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. Oct 2

    Cattle Market Guys - Week Wrap Up 10-2-2026

    Feeder cattle prices climbed again this week, with 500-549 lb steers reaching $401.79/cwt, up $21.89 from a month ago, even as just 17.8% of U.S. cattle purchases now trade on the negotiated cash market. With feeder supplies historically tight and pasture conditions deteriorating, Brock and Jim break down what's driving the rally and what producers should watch next. Brock and Jim review the Friday, October 2 market, including feeder steer prices, price forecasts pointing to a small dip before a push higher, and a choppy week for live and feeder cattle futures. They explain why short-term futures moves rest on a thin cash base and why producers should know exactly how their own cattle are priced. The hosts also examine the supply picture. The July Cattle report showed the beef cow herd down just 0.7%, feeder and stocker marketings ran more than 28% below the three-year average in mid-September, and August placements and marketings were lower. Falling corn futures and swelling corn stocks are helping feedlot margins, but only 19% of pasture and range is rated good to excellent, and drought areas are still up 12% from a month ago. Jim shares lessons from the drought of '96 and the thin cash markets of '99.

  2. Sep 29

    Cattle Market Guys - Tuesday Check In 9-29-2026

    Feeder steer prices are surging on heavy volume, with 500-549 lb steers at $401.79/cwt, up $21.89 from a month ago. Meanwhile, negotiated cash trade has shrunk to just 17.8% of cattle purchases, and feeder supplies are tightening into 2027. In this Tuesday Market Update for September 29, Brock and Jim break down the latest cattle prices and model forecasts, which show a small pullback next week before a push higher. Six hundred to 649 lb steers are at $362.11, and the heavy trading volume adds weight to the rally. The deep dives cover futures volatility as tight U.S. inventories collide with packer processing disruptions, and why the shrinking negotiated cash market matters for price discovery and producer bargaining power. They also review the September Cattle on Feed report, where feedlot inventory rose 0.7% to 11.16 million head even as placements and marketings declined, and August marketings hit a series low. Finally, they examine the Santa Teresa, New Mexico, border crossing reopening, which handles 43% of Mexican cattle imports, and the New World screwworm risk after a detection in Grant County, New Mexico. Jim shares stories from 1999 and 2003 on how market structure and border decisions move prices. Producers get practical takeaways on pricing mechanisms, replacement costs, and risk management.

  3. Sep 22

    Cattle Market Guys - Tuesday Check In 9-22-2026

    Cattle markets are caught in a tug-of-war: feeder cattle prices bounced hard week-over-week even as futures whipsawed through a third straight losing session before rallying on surprise placement numbers. Add in the lowest August marketings since 1996 and a screwworm case popping up just two days before a critical border crossing is set to reopen, and producers have a lot of moving pieces to track this week. In this Tuesday Market Update, Brock and Jim break down the latest CME feeder cattle data, with 500-549 weight steers and 600-649 weight steers both showing strong weekly gains but softer month-over-month numbers. They dig into the September WASDE report's lowered cattle price forecasts against rising corn costs, with Jim drawing parallels to the 1996 Corn Belt drought that squeezed feedlot margins for months. The conversation shifts to the latest Cattle on Feed report, where historically low marketings point to a tightening feeder cattle supply heading into 2027, a trend Jim compares to the classic supply-and-demand squeeze he's seen throughout his cattle trading career. The episode closes with a look at the New World screwworm situation near the New Mexico border, where a new case in Grant County threatens the planned September 24th reopening of the Santa Teresa crossing, which handles 43% of Mexican cattle imports. Jim shares his experience from the 1985 screwworm outbreak in South Texas, offering perspective on how long border disruptions can linger even after containment succeeds. Together, Brock and Jim unpack what all three storylines mean for producers navigating a genuinely volatile cattle market.

  4. Sep 18

    Cattle Market Guys - Week Wrap Up 9-18-2026

    A major New Mexico livestock port is reopening next week after zero new screwworm cases were detected, and it's already sending shockwaves through cattle futures. With Santa Teresa handling 43% of all cattle imports crossing the border, this reopening is the driving force behind a genuinely choppy week in the feeder cattle market. In this Week in Review episode, Brock and Jim break down the market snapshot showing divergence between weight classes, with 500-549 weight steers bouncing 12.12 week-over-week even as they remain down nearly 29 dollars month-over-month. The conversation shifts to the Santa Teresa port reopening set for September 24th, with Jim drawing on his experience from similar border crossing openings in 1993 to explain why short-term price dips from import news rarely derail long-term fundamentals. The duo also dig into this week's wild cattle futures swings, hitting one-month highs Wednesday before falling on port news Friday, while highlighting Cattle Range's Ten-Day Market-Strength Index showing a constructive 6.68% gain despite daily volatility. They cover the September WASDE report's lowered price forecasts and weak packer demand, plus pork market pressure from hog futures hitting contract lows. Finally, Brock and Jim examine what might be the week's most bullish signal: feeder and stocker cattle marketings running 30.7% below the three-year average, pointing toward a genuine herd rebuilding phase as producers hold back cattle rather than rushing to sell. With next week's Cattle on Feed report on deck, this episode sets up the key storylines shaping cattle prices heading into the fourth quarter.

