Sort & Cull

Statistics Canada reported the Canadian cattle herd falling to the lowest level seen since July 1, 1988.

Instead of gasping and reacting to findings cattlemen already knew, they'd be better off to focus on the hard data of today, which continues to prop up and propel the market higher.

Whether you focus on today's reality (the market's cash cattle trade, boxed beef prices, and slaughter trends) or gaze to the future and try to pinpoint its reality (beef demand, export needs, import pressures) the cattle market has much to be excited about and prices are...

One of the biggest takeaways about last week's trade was it's undeniable that packers are getting through supplies faster than assumed and, even though we have a historic number of cattle on feed, the market's vigorous processing speeds have allowed feedlots to stay mostly...

The fact that open interest sits at a six-year low means there's too much uncertainty on both the upside and downside to attract traders. It also indicates the price is too low for commercials to hedge and too high to attract spec buyers.

I may not have all the answers, but for my children, and for the cattlemen of this industry, I will ask all the questions and seek all the answers. If preserving the cattle market has ever mattered to you, this is where the rubber hits the road.

During the last month, the feeder cattle market has rallied and grabbed everyone's attention as sales have been substantially higher than a year ago. With Friday unveiling the midyear's Cattle Inventory report, prices could shoot higher as beef cow numbers are expected to be...

The battle between feeders and corn, and long-term bulls and short-term bears, will again get the cattle market's focus.

How can it be that we have record on feed numbers and a $10 price spread between regions when there's supposed to be record on feed numbers?

While inflation runs untamed and interest rates are bound to keep rising, cattlemen hope buyers will remain active participants in this week's market as they understand that there will be fewer calves and feeder cattle available this fall.

The pendulum is about to swing and favor sellers' positions. With 1,573,100 head of beef cows processed already this year, you can guarantee that the market is going to feel the shock of fewer feeders come this fall.

Obvious concerns of rising input costs and a wavering economy have cattlemen of all sorts holding their breath, but export demand has continued to be stellar. Given how drastically beef cows have been liquidated, the drop in production, via marketable calves to sell, is going to...

Packers know that the market favors their position for now, but when the cattle that are currently fed get worked through, the cash market is going to drastically change to favor feedlots.

As boxed beef prices show some signs of pushback from consumers, it's likely packers will try to whittle down prices this week or begin to pull away from the cash cattle market as they rely on deferred purchases.

Packers sit with a plethora of cattle in their arsenal. In just the last two weeks, they've added 246,000 head from the cash cattle market.

After an unprecedented two years of aggressive beef cow slaughter and drought-related marketing decisions that have placed cattle in feedlots earlier than normal, how can placements yet again be higher?

After a $1 to $3 rally in last week's cash cattle market, feedlots are hoping to see a rally again this week as packers push aggressive chain speeds after the Easter holiday and before high summer demand.

If this storm does indeed produce the moisture it's expected to, the cattle market could see a strong uptick in feeder cattle prices as there are limited supplies of feeder cattle left and green grass should come when the weather warms up.

Thinking the grass is greener on the other side is a dangerous mindset; the longer you spend time with those type of thoughts, the more obsessed with greener grass you become.

From concerns about throughput, higher feed prices and cash cattle prices as a whole, Friday's Cattle on Feed report didn't paint a supportive picture for the nearby market.