• Holstein Cows $90-$103

Bred cattle sales this week had a great selection of bred females on offer. The auction stands were full with a lot of buyer action. We conduct bred sales every Tues, Friday and Saturday.

• Bred Heifers (Good Quality)  $3300-$3800
• Bred Heifers (Med. Quality)   $2800-$3300
• Bred Cows (Good Quality)     $3500-$4250
• Bred Cows (Med. Quality)      $2800-$3500  
• Bred Cows (Mature Pairs)      $1800-$2800

The post Auction mart report for the week of November 24, 2023 appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

This week 3,424 calves sold on a steady market. Light run of mixed yearlings. Mostly preg checked open heifers. Steer and heifer prices:

• 300-400 lbs – Steers $350-$480
• 400 – 500 lbs – Steers $325-$475
• 500 – 600 lbs- Steers $325-$395
• 600 – 700 lbs- Steers $258-$374
• 700 – 800 lbs- Steers $315-$359.25
• 300 – 400 lbs – Heifers $300-$400
• 400 – 500 lbs- Heifers $290-$410
• 500 – 600 lbs- Heifers $290-$350
• 600 – 700 lbs- Heifers $317-$325
• 700 – 800 lbs- Heifers $250-$2750
• 800 – 900 lbs – Heifers $225-$268
• 1000 – 1100 lbs – Heifers $185-$269

Big run of slaughter cows this week. Selling for $3.00 to $5.00 lower. Light run of bred cows for the first sale. Selling to a strong demand. Prices as follows:

• D1 – D2 Cows $115-$125
• D3 – D4 Cows $100-$115
• Feeder Cows $120-$135
• Heiferettes $180-$230
• Bulls 1901+ $122-$150
• Holstein Cows $95-$110
• Bred Heifers $2900-$3700
• Bred Cows – Good Quality $3200-$3800
• Bred Cows – Med. Quality $2200-$2600
• Bred Cows – Mature Pairs $1700-$2200

Southern Saskatchewan, courtesy of Whitewood Livestock

Whitewood Livestock saw 3,397 cattle this week, with most (91 per cent) being fresh calves, eight per cent butcher cattle and one per cent feeders.

Steer prices came in as follows:

• 400-500 lbs. ranging from $410-464
• 500-600 lbs. ranging from $377-$432
• 600-700 lbs. ranging from $340-$395
• 700-800 lbs. ranging from $320-$350

Heifer prices were as follows:

• 400-500 lbs. ranging from $330-$388
• 500-600 lbs. ranging from $310-$362
• 600-700 lbs. ranging from $300-$329

Bulls came in at $160-$174 and cows $128-$155.

The market is a little softer as futures have been going down all week. Next week the market is likely to show some pressure as futures have dropped.

Southern Manitoba, courtesy of Killarney Auction Mart

This week we had 1,347 head through the ring at Killarney Auction Mart. Five per cent were cows and bulls and 95 per cent calves.

Highlights this week were 638 lbs. steers topping the market at $374.25.

Heifers remain a long way behind steers and the price slide has tightened up. Overall, the market has stayed remarkably steady over the course of fall run. That appears to be in some jeopardy now as the futures market has become volatile over the last week with large swings.

Look for buyers to get a little more cautious as large numbers of feeders continue to hit the market and futures remain on the unpredictable side.

On the bright side for the cattleman, corn has been under pressure as well, which should help cheapen feed rations.

Never a dull moment in the cattle industry.

Western Manitoba, courtesy of Heartland Livestock Services

Virden saw 3,100 cattle through the auction mart this week. Fresh calves comprised 85 per cent of the cattle, followed by butcher cattle (10 per cent) and feeders (five per cent).

Cows were up five dollars, and bulls steady. Steer prices as follows:

• 400-500 lbs. ranging from $440-$483 (up $5)
• 500-600 lbs. ranging from $350-$420 (up $5)
• 600-700 lbs. ranging from $325-$384 (down $5)
• 700-800 lbs. ranging from $310-$346 (down $8)

Heifer prices as follows:

• 400-500 lbs. ranging from $355-$395 (up $5)
• 500-600 lbs. ranging from $305-$347 (up $5)
• 600-700 lbs. ranging from $280-$315 (down $5)
• 700-800 lbs. ranging from $250-$299 (down $10)

The majority (40 per cent) of cattle went east, while local buyers picked up 30 per cent. U.S. buyers took 20 per cent of the cattle on offer this week and southern Alberta 10 per cent.

Wild futures and big volume put pressure on the market this week. Looks like more pressure is coming as pens fill up. With the rocky weather, calf quality may start to slip.

For some of the lighter cattle and second-cut types, it may be a good plan to feed them into the new year.

The post Auction mart report for the week of November 10, 2023 appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

We saw 1,440 head through the ring this Monday at Killarney Auction Mart:

• five per cent cows and bulls
• five per cent yearlings
• 90 per cent calves

Cows are holding steady, trading $1.25–$1.35 per pound. High-yielding cows topping at $1.41.

