Keith Young thought he might earn a small bonus by taking his cattle to Canadian Western Agribition.
When his pen of 10 feeder heifers entered in the commercial cattle show was named grand champion of that category, the bonus was guaranteed.
“If you factor in the prize money, we were more than well paid for them,” said Young, a Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration pasture manager from Tyvan, Sask.
Young and his son, who co-owns the Charolais cross heifers, received $1.12 a pound for them, plus prize money from the Saskatchewan and Canadian Charolais associations. It was the first time they entered the event.
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“Considering we thought this spring they were going to be at 75 cents, we’re happy,” he said.
Overall, competition was stiff. There were 934 head sold in the event this year, 40 percent more than last year. The total sales volume was $873,927.
Prices generally were strong.
The champion and reserve champion feeder steers sold for $1.26 and $1.30 per lb. respectively.
The champion pen, exhibited by Steve Harty of Edam, Sask., weighed an average of 944 lb. while the reserve pen, shown by Blair Stock Farms of Drake, Sask., weighed an average of 747 lb.
They earned well above the market of $1-$1.10 for those weights, said Robin Gilroy of JGL Livestock in Moose Jaw.
Bred heifers sold for $100 to $150 less than last year’s average market price.
“Under the circumstances we have, I don’t know why you wouldn’t be happy,” said Gilroy, who was buying cattle at the sale.
As well, there were 30 exhibitors new to the show or returning after an absence.
Mark Vermeulen of Vermeulen Farms at Ceylon, Sask., has been participating since 1988. He took 50 feeder steers and 30 feeder heifers this year.
He said he took as many as he could, as did other long-time exhibitors, to make sure there would be a strong event.
“We thought the sale would be as good here as anywhere,” he said before it began.
Afterward, he was pleased with the result.
“It was fair, but probably down from last year,” he said.
He averaged $827.30 on the steers and $695.50 on the heifers. Last year he earned near $1,000 each.
“This time it was pretty well dead on the market,” he said.
“You have to be realistic. Compared to what we thought at harvest time, we’re more than happy.”
Glenys Weedon of Swift Current was a little disappointed in the price she and husband Brian received for five Angus crossbred heifers.
At the same time, they picked up some replacements for about $300 less than they thought they might pay.
Auctioneer Bruce Switzer said the Agribition sale was one of the first for bred cattle to be held this fall and prices might not be as high as 2002.
“Maybe in some places the prices aren’t as high, but we’re not in last year’s places, are we?” he said.
