Sheep, lambs higher
Ontario stockyards reported 2,146 sheep and lambs and 270 goats traded Sept. 14. Well fed lambs saw higher prices and goats were steady. Sheep were $3 to $5 per hundredweight higher.
Beaver Hill Auction in Tofield, Alta., reported 1,886 sheep and lambs and 359 goats traded Sept. 14. Sheep were steady. Breeding ewes sold well to buyers with orders from Ontario.
Light kid goats and nannies were under extreme pressure.
Good kid goats over 50 pounds fell $20 per cwt.
Lambs lighter than 70 lb. were $100-$156 per cwt. Lambs 75 to 85 lb. were $110-$141, 86 to 105 lb. were $118-$132, and those heavier than 105 lb. were $115-$124.
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Rams were $40-$65 per cwt. Ewe culls were $45-$64. Breeding ewes were $65-$99.
Good kid goats heavier than 50 lb. were $140-$185. Kids lighter than 50 lb. were $80-$150. Nannies were $30-$90 per cwt. and bred nannies were $67-$97. Billies were $100-$127.
U.S. cattle on feed
The number of U.S. cattle on feed held at a six-year low as of Sept. 1.
Feedlots with 1,000 head or more on Sept. 1 had 9.882 million head, down one percent from last year at the same time.
Placements in August totalled 2.11 million, two percent above 2008. Marketings of fed cattle during August totalled 1.81 million, down four percent from 2008. That was the lowest fed cattle marketings for August since the series began in 1996.
Other disappearance totalled 55,000 during August, 12 percent more than 2008.
Hogs edge higher
U.S. cash hog prices rose a little last week but futures weakened at the end of the week on a large weekly slaughter forecast.
The average Iowa-southern Minnesota carcass weight was 267.4 pounds, up 3.1 percent from last year.
For the week ending Sept. 5, 70,849 sows were slaughtered at U.S federal plants, up 4.6 percent from 67,729 last year.
Iowa-southern Minnesota cash hogs climbed to $40 US per hundredweight Sept. 18, up from $38 Sept. 11.
The U.S. pork carcass cut-out value rose to $56.79 Sept 18, up from $53.73 on Sept. 11.
U.S. federal slaughter to Sept. 19 was estimated at 2.33 million, up from 2.04 million the previous week. Compared to the same week last year, slaughter was down 0.7 percent.
Bison prices weaken
The Canadian Bison Association said offerings are up and inventories of frozen middle cuts are building, pressuring prices on A1 bulls and heifers.
Grade A youthful bulls in the desirable weight range in Canada fell to $2.25-$2.60 per lb. hot hanging weight.
Grade A youthful heifers fell to $2.25-$2.45 per lb.
Cull cows and bulls sold from $1.35 to $1.40 per lb.
Weight, quality, age and delivery location affect final price.
