This year’s drought has caused a blip in the cow and calf trade as both classes of animals head to market a month earlier than usual.
“Everything that goes later in the fall is happening now,” said market analyst Ann Dunford of Canfax.
Producers short of pasture and water across southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan are forced to cull harder and earlier. Slaughter cow volumes will continue to swell as more cattle come in from community pastures.
The cow kill has increased in Canada by 13 percent from the same period last year. In Alberta, the kill is up by 23 percent since July and is expected to level off by October, Canfax said. This higher-than-average slaughter may have some limited regional effects on the total cow population as people reduce their herds.
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Auction markets in the heart of drought country have noticed more cows arriving on sales day.
Art Paetkau of Bow Slope Shipping at Brooks, Alta., said significantly more cows are arriving at his market. Calves are also showing up earlier than normal. However, their physical condition is good, a sign that producers managed herds carefully this summer to keep flesh on cows and raise decent calves.
“The cows have never looked fatter,” he said.
There have been some complete dispersals where producers have decided to wait out the drought and rebuild when conditions improve.
Bob Balog at Balog Auction Services in Lethbridge, Alta., has not seen wholesale dispersals of young cow herds, but there are more cull cows and bulls.
Many have scrutinized their cow herds and pulled the bottom performers.
“Every cow that has a bad foot, a bad eye, a bad bag or a bad attitude has come to town,” he said.
In the spring, Balog saw some good quality cow consignments from those who knew they would not have enough grass or water to last the summer.
Others are deciding to sell because of the price of hay, which is selling between $130 and $165 per tonne.
“If hay goes up, it may be the catalyst they need to sell,” Balog said.
“Right now, most people would like to keep their cows.”
Many do not want to sacrifice herds that have been carefully built over the years.
Lethbridge area calf sales have been strong and feeders seem to be looking for calves in the 600 pound range. They can finish them slightly ahead of lighter weight cattle that are available this time of year. Animals that finish early can go to slaughter before the bulge of fat cattle are ready for market next spring.
Delvin Stuber of Medicine Hat Feeding Co. has seen plenty of cows go though the ring. The average is six years of age and older. The fall feeder run has also started early. There were 4,000 calves at Medicine Hat on Sept. 12 and most were between 350 lb. and 450 lb.
Quality and health are excellent, considering how desperate the moisture and forage conditions were this summer, he said.
Producers are culling deeply because many had less than 25 millimetres of rain this year, there has been no runoff for three years, and water supplies have dried up. Record heat spells worsened the water and feed shortages.
In Maple Creek, Sask., Cowtown Livestock Exchange has seen its fall calf run start six weeks early with plenty of 400-500 lb. calves showing up in the ring, Kathy Lesley said.
There are also more old cows.
“People are running short of grass and water. They are culling very hard and getting rid of the older cows.”
Community pastures are closing and more culling is expected once producers examine their animals.
“People are really reluctant to let the core herd go,” Lesley said.
“If they can hold onto it, they certainly will.”
