This growing beef-on-dairy health problem is costing packers two major things – time and money.

While the heifer percentage in feedlots remains above the average of the past ten years, the decline from January to April is an encouraging sign that heifer feeding is perhaps slowing.

Cash cattle markets edged lower and while wholesale beef and futures markets were mixed. Cattle on Feed totals were up for the seventh consecutive month and placements lower than expected.

Compared to all feed production, the global dairy industry showed a 10-fold reduction, down 2.28% in the past year.

As drought deteriorates across the U.S., it’s a positive signal for growing a big crop in 2024. And analysts say if weather continues to fuel this year’s crop, December corn futures could fall into the $3 range by fall.

USDA said this week cow-to-cow transmission is a factor in the spread of avian flu in dairy herds, but it still does not know exactly how the virus is being moved around.