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. 1d ago

    Cattle Market Guys - Tuesday Check In 11-3-2026

    Feedlot placements just hit a record low for September, down 12.1 percent from last year and the lowest since USDA began tracking the series in 1996. With feeder steer prices climbing and beef supplies still tight, the pipeline behind today's cattle looks thinner than the headline inventory suggests. In the Tuesday Market Update for November 3, 2026, Brock and Jim break down the latest feeder cattle prices. Steers weighing 500 to 549 pounds averaged $411.74 per hundredweight, up $10.77 from a month ago. Steers weighing 600 to 649 pounds averaged $370.05, up $8.42 over the same period. The forecast shows lighter calves holding momentum while heavier classes flatten out. The episode also covers USDA's new negotiated fed cattle price report for the Southern Plains and what thin cash trade means for price discovery. Brock and Jim look at CoBank's view on rising beef imports, USDA's 94.2 million head cattle inventory, and the 4 percent drop in red meat production. The October Cattle on Feed report is examined, including why inventory looks flat while placements and marketings fell sharply. Jim shares stories from 1999 and 2003, and the hosts offer practical takeaways on watching cash trade, tracking placements, and using risk management tools to protect margins.

  2. 5d ago

    Cattle Market Guys - Week Wrap Up 10-30-2026

    September feedlot placements fell 12.1% from a year ago, a record low for the month, according to USDA's October Cattle on Feed report. Marketings were also the lowest for September since the series began in 1996, and that tight supply is shaping the cattle market from feedlot to freezer. In this Friday Week in Review, Brock and Jim break down a choppy week for cattle futures. Prices rallied early on the bullish report and cheaper grain, then slipped on technical selling and sluggish cash trade. They also review feeder cattle prices: 500-549 pound steers at $407.87 per hundredweight and 600-649 pound steers at $364.21. Lighter calves are leading the market. The hosts cover USDA slaughter and cold storage data, with red meat production down 4% and beef in freezers down 1% from last year. Jim recalls how scarce calves drew aggressive bidding in 2004. The conversation then widens to global feed, fertilizer, and dairy news: the Philippines' larger corn import quota, EU soymeal rules, digestate fertilizer research, falling EU dairy imports, and Danone's earnings. Producers get three things to watch next week: cash trade, feed costs, and buyer competition.

  3. Oct 27

    Cattle Market Guys - Tuesday Check In 10-27-2026

    September cattle placements and marketings were the lowest for the month since USDA began tracking in 1996, and the squeeze is showing up in feeder calf prices. With 500-549 pound steers averaging $407.87 per hundredweight and carrying a healthy premium over futures, producers with weaned calves hold the leverage. Brock and Jim break down the October Cattle on Feed report, which showed 11.372 million head on feed October 1, slightly below last year. They explain why low placements point to tight supply rather than weak demand, and why heavy fall calf movement doesn't contradict that story. They also cover the cash fat cattle breakout after seven weeks in a narrow range, with October live cattle settling at $227.55, and the warning sign of negative packer margins. The conversation then turns to feed and weather: a shrinking U.S. drought area, corn harvest progress, winter wheat emergence, and Ukrainian grain export disruptions that show cheap feed may not last. Jim looks back at the drought of 1996 and how different today's setup is. Brock closes with what to watch: model forecasts that ease lighter feeder prices over four weeks, packer bid behavior, and feed costs.

  4. Oct 23

    Cattle Market Guys - Week Wrap Up 10-23-2026

    USDA will add a regional negotiated cash cattle report on Monday, October 26, pooling fed cattle trade from Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas. Cash trade has thinned and CME futures have hit multi-month highs before pulling back, so the added price transparency arrives at a pivotal moment for cattle producers. In this Week in Review for October 23, 2026, Brock and Jim break down the latest feeder cattle market. Medium and Large No. 1 steers in the 500-549 lb class averaged $404.06/cwt, up $7.89 from a month ago. The 600-649 lb class averaged $363.58. The forecast favors lighter calves holding value while heavier weights soften. The hosts also cover drought and pasture conditions. U.S. drought area fell 5.7% on the week, but pasture and range ratings were just 22% good to excellent as of October 11. Corn harvest reached 52% complete and winter wheat planting hit 69%. They also look at uneven feeder and stocker supplies heading into the fall run. Jim shares lessons from the 1996 drought and the start of mandatory price reporting in 2001, along with practical marketing advice for cow-calf producers, stocker operators and buyers.

  5. Oct 20

    Cattle Market Guys - Tuesday Check In 10-20-2026

    New World screwworm is back in West Texas cattle. USDA confirmed a case in Pecos County on October 10th, just days after a detection in a dog in Brewster County. With feeder supplies running heavy and pastures still stressed, producers face tough sell-or-hold decisions. In this Tuesday Market Update, Brock and Jim break down the feeder cattle market, where 500-549 pound steers are at $404.06/cwt and 600-649 pound steers are at $363.58/cwt. The model forecast is split, with lightweights firming and heavier calves softening into November. Jim shares his memories of the late-1980s Libya screwworm outbreak and the sterile fly program that ended it. They also discuss why the sterile-fly supply from Mexico matters so much today. They also cover feeder and stocker marketings running 19.3% above the three-year average. Drought coverage is shrinking, but only 22% of pasture and range is rated good to excellent, while corn conditions are improving. The episode closes with tightening global beef supplies, the October WASDE report, live cattle futures at a ten-week high, and questions about consumer demand after the agriculture secretary's comments on beef prices.

  6. Oct 13

    Cattle Market Guys - Tuesday Check In 10-13-2026

    exican feeder cattle imports are barely trickling across the border, with just 400 head crossing at Santa Teresa, New Mexico, a port that once handled roughly 40 percent of the flow. A new screwworm detection in Brewster County, Texas, makes a quick reopening even less likely and keeps feeder supplies tight. Brock and Jim break down this week's feeder cattle market, where 500-549 pound steers are at $402.17 per hundredweight, up $1.20 on the week and $19.52 from a month ago. Heavier 600-649 pound steers slipped $2.69 to $358.94. The model points to a small near-term pullback, then firmer prices into November. They also explain why producers shouldn't count on import relief when pricing calves and replacement stockers. The episode also covers volatile CME cattle futures, which rallied to a three-month high after USDA raised its 2026 corn harvest outlook, then dropped on profit-taking before moving higher again. Brock and Jim discuss why setting hedging targets and risk triggers ahead of time beats reacting to headlines. Finally, they review USDA's October WASDE, which lowers 2027 beef production, raises beef imports, and leaves cattle prices unchanged. They also look at why carcass quality and marbling matter as imports grow, and how finish weight decisions affect returns.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

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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
    22
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Cattle Market Guys Podcast

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