Feeders are a little more unpredictable as a very busy fall run continues. Numbers are being bumped with a larger-than-normal volume of lighter weight calves. The price slide on heifers has tightened up and the spread between steers and heifers has widened. This likely means heifer orders will start coming out of the woodwork.

With the onset of winter across the Prairies and grey weather in southern Ontario, modified live vaccines do prove their worth. If buyers have vaccination info about cattle, it can make a difference in price as vaccinated calves do hold together better after the stress of weaning and shipping.

As we get into November, bred cow sales are getting ready to start. Lots of people are asking what bred cows and heifers will be worth. It is a tough question this year. If you price a bred cow at a steer calf plus a cull cow, good bred cows should trade $3,000 to $3,500. However, with limited feed supply across a significant portion of Western Canada, a demographic of aging cattle farmer that is more likely to retire than to expand and rising land values, we are forced to look at supply and demand for commercial breeding stock. This probably means we will see bred cows more based at a cull price plus X dollars.

The bright side for sellers is the talk that some producers are selling heifer calves to buy breds. This will give them a calf to sell a year sooner. We may also see cow-calf producers looking to minimize income tax this fall for the first time in a long time.

It does look like bred females will sell well but will still be priced to work for the buyer.

Western Manitoba, courtesy of Heartland Livestock Services

Virden saw 4,400 cattle through the ring this week, with 70 per cent fresh calves, 20 per cent feeders and 10 per cent butcher cattle. Most weight classes of steers were up $5, but lightweight (400-500 lb.) steers were up $10. Heifers were up $5, except for the 500-600 lb. weight class, which was up $10.

Steer prices as follows:

• 400-500 lbs. ranged from $440 to $449
• 500-600 lbs. ranged from $390 to $420
• 600-700 lbs. ranged from $365 to $389
• 700-800 lbs. ranged from $350 to $374.

Heifer prices as follows:

• 400-500 lbs. ranged from $350 to $396
• 500-600 lbs. ranged from $310 to $341
• 600-700 lbs. ranged from $300 to $328
• 700-800 lbs. ranged from $285 to $310

Southern Alberta buyers purchased 40 per cent of the cattle this week, while local, Eastern and U.S. buyers each took 20 per cent of the pie.

We saw a stronger market this week with better weather. Plain cattle are starting to see big discounts. The market looks strong.

Keep calves fresh — do not short wean!

Southern Saskatchewan, courtesy of Whitewood Livestock

We saw 3,187 cattle this week at Whitewood Livestock. The majority (92 per cent) were fresh calves, seven per cent butcher cattle and one per cent feeders.

Steer prices were as follows:

• 400-500 lbs. ranged from $420 to $483
• 500-600 lbs. ranged from $374 to $430
• 600-700 lbs. ranged from $335 to $394
• 700-800 lbs. ranged from $326 to $370

Heifer prices came in as follows

• 400-500 lbs. ranged from $326 to $369
• 500-600 lbs. ranged from $302 to $348
• 600-700 lbs. ranged from $297 to $333
• 700-800 lbs. ranged from $280 to $310

Cows came in at $123 to $155 and bulls from $165 to $179.

Market was steady to stronger this week. Light calves gaining some strength. Usually we see the market come under pressure during the heaviest part of the fall run, but it often rebounds as the run slows.

Producers can sell in confidence, as the market is still extremely strong.

Southern Alberta, courtesy of Perlich Bros

This week 3,006 calves sold to a steady to stronger market due to favourable moves in the Canadian dollar and rebound in cattle futures. Light run of mixed yearlings this week. Steer prices as follows:

• 300-400 lbs. ranged from $300 to $475
• 400-500 lbs. ranged from $390 to $474
• 500-600 lbs. ranged from $290 to $390
• 600-700 lbs. ranged from $250 to $365
• 700-800 lbs. ranged from $250 to $359
• 800-900 lbs. ranged from $290 to $317

Heifer prices as follows:

• 300-400 lbs. ranged from $350 to $388
• 400-500 lbs. ranged from $290 to $375
• 500-600 lbs. ranged from $250 to $342
• 600-700 lbs. ranged from $260 to $325
• 700-800 lbs. ranged from $225 to $82.50
• 800-900 lbs. ranged from $180 to $282.50
• 900–1,000 lbs. ranged from $240 to $279

We have 2,100 calves booked for presort sale on Saturday. Nov 4. After that, only one presort left on Nov 11, at 10 a.m. If you have calves to sell this fall you may want to take advantage of this sale. Give us a call at 403-329-3101.

Also this week, 570 slaughter cows and bulls sold, for a dollar or two higher. Bred sale on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 1:00 p.m.

The post Auction mart report for the week of November 3, 2023 appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

This week at Killarney Auction Mart:

• Five per cent butchers
• 95 per cent calves

We did see the cull cow market gain some strength this week which is uncommon for this time of year. We are now in the busiest time of the fall run from mid-October to mid-November. We are unlikely to see the market improve during this period.

With this time of year, we will see fluctuations in the market caused by bottlenecks such as trucking availability and feedlots’ ability to handle numbers. This year with the higher prices, cash flow and credit may play a role as well.

