Attitudes Improving in the Cattle Industry with Some Wheat Coming up and Chance of Rain Next Week

KC Sheperd, Farm Director, is visiting with Bob Rodenberger, a partner with Stockman Oklahoma Livestock Marketing. Rodenberger and Sheperd talk about the current cattle market and the upcoming Emergency Drought Commission Meeting.

“We are still seeing an ample number of calves come to down,” Rodenberger said.

On the positive side, Rodenberger said he has seen that many people have dusted their wheat in, and some wheat has come up, so people are optimistic.

“We have a chance of rain later in next week sometime,” Rodenberger said. “A little rain continuously will help some of these people that have got this wheat up.”

The calf market, Rodenberger said, has limited places to go.

“The cow market was not saturated- we saturated it back four or five months ago,” Rodenberger said. “But we have got ample amount of cows available and the killing condition keeps dropping off, and when your cow gets thinner, it doesn’t matter whether she weighs 1000 or 1500 (pounds), she is worth less dollars because there is less meat to salvage off of her.”

As for the feeder cattle market, Rodenberger said he did not see many feeders, even in Oklahoma City on Monday.

“It would have steady at best,” Rodenberger said. “We have dropped the index down five or six dollars in the last three months, so it is back down.”