National Feeder Cattle Report: Several special cow sales scheduled across the Plains
Compared to last week, steers and heifers sold steady to 3.00 higher. Receipts this week are typical for the last full marketing week of a year when some producers want to sell before winter weather really gets here. Some will also defer payment at their local auction markets to the next year.
Over
the next two weeks, livestock auction volumes will be very limited with
several acknowledging the holidays in front of them and letting
employees rest up for the receipts that will be substantial the first
full week of 2021.
There are several special cow sales
scheduled across the Plains the next two weeks for an opportunity for
cow/calf producers to make financial moves they feel necessary for 2020.
Colder
weather has spread across this country this week just prior to the
official calendar start to winter that is this upcoming Monday.
Stockpiled grass or what ranchers could stockpile will go faster as
energy needs of cows/calves & grazing cattle increase as the
temperatures drop.
This
week, Winter Storm Gail showed us what ole man winter can do by
dropping significant amounts of snow from Ohio and West Virginia up
through the Northeast as over 51 million people were under a Winter
Storm Warning.
This week in the fed cattle arena, the Northern
Plains dressed sales were 3.00 lower at 165.00, while trades in the
Southern Plains sold steady with live sales at 108.00. Two years ago,
dressed sales were 190.00 and live sales were 119.00.
The
fall/early winter-feeding period has been good so far from a feedyard
perspective. A little moisture doesn’t hurt near as bad as a 10-inch
snow that comes before the ground has a chance to freeze.
Retailers
completed their beef holiday buying a couple weeks ago and the Choice
cutout has dropped over 30.00 in three weeks with over 20.00 of that
decline happening last week. On the week, Choice cutout closed 5.25
lower at 208.63, while Select was 1.44 lower at 194.27; as the
Choice-Select spread has narrowed to 14.36.
Cattle Slaughter under federal inspection estimated at 659 for the week, 6K less than last week and 9K less than a year ago.
FIS
Hog slaughter facilities are also operating at high levels this week at
2.792 million head. Last year this week was the largest FIS Hog
slaughter on record at 2.825 million head.
December first
Cattle on feed was reported at 100 percent of a year ago; Placements at
91 percent; with Marketings at 98 percent.
Next week on
Tuesday, the complete list of cold storage inventory items will be
released by USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Go to
https://www.nass.usda.gov/ after 3:00 PM ET on Tuesday to retrieve the
most recent data.
On behalf of the Livestock, Poultry and Grain
Market News, we would like to wish safe and happy holiday season. This
will be the last National Feeder Cattle summary published for 2020.
May you have a very blessed New Year!
Auction volume this week included 45 percent weighing over 600 lbs and 41 percent heifers.
NBW Reports
Cattle Inventory By State: This Year vs. Last Year
Cattle Inventory Highlights
Cattle Inventory: Ranking Of States With The Most Cattle
Cattle on Feed
Cattle Slaughter By State
Cold Storage
Corn Progress By State
Estimated Weekly Meat Production
Export Sales Highlights
Farms and Land in Farms Highlights
Livestock Comments
Livestock Slaughter
Livestock, Dairy & Poultry Outlook
Milk Production By State
National Drought Monitor
National Feeder Cattle Report
National Grain Report
Natural Gas Weekly Update
Number Of Farms By State
Quarterly Hogs & Pigs
Price Projections For Steers, Hogs, Milk
Protein Production Estimates
Ranking Of States With The Largest Farms
Ranking Of States With The Most Farms
Ranking Of States With The Most Land In Farms
Red Meat By Production By State
Soybean Balance Sheet
Today's Weather
Top 25: Largest Steer & Heifer Strings Sold Today
United States Ag Production Report
USDA Grain Stocks Report
USDA Prospective Plantings Report
WASDE: Feed Grain Outlook
WASDE: Livestock, Dairy & Poultry Outlook
WASDE: Oilseed Outlook
WASDE: Wheat Outlook