Slaughter cattle down
SASKATOON (Staff) – Prices for feeder cattle were mixed this week, Canfax reported. A few packages of quality calves saw good prices, with buyers looking to rollover stock into 1996.
Sparse yearling offerings met good demand at steady prices. Likewise, prices for bred stock were steady, but ranges varied wildly. Canfax reported bred cows traded from $400-$1,000 per head; while bred heifers were $500-$1,200.
Prices were a little dimmer on the slaughter cattle side of the market, with average prices down by $1-$1.50 per hundredweight.
In spite of the lower prices, total volume traded was up by nearly 20 percent at 10,600 head. Trade on Dec. 14 saw steers priced between $80.15-$81.60 cwt., while heifers traded at $78-$79 per cwt.
Canfax said slaughter cow markets, however, did perk up last week, due to cold weather and a strong hamburger and boneless beef market. D1 and D2 cows were $35-$47 per cwt., with top sales to $49. Railgrade bids were $78-$82.
