herd expansion

It's a tale of two industries—while ranchers are cashing in, packers are feeling the pinch. Let’s unpack this complex situation that impacts all of us.

Reports indicate the beef cattle herd has reached its lowest point since 1962 marking what some say, appears to be the bottom of the current cattle cycle.

The question is how much higher can cattle prices go before the herd expansion gets rolling? One industry expert says cattle prices aren’t done climbing.

American ranchers are moving to expand their herds from a seven-decade low, paving the way for a long-awaited recovery in beef supplies.

As the U.S. red meat industry gathers in Fort Worth, TX, this week for the U.S. Meat Export Federation Spring Conference, keynote speaker Randy Blach, CEO of CattleFax, said the cattle herd rebuilding may finally be gaining traction.   “We're still in tight fed cattle supplies. We've got...

A new USDA report indicates that U-S dairy operators are still expanding their herds.  Agriculture Livestock Analyst Shayle Shagam said the inventory report shows about 9.4 million dairy cows which is about 1% increase from a year ago.   "Producers do indicate intentions to hold back about 1-percent more heifers for milk cow replacement,"   And while he admited those are small increases

The most recent look by the USDA of cattle on feed shows a possible hold on herd expansion.   Livestock Analyst Shayle Shagam said despite numbers being up, placements up 13 percent, inventory up five percent, a deeper dive shows some interesting data.  ...

In a story that’s all too familiar to cattlemen across the country, there is rumbling of some challenges ahead.   USDA Livestock Analyst Shayle Shagam said for now, cattle herds are expanding despite dropping prices.   “First of all, we’re looking at lower returns to cow/calf operators which are being pressured by the lower feeder cattle prices.”   There are also po...