For the week ending June 6, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded steady to as much as $15 per hundredweight higher in some cases.
Larger packages of quality replacements weighing more than 900 pounds were up $10-$15 per cwt. from prices seven days earlier.
Strength in the heavier weight categories was largely due to the surge in the U.S. fed cattle market.
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For the week ending July 25, western Canadian feeder cattle markets were unchanged from the previous week, although volumes were limited.
On Wednesday, Alberta packers were buying fed cattle in southern Alberta at $298 per cwt. f.o.b. feedlot. However, on Thursday, Texas live prices were reported at US$232 per cwt. f.o.b. feedlot, up $10 per cwt. from the previous week.
Live prices in Nebraska reached up to $240 per cwt. In Canadian dollars, this equates to C$317 per cwt. f.o.b. feedlot in Texas and $329 per cwt. in Nebraska. Ideas were that the Alberta packers would have to increase bids for local cattle to compete with U.S. packers.
North of Saskatoon, a larger package of mixed medium frame backgrounded steers with full preconditioning weighing 1,000 lb. sold for $402 per cwt. f.o.b. farm.
At the Ponoka, Alta., sale, larger frame, thin, tan heifers weighing 957 lb. on silage diet with no grain over the past month with full processing records traded for $380 per cwt.
At the Westlock, Alta., sale, black and red Simmental steers weighing 946 lb. on barley and silage diet with full health records on the card at 946 lb. were last bid at $399 per cwt.
North of Calgary, larger frame Angus cross steers on silage and light grain ration weighing slightly more than 800 lb. were valued at $$465 per cwt. f.o.b. farm. In southern Alberta, larger frame mixed heifers averaging 810 lb. reportedly sold for $410 per cwt. f.o.b. farm.
In the Lethbridge area, a smaller package of black steers weighing 777 lb. traded for $479 per cwt. and 725 lb. black steers dropped the gavel at $522 per cwt.
At the Westlock sale, Limousin cross heifers with a mean weight of 736 lb. coming off a diet of oats, hay and mineral supplement with full herd health data traded for $435 per cwt.
The St Rose Auction market report had tan steers weighing 647 lb. trading for $550 per cwt. and red steers scaled at 590 lb. selling for $577 per cwt.
At the Ponoka sale, a smaller package of tan, weaned heifers scaled at 597 lb. reportedly dropped the gavel at $527.
At the Beaverlodge, Alta., sale, a handful of black heifers weighing 513 lb. reportedly moved through the ring at $552 per cwt. Southeast of Calgary, mixed steers weighing 500-525 lb. were trading in the range from $605 per cwt. to as high as $640 per cwt.
Feedlots report that margins through May were in the range of $500 to as high as $720 per head. This has been the main factor driving the feeder market.
For the week ending June 6, restaurant traffic in Canada was up a whopping 20 per cent on average compared to year-ago levels. U.S. restaurant traffic has been running five to seven percent above last year.
Despite the weaker economy, consumer spending has been larger than anticipated which has been supportive for wholesale beef prices.
