King Ranch has acquired a 50% stake in Cobalt Cattle, the nation’s fourth-largest cattle feeding operation with six feedyards in Colorado, Kansas and Texas.
Beef packer leverage is evident with cash cattle prices $7 per cwt. lower than the same week a year ago and beef cutout prices $23 per cwt. higher. Pork producers are gaining leverage with a $5 per cwt. price rally.
Cash cattle markets continued its painfully slow climb higher last week, and most feeder anticipated the gain would be faster. Feedyard costs are on the rise, and any gains are most welcome.
Cattle producers Hugh Sanburg, Norman Voyles, Jr. and Jimmy Taylor are the new leaders of the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board, responsible for guiding the national Beef Checkoff throughout 2021.
The cattle on feed inventory on Jan. 1 (14.71 million head) is a record 57.3% of the feeder cattle supply. This means there are less than two head of feeder cattle available outside feedlots for every animal on feed.
While cattle traded higher for the second consecutive week, and the highest since last May, the action was frustrating for feeders who see fundamentals that suggest much higher prices.
Regulatory activity may be the single greatest threat to U.S. food production as it impacts the entire supply chain from the producer to the consumer. It appears U.S. regulatory activity is increasing.
Antibiotic metaphylaxis is an effective preventative to BRD and leads to improvements in feedyard performance. Can high-risk calves to respond to respiratory vaccines when administered at arrival?
Cash fed cattle prices ended last week $10 per cwt. lower than last year while the beef cutout closed $16 higher than the same week a year ago. The result? Packer margins $314 per head more than last year.
Cattle feeders showed they have the resolve to fight for higher bids during last week's cash cattle trade. The market rallied $3 as the futures market continues to suggest better days ahead.
Cash cattle traded mostly $3 higher on the week, despite light volumes and varied interest from packers. April live cattle futures posted a key bearish reversal, but closed lower for the week.
While Tyson's lawyers were filing a lawsuit on Monday against one of the packer’s largest cattle suppliers, the ink was still drying on the sale of one of that supplier’s feedlots to one of Tyson’s competitors.
Claiming losses of "more than $200 million" in connection with "200,000 cattle that did not exist," Tyson asks for a court-appointed receiver to takeover Easterday Ranches in Washington state.
Cattle and hog feeding margins were little changed last week, with both recording modest losses. Beef packers saw improved margins on significant gains in wholesale beef prices.
On-feed numbers indicate that packers could be running low on committed cattle, which should force some packers back into the cash market in the coming weeks.
Cattle feeders were left on the sidelines as every other cattle/beef market segment saw a price rally. Futures markets set new highs, but cash cattle have not reached $112 for seven months.
Cargill announced it will temporarily idle two of its protein processing facilities for scheduled maintenance. The idling of the facilities is unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As agriculture moves towards more sustainable solutions and ingredients, Alltech E-CO2 has developed the Feeds EA™ model to help feed manufacturers and producers measure and lower the carbon footprint of their feed.
The combination approvals allow Optigrid 45 to be used with other feed additives commonly fed to feedlot cattle, including monensin, tylosin and melengestrol.
Frank Mitloehner, professor and air quality specialist at UC-Davis is the keynote speaker at the virtual 2021 Driftless Region Beef Conference set for Jan. 26 to 28.
The beef industry reacts to high feed prices differently than other species as the ruminant biology of cattle means less grain will be used by changing how cattle are produced more than by changing production levels.
Cash cattle prices slipped lower throughout the week as packer demand was called moderate. Grain markets posted a significant rally on the heels of USDA's report on Tuesday.
Wendy's announces 15% increase in percentage of beef sourced through Progressive Beef-certified producers in 2020; on track to meet goal of at least 50% this year.
Cattle and hog finishing profit margins were little changed from last week, with modest profits for cattle and losses for hogs. Beef packer margins declined again to their lowest mark since March.
Even as last week's prices were steady, it should be noted packers have been buying cattle for several weeks out, which is not behavior that would suggest packers feel that the market is going to be softer.
Distillers grains are unique in that the price of this byproduct of ethanol production is usually priced relative to the corn market. However, distillers grains prices have increased in line with protein markets.
U.S. beef trade is stabilizing as the ripple effects of the initial COVID-19 disruptions continue to fade. The latest beef trade data for November shows that monthly exports were up 13.2 percent year-over-year.
Packers were back to buying cattle for a full slaughter week, but their interest only seemed moderate to most feeders. Prices were mostly steady on moderate demand.
Beef producers should look for ways to inspire consumer confidence in beef products, and that includes management strategies such as proper vaccine administration.
U.S. CattleTrace, a not-for-profit that securely maintains and manages data collected as part of disease traceability, announced the release of its model for membership.
Average cattle feeding margins improved $20 per head last week, which beef packer margins declined 17%. Farrow-to-finish operations recorded per head losses for the fourth consecutive week.
Numerous factors are in place that will shape cattle markets for at least the first few months of 2021. The COVID pandemic will continue to limit food service and restaurant demand for beef.
Cattle feeders found higher prices as 2020 came to a close, but their ability to push the market higher may hinge on how Live Cattle futures perform in the first weeks of the New Year.
Cattle feeders gained enough leverage to push negotiated cash cattle prices higher during both holiday weeks as 2020 drew to a close. Supplies of fed cattle will tick lower during the first quarter of 2021.
All packers were active players in all regions in the days leading up to the Christmas weekend and prices rallied $2 per cwt. accordingly. Feeders reported good clean-up throughout the region.
Negotiated cash fed cattle traded $2 higher in the South during the holiday-shortened week. Futures markets appear supportive and asking prices will be higher in the days before New Year's.
The Iowa Beef Industry Council annually recognizes outstanding beef producers for high-quality animal care and handling principles as part of their day-to-day operations through Beef Quality Assurance.
Industry-wide average cattle feeding closeouts were printed in red ink last week for the first time since late September, while packers saw another significant decline to their margins.
Some high-level details of the COVID stimulus bill that is expected to pass Congress is provided by TCFA detailing provisions of relevance for cattle producers.
Cash cattle in the South traded steady, and futures contracts had a decent week but packer needs during the holidays seem to have more of an effect than the futures market.
Fed cattle treaded steady in the South to weaker in the North, with wholesale beef prices posting additional declines for the week. Friday's cattle on feed report was as advertised and will be viewed as neutral.
On a percentage basis, beef packer margins declined significantly last week. It's all relative, of course, since the starting point from the previous week was stunning.
A two-year large-scale trial in Alberta, Canada has successfully demonstrated that a novel feed ingredient, developed by Royal DSM, can be included in commercial feedlot diets to reduce methane emissions by up to 80%.
Cash cattle trade began on Tuesday last week, but bids were scarce even at lower money. Some feeders held strong for higher money, but with the decline in the CME board a higher market never surfaced.
Cattle and hog finishing margins were modestly positive the first week of December, marking the 11th consecutive week of profitability. Packer margins remain historically high.
The Beef Alliance Startup Challenge is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to align the customers of technology (cattle feeders) with the creators of technology (startups) to put high impact solutions to work.
Negotiated cash cattle traded started at higher money mid-week, but in their rush to move cattle some feeders agreed to lower prices and the week ended on a softer note.
The post-Thanksgiving negotiated trade was mixed, with higher prices mid-week, falling off $1 to $2 by week's end. Feeder cattle sold uneven, $2 lower to $3 higher.
