NATIONAL FEEDER & STOCKER CATTLE SUMMARY – WEEK ENDING 10/11/2025

By USDA-MO Dept of Ag Market News

RECEIPTS: Auctions Direct Video/Internet Total
This Week: 192,400 31,000 20,600 244,000
Last Week: 181,200 20,700 26,800 228,700
Year Ago: 210,400 32,100 7,100 249,600

Compared to last week, steers and heifers sold 3.00 to 8.00 higher.

There were some instances of steer calves being sharply higher.

Demand was moderate to good.

Currently the market is completely dependent upon health risk associated with each consignment.

Top quality calves hit the market across the reporting auctions this week, especially in the Northern Plains.

On Thursday at Billings (MT) Livestock Commission, a package of 700 lb unweaned steers sold at 419.00, which would be more than 50.00 per cwt higher than the CME Feeder Cattle Index on that day.

And speaking of that Index, The CME feeder cattle index climbed and posted an all-time new record high again late week.

More top-quality calves will come when farmers get done with harvest; It may happen sooner rather than later as farmers are making good progress as weather has been good to get a lot done in a short amount of time.

Most calves would have had a fall precondition vaccination program even if unweaned, however those calves without this protocol sold at a steep discount.

It sounds like a broken record this time of year, but keeping calves healthy is a huge challenge as nights get down in the high 40's to low 50's and days begin wet and cool before climbing into the 80's.

If immune systems are not up to par; that is a not a good recipe for the calf month of October.

This week, the CME Cattle Complex continued an upward movement every day.

For the week, December through next October Live Cattle contracts were 8.00 to over 10.00 higher, while every out-front Feeder Cattle contracts were over 20.00 higher for the week.

This week marked the largest gain in weekly FC futures values in the last 5 years.

Feedlots and backgrounding lots continue to lay feed into the pits for the next years worth of cattle feeding. Early reports most farmers are happy with current crop yields.

Negotiated sales of fed cattle in TX/OK/NM were very limited and not enough for a market test. In Kansas, light trading of cash sales sold 2.00 higher at 235.00.

In Nebraska, live sales were 4.00 to 5.00 higher at 234.00 to 235.00; while dressed sales were 2.00 higher at 362.00.

For the week, Choice Boxed beef closed on Friday at 365.57, 3.30 higher and Select closed at 346.39, 1.01 higher.

Weekly Cattle Slaughter under federal inspection estimated at 547K, 15K less than last week and 38K less than a year ago.

Auction volume this week included 42 percent weighing over 600 lbs and 40 percent heifers.