January typically brings cold weather, but it can also bring complications to the cattle market.
One trader says it is his least favorite month to trade but says the coming months could be ideal for producers.
“I see a lot of confidence, especially in this cash feeder market. I mean, these prices, there was about a five or six-week stretch that they just went straight up. I feel like we saw, maybe, some heifers getting held back earlier in this Fall, and then, as we’ve just climbed fast, it’s getting tougher to tougher to think, ‘Are we going to be able to rebuild this cowherd or not just with the sheer cost that it is?’ I mean, it’s like $2,000 heifer calf, and it’s going to cost, you know, my cowboy math says about $1,000 per year on that animal,” said Scott Varilek.
The January Cattle on Feed Report comes out later this month, which will give a better idea of the cattle herd.
Analysts say that while low-income households are facing financial pressures, other middle- and higher-income consumers are helping fill the gap for retail beef demand.
December 16, 2025 12:44 PM
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Tim and Sharyn Abbott of the Music City Celebration Sale recap the weekend’s premier auction, which drew top dairy breeders and buyers to Nashville again this year from across North America.
December 16, 2025 11:54 AM
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The bill to once again allow schools to offer whole milk and 2% milk will now go to President Trump for approval.
December 16, 2025 11:41 AM
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Frigid winter weather and rapid temperature swings have cattle markets watching closely for livestock stress, as analysts say fluctuations pose the greatest risk.
December 15, 2025 12:33 PM
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Freight Softens as Producers Plan 2026 Budgets Nationwide
December 15, 2025 10:48 AM
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CoBank’s 2026 Year Ahead Report cites global grain oversupply, easing inflation, rate cuts, and major data center growth that could reshape rural America.
December 12, 2025 12:42 PM
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