Profit Tracker: Feed Costs Shrink
Cattle feeding margins saw a $13 per head decline the week ending Oct. 7, but average profits remain at $287 per head, according to the Sterling Beef Profit Tracker. Beef packer margins improved about $6 per head but remain about $82 per head underwater. The packer-feeder margin spread was $369 per head in favor of cattle feeders.
For the week ending Oct. 7, cash cattle prices averaged $182.98 per cwt., down about $1 from the previous week. That price is 20% higher than last year’s $146.81 per cwt. cash price.
Wholesale beef prices posted an average of $295.89 per cwt., a $1.16 per cwt. decline from the previous week and a $13.43 decline the past month. The Beef and Pork Profit Trackers are calculated by Sterling Marketing, Vale, Ore.
Cattle sold last week carried a total feed cost of $510 per head, down about $20 per head from the previous week, and about $95 less than feed costs for cattle sold the same week a year ago.
Cattle marketed last week had a breakeven of $162.49 per cwt., while cattle placed on feed last week have a breakeven of $180.64 per cwt. Cattle placed last week are calculated to have a purchase price for 750-800 lb. feeder steers at $249.29 per cwt., and feed costs of $384.37 per head. The feeder steer price is 31% higher than last year.
The estimated total cost for finishing a steer last week was $2,275 per head, up 13% from last year’s estimate of $1,975 per head.
Farrow-to-finish hog producers saw losses of $14 per head last week, about $7 more than the previous week. Pork producers saw profits of $21 per head the same week a year ago. Lean carcass prices averaged $74.13 per cwt., down $3.64 per cwt. from the previous week.
Pork packers closed the week with $33 per head profits, up $1 per head from the previous week. Last year pork packer margins were about $2 per head. Hog slaughter was estimated at 2.564 million head, down 40,000 head from the week before and down 3,000 head from last year.
Pork packer capacity utilization was estimated at 94.3% compared to 92.8% last year.
(Note: The Sterling Beef Profit Tracker calculates an average beef cutout value for the week in its estimates for feedyard and packer margins. Other prices in the weekly Profit Tracker also are calculated weekly averages. Feedyard margins are calculated on a cash basis only with no adjustment for risk management practices. The Beef and Pork Profit Trackers are intended only as a benchmark for the average cash costs of feeding cattle and hogs. Sterling Marketing is a private, independent beef and pork consulting firm not associated with any packing company or livestock feeding enterprise.)
