The Cattle Market Guys Podcast

Cattle Market Guys by Herd Advisor
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Brock and Jim break down the week’s cattle market news, trends, and forecasts with a mix of data-driven insight and 40 years of ranching wisdom. Published three times a week by Herd Advisor, each episode blends hard numbers and real-world experience to help cow-calf producers make smarter, more profitable marketing decisions.

  1. 2d ago

    Cattle Market Guys - Tuesday Check In 8-18-2026

    Tyson just pulled the trigger on a historic contraction—closing or selling three beef plants while bracing for a staggering $650 million operating loss in fiscal 2026. With roughly 10,000 head per day in processing capacity vanishing almost overnight, Brock and Jim break down why this "historic cattle shortage" is reshaping where producers can even sell their cattle. In this Tuesday update for August 18th, Brock and Jim dig into feeder cattle prices showing real softness, with 500-549 weight steers down $7.80 week-over-week and heavier weights sliding on forecast data through September. They unpack the Tyson plant closures in Joslin, Illinois and Pasco, Washington, and what it means for basis and buyer competition, drawing on Jim's firsthand memory of the Plainview plant closure back in '94. The conversation moves into cattle futures volatility, with fund and technical selling pushing prices to two-and-a-half week lows amid growing doubts about consumer beef demand—plus Jim's gripping account of the 2003 BSE crisis and the risk-management lessons it still teaches today. The episode wraps with a broader look at global beef demand trends, including the booming outdoor grilling market, a $136-per-head value-add strategy for weaned calves from Merck Animal Health's Dr. John Hutcheson, and international headwinds from Ukraine's agricultural liquidity crisis to Brazil's MBRF profit decline. They close with a nod to the ongoing MCOOL labeling debate and its ties to the packer capacity conversation shaping this week's cattle market news.

  2. 6d ago

    Cattle Market Guys - Week Wrap Up 8-14-2026

    Tyson is anchoring its entire beef business around just three plants, JBS is shutting down harvesting at its Souderton, Pennsylvania facility today, and USDA is calling this one of the most historic cattle shortages on record. Yet despite that tightening supply, USDA just lowered its cattle price forecasts through 2027 — a contradiction that has Brock and Jim digging into what's really driving the cattle market this week. In this Friday wrap for August 14th, Brock and Jim break down the latest feeder cattle price data, showing short-term stabilization in the 500-549 and 600-649 weight classes even as both remain sharply down from a month ago. They cover the meatpacking industry's rapid restructuring, including Tyson's three-plant strategy, JBS's Souderton conversion and $102 million net loss, and major CEO transitions at U.S. Premium Beef and JBS. The duo also examines a wave of weather disruption hitting cattle production across three continents — a potential super El Niño threatening South American drought, British Columbia wildfires forcing livestock evacuations, and Austrian heat pushing cattle off Alpine pastures early — alongside expanding U.S. drought coverage. Jim shares firsthand stories from the 1993 IBP plant closure and the 1998 drought to give producers historical context for today's headlines. The episode wraps with a look at the August WASDE report, softening fed cattle demand, surging ground beef prices, and what it all means for producer margins heading into fall.

  3. Aug 11

    Cattle Market Guys - Tuesday Check In 8-11-2026

    Feeder cattle have come off their summer highs, but the lighter steers are already firming back up—500- to 549-pound steers ticked up to over $417 per hundredweight this past week—and Brock and Jim break down why the trend still points higher.. With feeder and stocker marketings running 23.2% below the three-year average, the underlying supply story remains tight, even as futures whipsaw on unrelated economic headlines. This Tuesday update covers the full cattle market picture: a detailed look at recent price action across weight classes, national forecasts showing a rebound to come, and insight from a Texas A&M AgriLife economist who says the price ceiling hasn't been hit yet. Brock and Jim also dig into surging ground beef demand outpacing supply, Brazil's shifting protein consumption patterns, and FAO data showing global food prices at a three-year high even as meat prices ease. A $2.5 billion JBS Australia-Danantara joint venture signals major institutional confidence in Southeast Asian protein demand, while U.S. Premium Beef announces CEO Stan Linville's retirement after nearly 30 years. The episode wraps with a look at AI-powered drones transforming pasture and herd management, plus workforce and crop updates from across the industry. Jim brings a callback to the 1996 drought years to put today's feeder supply crunch in perspective, and closes out with another one-liner too good to spoil here. Whether you're marketing cattle this month or just tracking where the cattle market is headed next, this episode delivers the data and context to stay ahead.

