Last week’s harvest averaged 100,000 with except of Veteran’s Day holiday. Feeder cattle demand elevated after widespread precipitation throughout much of the winter wheat grazing region.
Cattle harvest was down last week, but carcass weights remain record breaking. Q4 tends to be the period most prone to follow historical seasonal patterns for carcass cutout prices.
Weekly fed cattle harvest of the latest four weeks have featured head counts larger than a year ago with an average of 496,750 per week, a 2.1% increase for the period compared to 2023.
Current supply metrics have boosted the value of Select carcasses as a reflection of less lean trim with lower cull cow volume. Fed cattle sector still finds highest return as carcass quality increases.
Reports from several feeders indicate that the 2023 spring-born calves, now being harvested, spent more days in the feedyard this year than in more typical recent years.
