KC Sheperd, Farm Director, is back talking with Bob Rodenberger, a partner with Stockman Oklahoma Livestock Marketing, as he gives the latest on the cattle markets.
Rodenberger said that although the markets have seen from a $2 to $5 ebb and flow, there are no complaints about the prices cattle are bringing.
Some producers have reported low water or grass conditions, and to that, he advised to sell their calves immediately after weaning, rather than keeping them for 15 to 30 days, as the market demand is strong, and the prices are high.
Rodenberger said that people are still being very selective about what they keep and pretty generous with what they sell. “People are buying older cows that will calve this fall for a little more than packer prices, whereas a fancy set of heifers is bringing $2,800 to $3,200. If we maintain these prices, they can pay that old cow off a lot quicker.”
Even with that happening, Rodenberger says he still doesn’t see a lot of herd rebuilding happening.
As far as future markets are concerned, he said, “If the cash comes to the board, feeders are going to be under pressure, but we are still seeing great demand. Our runs have been good up until this week. We ran 1,050 and a year ago, we ran 1,300.”
He said that the calves that are being sold now would have normally been held until October. 300-weight calves are bringing $1,300 to $1,500, and 500-weight calves will bring $1,700.
