Strong demand underpins Prairie feeder market
For the week ending Feb. 28, western Canadian feeder cattle markets were unchanged from seven days earlier.
Calves may have traded $5-$10 per hundredweight higher at some locations.
Feeding margins have improved over the past week, with southern Alberta pen-closeouts now hovering near breakeven.
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Ontario feedlot margins are in positive territory by $20-$40 per head.
At the Ponoka, Alta., video sale, a group of 61 mixed steers with a mean weight of 1,009 pounds on five lb. of rolled barley and corn silage diet with full health records and implants sold for $462 per cwt. f.o.b. farm.
At the Ste Rose Auction Market in Manitoba, a group of 18 Charolais steers weighing 914 lb. dropped the gavel at $486 per cwt.
Northwest of Saskatoon, a farmer reported that a group of 850 lb. Charolais-cross steers on backgrounding ration with full processing and implants were valued at $505 per cwt. f.o.b. farm. Similar quality heifers with a mean weight of 834 lb. were quoted at $479 per cwt.
The Perlich Bros auction market report included 50 larger frame, medium to lower flesh, Black Angus steers averaging 811 lb. that sold for $532 per cwt.
At the Prince Albert, Sask., sale, a smaller group of red replacement heifers weighing 782 lb. silenced the crowd at $515 per cwt.
At the Lloydminster sale, a group of 46 Simmental steers with a mean weight of 721 lb. traded for $586 per cwt. At the same sale, a group of 22 black heifers weighing 693 lb. were last bid at $526 per cwt.
At the Westlock, Alta., sale, Red Angus-Simmental weaned steers with full processing records on hay diet averaging 651 lb. set the bar at $639 per cwt.
North of Calgary, a producer reported that a group of black, weaned heifers weighing slightly more than 600 lb. on silage and hay diet sold for $610 per cwt. at a ring sale.
At the Prince Albert sale, a handful of black steers weighing 580 lb. traded for $676 per cwt.
At the Killarney, Man., sale, a handful of black steers weighing 552 lb. traded for $717 per cwt., and black heifers averaging 543 lb. sold for $621 per cwt.
The Perlich Bros market report included a group of 55 Black Angus steers weighing 500 lb. that were valued at $802 per cwt.
Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis in the range of $530-$535 per cwt. Using a 60 per cent grading, this equates to a live price of $318-$321 per cwt.
Ontario steers were trading at an average of $535 per cwt. delivered plant.
For April, fed cattle break-even prices on a live basis are around $350 per cwt. in southern Alberta.
Source: producer.com