Sale Barn Study | November 2025

Fall Market Outlook

contributed article by Roman Schooley

Bloomfield Livestock Market, Inc., Bloomfield, Iowa

bloomfieldlivestockiowa.com

Corn and soybeans are coming in at a record pace with crops all over the Midwest doing very well for farmers! Huge yields and ideal conditions are making the harvest go well and that means farmers will be gearing up to buy all classes of cattle. The future board is also moving into record territory once again this fall.

Your fat cattle trade has softened some lately, down $12 to $15 dollars per hundredweight from the highs in mid-September. Bids strengthened some weeks in October. For example, early one-week, bids started at $2.29 in the North and then gained ground to end on a Friday at $2.35. The South continued to keep pace with the North selling at $2.32 to $2.34 during that same time.

On a positive note, the April fat cattle board reached $247.120 in mid-October to really help feedlots lock in those big yearlings they’ve been stocking the yards with. Packers are very aggressive to forward buying those April fats offering a plus $2 to $3 dollar basis.

Feeder calf runs really slowed down in October due to the lack of yearlings available and the calves have been slow to market due to farmers in the fields. Demand for yearlings continues to strengthen while calves have weakened due to seasonal fluctuations in October temperatures. The CME index currently sits at $367.35; a couple bucks higher than last month’s report.

Your November feeder calf board continues to set new records sitting at $375.90. I would imagine the LRP specialists have been very busy lately writing contracts for those calves. Look for November to be a popular time for feeders to come to the auctions, while the weather should be more consistent for the buyers to feel better about starting groups of calves.

Breeding stock will be heating up as we continue into the fall. I look for bred heifers to test the market here very soon as well as fall pairs. Most farmers will be done in the fields here soon and should show good support for the stock cows.

Slaughter cow and bull markets continue to hold strong while supplies are short. Look for kill cows to soften once the big runs start up in the West as they will be preg checking and hauling calves to town. The end of October we held our first stock cow sale of the fall, and it was a good test of how the market will look as we go into winter.

If you have any marketing needs don’t hesitate to call any one of us at the barn. We would love to have the opportunity to work for you! As always, take time off and enjoy your family and remember to count your blessings!

Roman Schooley, Bloomfield, Iowa

Roman Schooley owns Bloomfield Livestock Market and Schooley Cattle Co. in Bloomfield, Iowa. As president of Schooley Cattle Co., Roman leads the breeding decisions of the seedstock operation which consists of 550 registered Simmental and Angus cows. Schooley Cattle Co. utilizes IVF to produce breed leading genetic advancement. The company hosts an annual production sale the first Friday in February at the ranch; selling 18-month-old and yearling bulls and a select group of open and bred heifers. Roman also owns and assists in the operations at Bloomfield Livestock Market which primarily serves producers in Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have three children: Hannah (23), Haven (20), Houstin (17), and one grandson, Weaver (2 months).