Where Premiums are Earned
Understand whole beef carcass value.
A Choice carcass is worth more than Select, but if cattlemen are looking to add value across the entire carcass, only one brand does that. Cattlemen joining a webinar hosted by the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand learned about that and more while discovering the sources of premiums they earn for their best cattle. For decades, those who aim to raise high-quality cattle have kept an eye on the Choice-Select spread. The CAB-Choice spread? That’s next level.
Market Closeout
The good dog effect.
Growing up I had the opportunity to ride good, solid, ranch horses. At the time, we thought they were special. They were dead broke and we could do just about anything we needed to get done on them. We roped off of them, played cowboy polo, and did everything from gymkhanas (pattern racing/timed games) to horse shows. Truth be known, we were pretty proud of them.
Feedlot Situation Improving
The feedlot situation is improving, but it will take additional time to process current feedlot supplies.
The USDA Cattle on Feed report pegs May 1 feedlot inventories at 11.725 million head, 104.7% of last year. A more useful comparison is to 2019 levels, with the 2021 May 1 total down 0.7% from May 2019. After a February feedlot inventory that was the highest of any month since February 2006, strong marketings the past two months have reduced feedlot inventories below 2019 levels in April and May. April feedlot placements were larger than expected at 127.2% of year-ago placements. However, April placements were 1.1% smaller than April 2019 placements.
FCMG to Hit Mailboxes in June
Inaugural ‘Feeder-Calf Marketing Guide’ added as a resource for commercial Angus operations.
When you have a highly segmented production system, with independents responsible for the quality of the product through various stages of its production, how do you ensure product quality to the end user? Communication, fostering understanding of the entire system and building relationships among those with similar goals. That’s what this inaugural “Feeder-Calf Marketing Guide” intends to foster.
In the Cattle Markets
Forage production, beef cows, stocking density and their implications for partial herd liquidation due to drought.
Approximately 654 million acres are used for livestock grazing, or approximately 35% of the total land area in the continental United States. The total acres under grazing have fluctuated through time, ranging from a low of 583 million acres in the 1990s to a high of 654 million acres in the 2010s. Fluctuations in grazed land have also varied across the United States’ diverse geography. For example, the Mountain region consists of approximately 55% of all grazed land; Southern Plains, 15%; and Northern Plains, 12%. All other regions have between 1% and 3% of the total grazed land.
The Link
Time is precious.
by Ginette Gottswiller, American Angus Association
“Can you run down and bring me some bolts? They are 9/16. I need grade 6, and 4 inches long. How long will it take you?”
“Well, it will only take me 20 minutes to get there, but how long will I have to look for that size bolt?”
“Well, I’m not sure if I have any that size, but check and get something close. You know where it goes on the cultivator. Can you hurry? I really need to get this done!”
Time is precious.
Seasonal Carcass Trends Intact
The market is hungry for Choice and higher boxed product as grilling season approaches.
Cattle and beef markets the past two years have conditioned us to expect the unexpected. Several fundamentals are “upside down” in the total beef complex, but a few are behaving in relatively seasonal fashion.
