Cattle Eating Hay – cattle placement- feed lot
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Cattle Eating Hay – cattle placement- feed lot
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Prepared and written by Jeff Swenson, DATCP Livestock and Meat Specialist. The Market Update draws information from several sources, including trade publications, radio broadcasts, agricultural news services, individuals involved in the industry as well as USDA NASS and AMS reports.
Cattle
Negotiated fed cattle trade ended last week $4-$5 higher in the north on light trade, with very few sales reported in the south. Auction markets reported higher prices this week. Live and Feeder Cattle futures traded higher, with feeder contracts reaching record highs. The Choice Beef cutout found firmer footing, ending last week at $365.57 compared to $362.27 the previous Friday. Beef prices tend to move higher as we get closer to the holiday season. It remains to be seen how close wholesale prices can get to the highs seen during late summer, but the tight supply of cattle is bullish. The estimated harvest last week was 547,000 head, which was 15,000 fewer than the previous week and 38,000 less than the same week last year. This week’s harvest is expected to be smaller still. Negotiated trade had not developed as of Thursday morning. No Cattle on Feed report is expected to be released this week. This was to be a quarterly report including data regarding the number of heifers in feedlots
Top Quality
Top quality steers and heifers were fully $2-$4 higher, bringing $219-$240/cwt with a few higher. Mixed Choice and Select steers and heifers ranged from $200-$217/cwt. High grading Holstein steers were $2 higher at $194-$220/cwt, with some higher. Lower grading steers brought $170-$193/cwt. Silage fed, under finished, or heavy dairy breed steers brought $90-$170/cwt. Dairy Beef cross steers were steady to higher, bringing $179-$230. Cows were higher. Most cows brought $115- $133/cwt with a few selling into the mid $160s. Lower yielding cows brought $65-115/cwt. Doubtful health and thin cows brought up to $65/cwt. Dairy breed bull calves were higher, selling from $700-$1,350/head. Dairy breed heifer calves brought $300-$700/head, with some higher. Beef and Beef Cross calves were higher, from $700 to $1,650, with some as high as $1,800 head. Light and lower quality calves sold up to $60.