As the weather gets more volatile watch for buyers to pay more attention to vaccination history on calves. In some cases, they will be willing to pay more if accurate information is available.

With the stress involved in moving wet-nose calves around, a minimum of one shot of a modified live vaccine does help hold the health together. Attention to detail still matters in this high market. Bull calves at middle and heavyweights are still bringing more than top-end steers did a year ago. However, bull calves may be looking at a $ 0.50/lb. discount. This is easy money to keep in your pocket.

Look for the market to stay reasonably steady with the usual fall run fluctuations from day to day.

Western Manitoba, courtesy of Heartland Livestock Services

Great weather and great cattle made for another great week. Virden saw 3,800 cattle through the ring this week, with 80 per cent of those fresh calves, 12 per cent feeders and eight per cent butcher cattle.

Calf prices held steady, although heavyweight steers saw a $7 drop, and heavyweight heifers declined $5 on average. Buyers bumped cow prices up $2 and bulls held steady. This is likely a short-term trend. Expecting big volumes next week as a tsunami of calves hits the rings.

About 45 per cent of the cattle headed to southern Alberta, 30 per cent East, 15 per cent to local buyers and the remaining 10 per cent south of the border.

Make sure not to “short-wean” your calves. Sell them right off the cow or wean and put them on feed for at least eight weeks.

Southern Alberta, courtesy of Perlich Bros. Auction

This week saw 5,566 calves sold at fully steady prices. Only two presorts are left this month at our auction, so if you have calves to sell, book them in. Steer prices ranged from $400-$500 for the lightest calves to $285-$375 for 600-700 lb. calves. Lightweight (400-500 lb.) heifers brought anywhere from $300-$400, while 600-700 lb. heifers saw $290-$320.

On Thursday, 650 yearlings sold to a limited demand. Plain and odd-ball cattle continue to sell way down in price.

Thursday also saw 550 cows and bulls sold. Slaughter cows continued to hold steady this week. Big cow numbers expected for next week as preg testing continues.

For more market analysis and seasonal health info, visit Calf Central.

The post Auction mart report for the week of Oct. 20, 2023 appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

The fall run is underway at Killarney Auction Mart. This week brought:

• five per cent butchers
• five per cent yearlings
• 90 per cent calves

The market has stayed very steady from last week to this week with light- to middle-weight heifers getting a little stronger.

As harvest is wrapping up, the fall run will continue full steam ahead. Maybe it was just this barn this week, but there are more light cattle on offer than we have ever seen. In fact, 12 per cent of the calves on offer were under 400 lbs. Further to that, an additional 35 per cent were between 400-500 lbs. It makes one wonder what grass cattle will be available next spring. It certainly seems early to be thinking of buying next year’s grassers. These cattle under 500 lbs. take a lot of knowledge and TLC to get started.

While it has been relatively quiet in the Manitoba markets the last few weeks, it was nice to see one of the Alberta majors back a little more aggressively in the butcher market this week.

Feeder cattle will continue to ebb and flow as they always do through the fall. Cows and bulls virtually never get stronger than the fall as producers preg check and cull.

Western Manitoba, courtesy of Heartland Livestock Services

This week saw 5,000 cattle through the ring at Virden, with 70 per cent of those being fresh calves, 10 per cent butcher cattle and 20 per cent feeders. Good weather held the market together for another week. Mixed-quality and smaller-framed calves starting to see discounts. 

However, overall record prices on all weight breaks. I would think lower prices are coming on the 500-550 lb. in the coming weeks. 

Steers from 400-800 lbs. were up $5, as were light-weight heifers. Cows were down $2, and bulls down $3. Forty per cent of the cattle went to southern Alberta, 30 per cent East, 20 per cent to local buyers and 10 per cent south. 

Local orders are starting to kick in. Three-hundred-and-fifty to 450 lb. cattle are bringing lots per pound as well as the big 600-750 lb. calves. Five hundred to 550 lb. is a bit of a dead weight — too heavy for grass, too light to come out at a great time!

Southern Saskatchewan, courtesy of Whitewood Livestock

Whitewood Livestock saw 2,287 cattle through the ring this week, with 85 per cent comprising fresh calves, seven per cent feeders and eight per cent butcher cattle. The market remained strong and benefited from better weather and an easing of wet conditions this week. Great prices mean producers can sell in confidence.

Steer prices this week were as follows:

• 400-500 lbs. ranged from $425-$510.
• 500-600 lbs. ranged from $380-441.
• 600-700 lbs. ranged from $350-399.
• 700-800 lbs. ranged from $335-$376.

This week heifers ranged as follows:

• 400-500 lbs. ranged from $365-$433.50.
• 500-600 lbs. ranged from $330-$380.
• 600-700 lbs. ranged from $310-$353.

Cows brought anywhere from $127 to $156.50, bulls $140 to $167.50.

For more market analysis and seasonal health info, visit Calf Central.

The post Auction mart report for week of Oct. 13, 2023 appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

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.

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.

The post Auction mart report for week of Sept. 1, 2023 appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.