Market Holds Strong
contributed article by Kirk Lynch
Lynch Livestock Inc. and Humeston Livestock Exchange, Humeston, Iowa
Well, the summer has slipped away from us, and we are in my favorite season of them all. I love the fall, the weather is perfect in my opinion, football season is here, and it is time to put up the crops and to wean the spring calves. I am not a fan of the season that comes next, but I am going to enjoy the next few months. Now to what we are seeing in the barns and markets.
We continue to see strong fat cattle markets as numbers are short and will continue to be through the next year or more. Seeing most fat cattle brought in the mid to high 80’s while seeing several top and added value cattle brought in the low to even mid 90’s. We are at or have been at record setting prices and I am not sure how much higher we can go or if we can go much higher, but it all depends on what people will pay at the meat counter as packers have been taking losses over the last month or so and will be trying to break the market as much as they can.
With the fat cattle market still on fire it has only added fuel to the feeder cattle market. Short numbers and some cheapening of feed inputs means we have seen a continued push upwards in the feeder cattle. Several heavy weight yearlings bringing in the mid-$2.00 range, anywhere from $2.40 to $2.60 for several cattle weighing in the 800-to-900-pound range. I have seen some lighter calves (400 to 500 pounds) bringing easily $3.00 all the way up to some light calves around $4.00/lb.
The cull cow and bull market has continued to be strong especially for high yielding cows and bulls. I have seen some bulls top around $1.50 and cows in the $1.20 with the bulk of the bulls bringing $1.30 to $1.40 and cows in the $1.10 range. I look for a dip coming as people wean calves, preg check, and pull bulls, and just cash in on the high market and not wanting to winter cattle they can part with.
The breeding stock market overall is strong. Top quality breds and pairs continue to bring good money, but we have also seen some buys if you are at the right place at the right time.
Wishing everyone a great harvest and wonderful fall. If there is anything me or the guys at the barn can do for you, just give us a call!
Kirk Lynch, Lynch Livestock Inc., Waucoma, Iowa
Kirk is the Beef Division manager for Lynch Livestock Inc. and oversees all aspects of their backgrounding and cattle feeding operations throughout Iowa and Kan. He is also deeply involved in the newly re-opened Humeston Livestock Exchange in Humeston, Iowa. In addition, Kirk and his wife Mary own and operate Heartland Simmentals in Northeast Iowa, which is a seedstock operation that consists of 500 registered Simmental and Angus cows. They have four children: Gabrielle (9), Brayden (8), Vivian (6), and Bianca (2).
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