  5. Sep 15

    Cattle Market Guys - Tuesday Check In 9-15-2026

    Feeder cattle prices just dropped nearly $47 in a month, and futures traders are already pricing in risk from a confirmed screwworm case in southern Texas—the first U.S. horse infection near the border. With USDA slashing its 2026-2027 cattle price outlook while corn costs climb, producers are facing a tangled mix of short-term futures strength and long-term caution. In this Tuesday Market Update, Brock and Jim break down the latest cash price data on 500-549 and 600-649 weight class steers, both trending lower on average volume, with forecasts pointing toward stabilization after the recent slide. They dig into the September WASDE report's lowered price forecasts and weigh it against Friday's futures rally, drawing a direct parallel to the 1996 corn price spike and the costly lesson of chasing a rally that never came. The conversation shifts to animal health, covering the confirmed screwworm case in South Texas, the resulting movement restrictions, and Jim's firsthand memories of the 1976 outbreak, plus a new H5N1 study on California dairy farms showing transmission through air, wastewater, and asymptomatic cows. Rounding out the episode, Brock and Jim cover trade policy developments including an Oval Office cattle industry executive order signing, an open letter addressing beef price politicization, reassuring data on Brazilian beef imports, China's new agricultural insurance expansion, and USMEF's trade delegation to Japan supporting U.S. beef exports.

  6. Sep 11

    Cattle Market Guys - Week Wrap Up 9-11-2026

    Feeder cattle prices just took a brutal hit — 500-549 lb steers are down nearly $49 per hundredweight in just thirty days, and the 600-649 lb class isn't far behind. Brock and Jim break down whether this correction is the start of something bigger or just a market catching its breath before the next move. In this Week in Review episode, Brock and Jim dig into three major storylines shaping the cattle market. First, they unpack the tangled trade policy landscape, from new executive orders on beef and cattle to Canada's retaliatory tariffs and Brazil's shifting export mix, weighing whether political noise or market fundamentals will ultimately drive prices. Jim shares a personal flashback to the NAFTA panic of 1993 that adds real perspective to today's tariff headlines. Next, they examine global feed grain and soybean trends, including China's softening hog demand and an unexpected new demand driver: GLP-1 drug users turning to soy-based protein. Finally, the guys tackle animal health and biosecurity, covering the latest screwworm detection numbers, a new pest biosecurity R&D platform planned for San Antonio, and Jim's memories of the original screwworm eradication program from the 1980s. Whether you're tracking feeder cattle futures, watching trade policy fallout, or keeping an eye on biosecurity threats, this episode delivers the market intelligence producers need heading into the next month.

  7. Sep 8

    Cattle Market Guys - Tuesday Check In 9-8-2026

    Only 18% of pasture and range conditions are rated good to excellent this week, down sharply from 38% a year ago, and drought coverage across the lower 48 has expanded over 23% in the past month alone. With Tyson Foods slashing its profit outlook twice in one month and cattle futures cooling from August highs, producers are facing a market squeeze from multiple directions at once. In this Tuesday market update, Brock and Jim break down the latest cash cattle prices, with 500-549 weight steers down to $372.81/cwt and 600-649 weights at $341.82/cwt, both retreating from last month's peak. They dig into the Tyson margin story and draw a direct parallel to the 1999 IBP packer squeeze, warning producers to watch kill rates and buyer pickiness on weight and grade as leading indicators. The pair also unpack competing federal policy moves—Representative Figures' bill targeting the 300,000 metric ton beef import allowance versus Trump's executive orders on wolf protection and country-of-origin labeling—highlighting the fragmented approach to trade policy right now. The episode closes with a deep dive into deteriorating drought conditions nationwide, Jim's firsthand account of the 1996 West Texas drought liquidation, and why protecting core herd genetics may pay off more than panic-selling. International context from France's billion-euro drought aid package rounds out a wide-ranging discussion on cattle prices, packer margins, beef trade policy, and range conditions heading into fall.

  8. Sep 4

    Cattle Market Guys - Week Wrap Up 9-4-2026

    Cattle prices are cratering as feeder steers drop nearly $25 per hundredweight in just five weeks, and a controversial tariff proclamation benefiting Brazilian beef imports has producers demanding Washington "stay out of the way." Meanwhile, pasture conditions have collapsed to just 18% Good-to-Excellent—down from 38% a year ago—signaling a supply squeeze that could reshape the market for years to come. In this Friday wrap for September 4th, Brock and Jim break down a brutal week of cattle market data, with both lightweight and heavyweight feeder classes showing steep week-over-week and month-over-month declines. They dig into Proclamation 11059's tariff holiday on Brazilian beef trimmings, JBS executive Joesley Batista's direct meeting with Trump, and the DOJ's expanded antitrust probe now targeting major retailers like Walmart and Costco. The duo also tackles wild futures market volatility, with the August live cattle contract swinging on tariff speculation, border news, and contract expiration dynamics. The episode's third deep dive tackles the deteriorating drought and range conditions across the country, with corn crop ratings and pasture conditions both declining sharply compared to last year. Jim draws parallels to the 1988 drought and 1995 Mexican peso crisis, offering historical perspective on how cattlemen have weathered similar supply shocks and policy uncertainty before. Producers looking for guidance on basis levels, hedging strategy, and marketing decisions amid this policy-driven volatility will find plenty of actionable takeaways in this week's discussion.

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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
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Cattle Market Guys Podcast

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