cows eating pellets- Glen Nicoll

Winter forecast for feeding margins

Market Talk with Jerry Klassen

Feedlots in Canada and the U.S. experienced a very profitable feeding margin structure from January through August. During the first week of May, when the fed cattle market reached $197, margins actually edged over $700 per head in some cases which was a record in my career of analyzing profitability. However, margins moved into negative […] Read more

Feeder cattle market outlook

Feeder cattle market outlook

Market Talk with Jerry Klassen

I’ve received many calls with regard to the outlook for the feeder cattle market for the fall and winter period. Many cattle producers are asking if they should be backgrounding their calves over the winter while others are looking to sell yearlings over the next month. There are quite a few factors that will influence […] Read more


Market futures compared.

Reading feeder cattle futures markets

Market Talk with Jerry Klassen

The feeder cattle market has experienced unprecedented volatility over the past couple of years. Steers averaging 600 pounds traded for over $300/cwt in September of 2015 but in February this year sold for $198. The erratic price action has caused cattle producers to take more interest in hedging feeder cattle and the Western Livestock Price […] Read more

Managing risk in a declining beef market

Market Talk with Jerry Klassen

I’ve received many inquiries over the past few weeks in regards to managing price risk in a declining market. Many producers have been using the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program (WLPIP) over the past couple of years. Recently, backgrounding operators have been asking how they buy price insurance when the costs are not conducive to […] Read more