Stay Ahead by Marketing Cattle Now

With the holiday in the middle of the week, cattle trade in the country has slowed down significantly, says Cattle-Exchange's Frank Loschke.

"I think our cattle supply is entering 'silent running' until July markets rev up July 8," he says. "Some sellers from our site have said young cattle will be put on the shelf for at least the next 10 days if not contracted."

Add to the holiday slowdown the dry, hot weather across most of the country, and there's little cattle movement except to feedyards.

The NOAA Climate Prediction Center July outlook shows continued above-normal temperatures across much of the country through July, with above-normal precipitation for the Southwest and below-normal rainfall for the Corn Belt. This is putting producers in a situation of buying feed and sourcing hay again, Loschke says.

With the dry weather and the market lull, he says, now is a good time to get a plan of action to market calves later this summer and fall. By offering cattle online now, you can price cattle ahead of the fall run but not set delivery until after weaning or when you need to move cattle off pastures, he says. For producers in a situation where they need to wean calves early and sell, online marketing offers a way to find buyers in other areas with adequate pastures or feed.

Overall, cattle prices continue to be strong, and that is expected to continue. Producers can take advantage of that by implementing a market plan to get the best price for cattle.