Latest News From Feedyard

Feedlot placement weight is related to fed cattle finished weight. For cattle in the typical range of placement weights, a one-pound increase in placement weight results in 0.5 pounds of additional finished weight.

Cash fed cattle began trading early last week, $1 higher than the week before. Packer margins continue to widen with each passing week, and feedyard showlists called manageable.

Feeders in the South hurried to sell cattle on a Tuesday-steady bid. The early trade made it easy on the Packers who seemed more than willing to take on the inventory at steady money.

The Choice beef cutout price has rallied nearly $30 in November while cash fed cattle prices have gained just $5. As a result, packer margins have increased while feeding margins struggle to remain above water.

As chickpea production increases around the world, those crops not suitable for human consumption are being recycled into cattle feed as a partial replacement for soybean meal and cereal grains.

Did outside factors or did cash trade cresting at $110 create the sell off Friday?  This week’s cash bids from the packer might be the best answer to that question. 

The Engler Foundation gift to West Texas A&M University, Canyon, Texas, of $1 million a year is just a fraction of the long-lasting and far-reaching amount Paul Engler, chairman of Cactus Feeders, Inc., has provided.

Closeouts on cattle and hogs marketed last week remain modestly profitable for the sixth consecutive week, according to calculations by Sterling Marketing.

Continued support from the board could yield higher cash prices for most producers.  Packers need for higher grading cattle could also help push prices higher in the weeks to come.

Even for those who enjoyed timely summer rains, the marginal economics of the cattle business and rising feed costs continue to cause nearly everyone to search for ways to do more with less.

USDA’s National Animal Health Monitoring System wants to get the word out now to raise awareness for the study and encourage them to let feedlot owners and operators they work with know about the project.

NCBA announces a comprehensive industry feedyard audit tool that will serve as a standardized audit tool based on the sound science and common sense established in the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program.

Beef packers could be moving into a period with smaller inventories, which may prompt them to push prices higher. CME futures prices will again have an impact on the cash trade.

Both cattle feeding and hog finishing operations found modest profits for the fifth consecutive week calculated on a cash basis, according to the Sterling Profit Tracker.

Cattle feeders found softer prices and weaker packer demand as last week progressed, driven in part by declines in CME futures prices.

Both CME cattle futures and cash prices were lower for the second consecutive week. USDA's cattle on feed report found a record October 1 inventory as September placements were called 6% higher.

Cattle and hog finishing margins are both positive for the fourth consecutive week despite the fact cash prices for cattle and hogs were slightly lower last week.

Despite declines in both cash and futures prices, cattle feeders continue to believe cattle markets show signs of optimism.

Cash cattle and futures traded lower for cattle most of the week, while grain markets experienced a harvest rally.

Profitability for both cow-calf and feedyards is projected to improve in 2021, Sterling Marketing president John Nalivka told AgriTalk host Chip Flory.

Average cattle and hog finishing margins are both positive for the third consecutive week, according to calculations in the Sterling Marketing Profit Tracker.

Producers who had the patience to hold out until Friday trade were rewarded with higher money, and packers remain hungry for cattle. 

While the Certified Angus Beef ® brand saw its first sales decline of pounds in 16 years, 2020 was still the fifth year in a row of sales in excess of one billion pounds.

Scott Anderson, co-owner of CRI Feeders in Guymon, Okla., has been elected the 2021 Texas Cattle Feeders Association Chairman.

The early trade released any pressure on packers to acquire available inventory and made it easier for them to achieve their buy. The majority of the cash trade in the South was from two packers.

Dallas Horton, 81, well known cattle feeder and veterinarian, passed away at his home on September 29, 2020 after a year-long battle with cancer.

Packers aggressively sought inventory last week and cash fed cattle prices surged $2 per cwt., to instances of $3 higher for the week. Large trade volumes were reported in the North at $107 to $108 per cwt.

A Texas Tech researcher has received funding from both USDA and NCBA for a project to evaluate the distribution of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes and the occurrence of horizontal gene transfer in high-risk cattle.

The antitrust class-action lawsuit alleging America’s largest beef packers conspired to fix cattle prices has been dismissed by a federal judge in Minnesota.

The September Cattle on Feed report was largely a replay of the August report with larger than expected placements pushing feedlot inventories higher.

For building beneficial relationships and their drive to produce the best, M&M Feeders earned the 2020 Feedyard Commitment to Excellence Award from the Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand.

Large volumes of cattle traded in all regions at $2 higher prices ahead of Friday's cattle on feed report which counted 4% more inventory than last September.

Corn by-products, such as wet gluten and distillers’ grains, can be an alternative energy feed source for cattle.

NCBA released a statement highlighting federal programs that are available for cattle producers across the country who are being impacted by wildfires, hurricanes, drought, and other natural disasters.

"For too long, cow-calf producers across the nation have marketed our cattle with one hand tied behind our back. The culprit has been an ever-growing lack of price discovery."

Cattle prices were softer across all regions last week despite cattle futures prices regaining some momentum. Wholesale beef prices also declined after the Labor Day holiday.

An increase in horses showing signs of equine asthma during crop harvest season is possible as horses pastured near fields may be exposed to dust when crops are harvested.

Packers took on more inventory last week, which allows them to sit out and leverage the extra volume to push the market lower with potential extended delivery periods.

A pair of studies at Kansas State University is bringing new insight to farmers and producers seeking to incorporate industrial hemp in cattle feed.

As technology advances the range of sensor applications will continue to expand as will the duration of data collection.

Top Dollar Angus seeks a knowledgeable, passionate and hardworking leader to assist in further expanding its seedstock partnership and feeder cattle programs.

Stepping into a cattle pen, we naturally act the predator, manipulating where animals go. But good handling practices should turn us into leaders, says Kip Lukasiewicz.

Cash cattle trading started early last week as cattle feeders in Texas began on Monday by accepting cash bids a dollar lower.

Cattle feeders are anticipating that the current run up in the cash market may have hit the peak and could plateau before long.

Friday's USDA cattle on feed report held a few surprises for cattlemen, and analysts are finding the available data a challenge after the turbulence witnessed the first half of 2020.

Farm and ranch kids are pretty cool. This edition of Black Ink touches on what we can learn from the way they learn.

If you are targeting selling your calves during one of this fall's value-added or preconditioned sales, be mindful some of the required weaning dates are only days away.

For his immeasurable impact on the industry and the people in it, Matsushima will receive the 2020 Feeding Quality Forum Industry Achievement Award. He’ll be recognized during the virtual event, slated for Aug. 25-26.

Cash cattle prices moved higher again for the sixth consecutive week, with the North still trading premium to the South. Feedyards in the South appear to be cleaning up faster than expected.

Negotiated cash fed cattle trade was called “moderate to active” this week. Surging box beef prices coupled with improved feedyard market leverage spurred prices higher.