The US inventory of all hogs and pigs on Sep. 1, was 74.3 million head, the USDA said in its Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report Friday. That was up slightly from Sep. 1, 2022, and up about 2% from June 1, 2023, the USDA said. Breeding inventory, at 6.08 million head, was down about 1% … Read More

The August cattle market was typical in some ways and atypical in others, said ADMIS Senior Livestock Analyst Chris Lehner, in an outlook letter.   SUMMER BEEF PRICES SAG   Beef prices a week after July 4 through the first week of August drifted lower as summer heat kept ovens turned off, Lehner said.  Consumers … Read More

The USDA’s Global Agricultural Information Network, part of the Foreign Agricultural Service, Wednesday reported that the number of Germany’s hog producers was down.  The GAIN report credited much of the decline to lack of export markets because of recurring bouts of African Swine Fever, but a new labeling law may keep sidelined producers out of … Read More

Congestive heart failure in finishing beef calves is increasing, said Paul Beck, Oklahoma State University Extension beef cattle nutrition specialist, in a letter called Cow-Calf Corner.   BRISKET DISEASE   The condition used to be known as ‘brisket disease’ and was only described in cattle populations at elevations higher than 5,000 to 7,000 feet, Beck … Read More

Total red meat supplies in freezers on Aug. 31 were up about 1% from the previous month but down about 15% from last year, according to the USDA’s monthly Cold Storage report Monday. Total pounds of beef in freezers were up about 3% from the previous month but down about 18% from last year, the … Read More

Large commodity index funds, known as managed money, increased their collective net long live cattle futures position in the week ended Tuesday as hedgers increased their total net short position. The data came from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday.   MANAGED MONEY BUYS CATTLE   As of Tuesday, managed … Read More

Colorado State University Agricultural Economist Stephan Koontz asked in a Livestock Marketing Information Center letter called In The Cattle Markets “what portends for the rest of September and October?” Labor Day is behind us, and the fall run of calves is in front, Koontz said.  Historically, October is a tough month for fed cattle markets … Read More