  4. Aug 7

    Cattle Market Guys - Week Wrap Up 8-7-2026

    Feeder cattle prices just took a serious tumble—five hundred to five-forty-nine pound steers dropped from $463.08 to $408.76 per hundredweight in just five weeks, and the six-hundred-weight class fell even harder. But with national forecasts pointing to a rebound and futures hitting three-week highs before wobbling again, the cattle market is delivering whiplash few saw coming. In this Friday wrap for August 7th, Brock and Jim break down the numbers behind the recent pullback in feeder cattle markets, tracing the slide from late June through late July across multiple weight classes. They dig into national price predictions showing a potential recovery, with the 500-549 pound class expected to climb back toward $419.50 per hundredweight within three weeks, signaling some optimism despite the recent softness. The duo also unpacks a report from The Cattle Site detailing how live and feeder cattle futures hit three-week highs on technical strength and supportive outside markets, only to fall the very next day on demand worries linked to broader stock market weakness. Brock and Jim discuss what this volatility means for producers trying to time sales, and they close out with a look at trading volume trends, noting that light volume in late June has given way to stronger buyer participation heading into August. It's a snapshot of a market caught between short-term jitters and a tight underlying supply story that continues to support values.

  5. Jul 31

    Cattle Market Guys - Week Wrap Up 7-31-2026

    Cattle futures just snapped a brutal 15-day losing streak, feeder cattle prices are sliding fast on lighter weights, and the US-Mexico border is finally set to reopen for cattle trade after screwworm shutdowns. This week's Cattle Market Guys breaks down whether the worst is over—or just beginning. Brock and Jim dive into a volatile week for the cattle market, starting with feeder cattle cash prices that dropped sharply across multiple weight classes, though prediction models point to a rebound in the coming weeks. They unpack USDA's phased reopening of the Douglas, Arizona and Santa Teresa ports of entry, backed by a $25 million investment in sterile fly dispersal to combat screwworm, with Jim drawing on his firsthand experience from the 1987 border shutdown to explain what producers can expect this time around. The conversation then turns to the wild swings in live cattle and feeder cattle futures, including a four-month low followed by a sharp short-covering rally, with Jim recalling a similar trainwreck-turned-recovery from 1996. Finally, Brock and Jim break down a stack of fresh USDA reports—Cattle Inventory, Cattle on Feed, Red Meat Production, and Cold Storage—revealing a supply picture that's tighter than headline numbers suggest, with shrinking beef inventories and declining production even as cattle on feed ticks up. Whether you're marketing calves, watching the border, or trying to make sense of feedlot data, this episode delivers the numbers and the perspective to navigate a fast-moving cattle market.

