Cattle prices in the province were mostly down last week.

The cattle market update from Canfax for the week ending October 4th shows prices were down in the 6-to-7, 7-8, and 8-9 hundred pound feeder steer categories. Prices were also down in the 5-6, 6-7, and 7-to-8 hundred pound feeder heifer categories. The largest week-over-week decrease for the steers was in the 6-7 hundred pound category by $18.91 per hundred weight to an average price of $360.34. The biggest drop for the heifers was in the 5-6 hundred pound category by $10.14 to an average price of $352.67 per hundred weight.

The biggest price increase for the steers was in the 9-hundred plus pound category with an increase of $12.44 to $319.32. The largest week-over-week price increase for the heifers was in the 4-5 hundred pound category of $2.00 to $395.00 per hundred weight.

Slightly more cattle were sold at auction compared to the prior week. Last week 14-thousand 570 head was marketed compared to 12-thousand 582, but it was less than the 23-thousand 704 head of cattle marketed the same week last year.

Canfax reported the October and November feeder cattle futures prices climbed above the prior week on October 4. The October feeder cattle futures were up US$2.55 to settle Friday at US$249.62 per cwt and the November futures were up $3.57 to close Friday at $249.27.

Canfax also reported p rices of live, non-fed cattle in Alberta reported on October 4 were lower than the previous week. The price of D2 slaughter cows averaged $179.60 per cwt, a decrease of $1.57 per cwt from the previous week. The price of D3 slaughter cows decreased $1.42 to average $167.44 per cwt.

The Canfax price for Alberta fed steers for the week ending October 4 was $242.56 per cwt; an increase of $81 cents. The current Alberta fed steer price is $9.26 per cwt above the same week last year.