Sale Barn Study | August 2025

Summer Market Sizzles

contributed article by Kirk Lynch

Well, I hope everyone has had a fun-filled, eventful summer. My family and I sure did. Between cattle shows, a trip to Yellowstone, the county fair, and everyday life we sure have had a summer to remember which included some fireworks on the Fourth of July. However, those fireworks are nothing compared to what has been happening to the cattle market.

Every aspect of the market is setting record highs and to think that the summer months are generally the lowest market of the year but with tight supply and solid demand at the meat counter we are seeing the opposite.

The fat cattle market seems to be getting higher by the day. As I typed this article, we are seeing some cattle go through the ring bringing in the high $2.40’s while most cash prices in the country in the Corn Belt are inching towards the $2.40 mark. By the time you read this article, I believe that we will have seen some fat cattle bring over the $2.50 mark in the barns and possibly be close to seeing some bring that in the country.

The slaughter bull and cow markets are setting all-time highs as well. High-yielding bulls bring well north of the $2.00 level and high-yielding fat cows are not much behind them. Even though cow herd numbers are low, I would look for cow/calf operations to be culling any cow or bull this fall that gives them a reason when the salvage value is so high.

Feeder cattle are worth their weight in gold currently. With feed and commodity prices staying in line and the continuing climb in cash and board fat cattle prices you hear of a new high in the feeder market just about every day.

Breeding stock also is setting all-time highs. Last week a guy decided to sell his commercial cow herd of about 15 pairs ranging from young to broken mouth. He averaged over $4,000/pair. Seeing some fall calvers moving and depending on the age and kind they are bringing $3,200 to $4,500.

You can say things are sure all sunshine and rainbows in the markets right now. But someday it will go the other direction, I don’t see it anytime soon but someday. Wishing everyone a fun-filled state fair season, enjoy the rest of summer and look forward to an eventful fall.

Kirk Lynch, Lineville, Iowa

Kirk and his wife, Mary, own and operate Heartland Simmentals in northeast Iowa. Their seedstock operation consists of 500 registered Simmental and Angus cows. Kirk has years of experience backgrounding and feeding cattle as well as monitoring the cattle market. Kirk and Mary have four children: Gabrielle (11), Brayden (9), Vivian (7), and Bianca (4).