Klassen: Feeder market stabilizes on fed market recovery

For the week ending December 6, Western Canadian feeder cattle costs have been comparatively unchanged in comparison with seven days earlier.

Many cattle feeders on either side of the border imagine that the fed cattle market will commerce again as much as historic highs within the second quarter of 2026. This optimistic sentiment together with year-end shopping for resulted in a firmer tone.

Calves are fleshier presently of yr however there was no slippage with sturdy shopping for curiosity surfacing from Ontario, Alberta and the U.S.

USDA sees tighter U.S. corn stocks, soybeans and wheat unchanged

The USDA is forecasting tighter U.S. corn ending stocks for 2025/26 due to increased exports. The supply/demand balance sheets for soybeans and wheat were unchanged.

Alberta packers have been shopping for fed cattle on a dressed foundation within the vary of $485-$490/cwt delivered, up $5-$10/cwt from per week earlier. This equates to a stay value vary of $291-$294/cwt delivered.

A producer in northern Alberta reported a truckload of combined steers on backgrounding grain ration with full processing and implants weighing 1,100 kilos offered for $430/cwt fob farm. The Ponoka video sale had a gaggle of pink combined steers carrying medium flesh with a imply weight 930 kilos coming of a food plan of barley and silage with full processing data valued at $454/cwt fob farm.

The Lloydminster market report included at bundle of 60 bigger body, tan steers carrying minimal flesh weighing 850 kilos that traded for $509/cwt. On the similar sale, a gaggle of 23 tan heifers evaluated at 807 kilos offered for $453/cwt.

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On the Ste. Rose, Manitoba, ring sale, a smaller bundle of 13 Simmental cross steers weighing 712 kilos dropped the gavel at $525/cwt. On the similar sale, a four-pack of Charolais heifers averaging 702 kilos have been final bid at $466/cwt. On the Perlich Bros Public sale Mart close to Lethbridge, a bundle of 18 pink preconditioned steer calves weighing 665 kilos traded for $541/cwt.

The Vermillion Livestock Alternate reported a five-pack of tan steers clocked at 612 kilos that traded for $595/cwt. On the similar sale, a smaller group of British-based heifers averaging 572 kilos offered for $557/cwt. The Lloydminster market report had a gaggle of 105 black with white face steers averaging 598 kilos that offered for $634/cwt.

The Killarney market report included a gaggle of 15 steers weighing 543 kilos that offered for $651/cwt. On the Ponoka sale, a gaggle of Angus cross steers with a scale weight of 502 kilos coming off straight from their moms with some hay and processing data moved by way of the ring at $682/cwt. A cattle producer in central Saskatchewan reported a smaller bundle of Angus blended heifers with a contact of Simmental weighing 515 kilos offered for $618 at a hoop sale.

Order consumers have been extraordinarily aggressive on pen-sized packages. Alberta packers look like effectively lined for his or her close by necessities. Nevertheless, U.S. packers seem to want fed cattle for January and February which contributed to a stronger tone within the stay cattle futures.