Saskatchewan cattle prices were up again last week.
In the Canfax Cattle Market Update for the week ending October 18th, prices for feeder steers were up in every category except for the 900-plus pound steers, where it decreased $1.67 to an average price of $313.33 per hundred weight. The largest week-over-week price increase for the steers was in the 5-6 hundred pound category at $16.25, followed by the 3-4 hundred pound category at $12.29, and the 4-5 hundred pound category at $12.02. The 6-7, 7-8, and the 8-9 hundred pound categories had small-to-modest increases over the past week.
For the feeders heifers, prices were up in most categories except for the 800-plus pound category which was unchanged and there was no current price available for the 7-8 hundred pound heifers. The biggest price increase for the week was in the 5-6 hundred pound category by $10.84 per hundred weight while the other three categories had increases above six dollars.
There were more cattle marketed last week at 23-thousand 409 head, above the 20-thousand 377 head marketed the prior week, but remains behind what was marketed the same time a year ago of 41-thousand 840.
Canfax noted prices of live, non-fed cattle in Alberta reported on October 18 were lower than the previous week. The price of D2 slaughter cows averaged $177.00, a small decrease of 2 cents from the previous week, while the price of D3 slaughter cows decreased 47 cents from the prior week to average $163.72.
The Canfax price for Alberta fed steers last week was $241.09 per cwt, down 6 5 cents per cwt below the previous week.