Good steer calves are selling strongly at local sale barns.

At the Renfrew-Pontiac sale barn, 400 lb. to 500 lb. steer calves were selling for $1.90 to $2.05/ lb. in mid-September, said auctioneer Preston Cull.

The top price for 400 lb. steers hit $1.97 per lb. at the Ottawa Livestock Exchange Sept. 20. "It doesn’t make sense," said owner Steve Spratt. "The price is too high. Doing the math and doing the futures, there’s no money in feeding cattle."

All costs are higher this year but steer prices are still higher than last year, he said.

At the Ontario Stockyards, 500 lb. to 599 lb. steers sold for $1.32 to $1.71 per lb. on Sept. 19. The day before, 400 lb. to 499 lb. steers sold for $1.38 to $1.99/lb. at the Community Livestock Exchange (Hoard’s Station), near Campbellford.

Ontario Stockyards salesperson Brian Pascoe, at Cookstown, said that he doesn’t think the price is too high or that this will be a short-lived price point.

"I don’t think you’ll see the price go down much," he said, adding that most sellers would need about $1.50 per lb. to be happy. He added, however, that traditionally November is the biggest month of the year for sales.