  6. Jul 28

    Cattle Market Guys - Tuesday Check In 7-28-2026

    Cattle futures just hit a four-month low, feeder cattle prices are sliding on thin volume, and now USDA drops a bombshell: the US-Mexico border is reopening to cattle trade after more than a year of screwworm-driven shutdowns. Brock and Jim break down why this Tuesday's numbers matter more than most. On this episode of Cattle Market Guys, Brock and Jim dig into the latest feeder cattle price data, where 500-549 weight steers and 600-649 weight steers both softened week-over-week, while futures markets swung sharply before stabilizing ahead of the Cattle on Feed report. The pair then shift to the biggest story of the week—USDA's phased reopening of southern livestock ports starting with Douglas, Arizona on August 24th, plus a promising biological breakthrough in Panama using NovoFly genetic technology to fight New World Screwworm. Jim shares firsthand memories of the 1980 screwworm outbreak that shaped border policy for decades. The conversation also covers global beef trade, including a troubling 17.2% year-over-year drop in US beef exports, new market access wins with Chile, Ecuador's fresh trade deal with Canada, and the Meat Institute's cost analysis on mandatory country-of-origin labeling. Jim recalls the 2003 mad cow crisis and how long it took to rebuild lost export relationships. Finally, Brock and Jim unpack this week's cattle futures volatility, a four-month low in live cattle, and what the newest Cattle on Feed report signals for producers heading into August.

  7. Jul 24

    Cattle Market Guys - Week Wrap Up 7-24-2026

    Live cattle futures just suffered fifteen straight losing sessions in July, dragging prices to a four-month low before finally stabilizing—but is this a genuine fundamental breakdown or just the board working through paper losses? Brock and Jim break down why cash cattle weakness and summer demand seasonality sparked the slide, and why USDA's WASDE report still projects firm prices for the back half of 2026. This week's Cattle Market Guys covers the full feeder cattle snapshot, with lighter-weight steers sliding sharply while heavier weight classes show mixed signals amid heavy trading volume. Brock and Jim dig into shifting global trade flows, as U.S. beef exports fall over 17% year-over-year while imports climb nearly 10%, with Argentina capitalizing on booming shipments and Brazil facing new tariff exemptions alongside declining export volumes tied to Chinese quota limits. The episode also examines deteriorating corn and pasture conditions across the Plains, even as overall drought coverage improves, raising questions about stocker cattle economics and potential fall culling decisions. Throughout the episode, Jim draws on decades of market experience, sharing stories from 1993's futures slump, the 1999 trade imbalance debate, and the devastating 1988 drought, offering historical context for today's volatile conditions. Brock and Jim close with practical takeaways for producers navigating a turbulent market: watch your basis, don't panic on board weakness alone, and keep an eye on how tightening pasture conditions could reshape calf supplies heading into next year.

  8. Jul 17

    Cattle Market Guys - Week Wrap Up 7-17-2026

    Cattle futures just hit their lowest close since March, and it's not from one bad day — it's three straight sessions of chart-driven selling stacked on weak cash trade and sagging wholesale beef prices. Brock and Jim break down why the board lost roughly eight dollars in under a month, and why hog futures climbing at the same time proves this is a cattle-specific correction, not a broad protein demand collapse. This week's Cattle Market Guys episode opens with a full data snapshot: five-hundred to five-forty-nine weight steers show a clear three-week price slide, while six-hundred to six-forty-nine weight cattle have actually gained ground over the past month despite recent softness. Brock and Jim dig into the forecasts for both weight classes, then pivot into a deep dive on the futures decline, referencing reporting from The Cattle Site and Beef Magazine's "Recency Bias and Things That Never Happen" piece on cowherd expansion. Jim shares a real-world comparison to the 1993 summer market pullback, offering perspective on why producers shouldn't panic on chart-driven weakness — but shouldn't ignore it either. The episode closes with a look at regulatory and land-use pressures facing ranchers, including a New Zealand study linking farm nitrate pollution to premature births even below legal limits, the FAO's involvement in Canada's International Year of Rangelands tour, and a third, more sobering land-use story. It's a wide-ranging Friday wrap covering cash cattle prices, futures trends, cattle market analysis, and the policy conversations shaping the beef industry heading into next week.

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About

Brock and Jim break down the week’s cattle market news, trends, and forecasts with a mix of data-driven insight and 40 years of ranching wisdom. Published three times a week by Herd Advisor, each episode blends hard numbers and real-world experience to help cow-calf producers make smarter, more profitable marketing decisions.

Information

  • Creator
    Cattle Market Guys by Herd Advisor
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Cattle Market Guys Podcast

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