NATIONAL FEEDER & STOCKER CATTLE SUMMARY – WEEK ENDING 09/27/2025
By USDA-MO Dept of Ag Market News
RECEIPTS: Auctions Direct Video/Internet Total
This Week: 169,700 36,100 2,500 208,300
Last Week: 157,400 36,000 47,400 240,800
Year Ago: 173,500 40,800 6,100 220,400
Compared to last week, steers sold 3.00 to 8.00 higher, while heifers sold steady to 5.00 higher.
Moderate to good demand for spring born calves as there is interest in buying these calves but most cattle feeders are busy with fall harvest and not quite ready to take on a bawling calf that needs to be watched closely.
Very warm days, and cool nights are the right recipe for sick calves.
The Northern Plains is slowly getting into the bawling calf market across the state even though quite a few large strings of yearling hit the market at various auctions up there.
Feedlots continue to fill pits with silage and just getting started on high moisture corn. Some hay producers are on third or fourth cutting and a few grass hay producers are still trying to put up hay on the wet meadows and other grass fields.
In the Southern Plains, farmers reentered the calf market after wrapping up sowing wheat which drove the calf market higher.
Some areas did receive some rains that were in dire need, however it will take more time and moisture to make a solid change to the drought map and not everyone even got rain, it was a relief to know it can rain.
In areas that did get rain many were surprised how quickly a tint of green reappeared in pastures.
As of the last drought monitor, over two-thirds of the country is in some type of drought designation.
Corn and soybean harvest continues in the Midwest and Plains states as the calendar hasn't even turned to October yet and some farmers have made great strides in progress.
Negotiated sales of fed cattle in TX/OK/NM sold 3.00 lower at 237.00. In Kansas, cash sales sold 3.00 to 5.00 lower at 235.00 to 237.00.
In Nebraska, live sales were 3.00 to 4.00 lower at 232.00 to 235.00; while dressed sales were 5.00 lower at 365.00.
For the week, Choice Boxed beef closed on Friday at 371.43, 10.62 lower and Select closed at 352.44, 7.48 lower.
Weekly Cattle Slaughter under federal inspection estimated at 555K, 3K more than last week and 62K less than a year ago.
Auction volume this week included 52 percent weighing over 600 lbs and 40 percent heifers.
