Oklahoma Cattle Market Summary

Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist

 

The fall calf marketing season is upon us.  In most years, this means that auction volumes increase, and prices of calves and stockers decrease to seasonal lows.  This year is likely to be different.  Current prices for calves are roughly 18 percent higher than March/April prices and heavy feeder cattle prices are higher than spring by over 30 percent.   Feeder cattle prices are sharply higher this year compared to one year ago.  Feeder steers and heifer prices at Oklahoma auctions are higher by 45 -55 percent compared to the end of September 2022.  

 

Volumes at Oklahoma auctions are down by 9.4 percent in 2023 through the end of September compared to one year ago.  That amounts to a reduction in feeder cattle sales of over 95,000 head so far this year.  The decrease in auction volumes has been greater in the second half of the year with weekly volumes down by 22.8 percent since the middle of the year.  The volume of feeder cattle is expected to be smaller year over year even as seasonal volumes increase in October and November.  Though there are no strong, clear indications of heifer retention yet, the percent of heifers in auction volumes has been lower in August and September, about 40 percent, compared to an average of just over 44 percent in the first seven months of the year.  

 

Winter wheat grazing is an important cattle production activity in Oklahoma and surrounding regions of the southern plains.  Demand for wheat pasture stocker cattle helps support calf prices in the fall and depends on the development of wheat pasture.  The latest crop progress report shows that wheat planting is slower than usual with 18 percent of Oklahoma wheat planted as of September 24, down two percent from last year and seven percent below the five-year average of 25 percent for the date.  Reemerging dry conditions is limiting wheat pasture development this fall.

 

The situation for cull and replacement cows is similar to feeder cattle with sharply higher prices and reduced volumes year over year.  Average auction prices for cull cows in Oklahoma are about 35 percent higher this fall compared to last year.  The auction volume of cull cows is down 15.5 percent for the year to date but is down 43.2 percent since mid-year.  The volume of bred and breeding cows is down 28.0 percent for the year to date and down 45.6 percent since the end of June.  Auction prices for bred cows are up roughly 50 percent year over year.  I am hearing anecdotal reports of bred cow prices jumping sharply this fall.

 

Hay supplies are improved from a year ago and pastures are in somewhat better shape compared to last year.  The latest pasture conditions rate Oklahoma with 38 percent poor to very poor compared to last year at this time when 75 percent of pastures were poor to very poor.  However, many producers report that low stock water remains a serious concern in many regions.  Cattle producers will enjoy near record cattle prices this fall but continue to face numerous production and cost challenges.  Hopefully the emerging El Niño will bring broad-based moisture improvements this winter and set up better conditions for 2024.   

 

 

Importance of Reproductive Efficiency 

Mark Z. Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist

 

If beef production was perfect, all our cows and heifers would get pregnant in the first 21 days of breeding season, calve unassisted about 9 – 9 ½ months later and wean off a calf weighing 50% of their mature weight about 6 – 7 months after calving. Our cattle would be living in symbiosis with nature so that the cattle, the soil and the plants grazed in our production environment were all healthy, vigorous and productive. Cows highest nutritional requirements (at peak lactation) would occur when our forage was of the highest quality and post-weaning, our dry cows would be grazing our mature or dormant forage when they have their lowest nutritional requirements of the annual production cycle. The cows would seldom vary from a body condition scores (BCS) of 5.5 – 6. 

 

The reality that beef production is not perfect and the “ideals” listed above are seldom achievable on a herd-wide basis, should never be considered an acceptable excuse to accept less than those standards. Selection, nutrition, herd health and parasite control, proper stocking rates and range management all impact the Percent Calf Crop Weaned. And while we manage according to what is practical and economically feasible, we need to remain steadfast and relentless in our pursuit of a 100% calf crop weaned and breeding females weaning off the highest possible percentage of their mature weight. Why? Because in cow-calf production systems, the source of the initial product in the beef production chain, few traits (if any) outweigh the economic importance of Percent Calf Crop Weaned. Breeding females that are open at the end of breeding season or fail to carry a pregnancy to term and produce a live calf, and calves that die between birth and weaning are a drain on the profit potential of any operation. 

 

Data collected at weaning this fall should serve as an indicator of where management, nutrition, herd health or genetics could be improved. A defined (short, 90 days or less) breeding season, good records of female inventory at the beginning of the last breeding season, calving season and now at weaning can reveal information to help determine where and when incremental improvements can be gained. In the end we want to get as close to the “perfect” numbers we mentioned above, along the way, several calculations (covered in Chapter 4 of the OSU Beef Cattle Manual) can lead to more informed management decisions. 

 

When evaluating the reproductive efficiency of your herd, keep the following in mind:

 

1. Under the best management and environmental conditions, 90% (or higher) Percent Calf Crop Weaned can be hard to achieve. Recently Dr. Derrell Peel put together the following graph:
   
    1)-continued, Yes, the graph indicates that on a national basis the Percent Calf Crop
   Weaned has not improved over the past 37 years.
   
   
2. Genetics/Heterosis. Reproductive traits are low in heritability but show high levels of heterosis in response to crossbreeding. Although additive genetic influence doesn’t account for much of the variation in reproductive efficiency, there are several genetic values available to assist in bull selection to improve the reproductive performance of daughters sired. Selection pressure on EPDs for traits such as Heifer Pregnancy, Mature Weight, Milk, and Calving Ease Maternal can lead to improved genetic potential for reproductive efficiency.   
   
   
3. Nutrition. Monitoring BCS of cows so that they are at 5.5 – 6 at the beginning of calving season shortens the rebreeding interval. Managing the calving season so that cows peak nutritional requirements coincide with peak forage quality and quantity is beneficial. Your forage resources should dictate the optimum mature cow size and level of milk production that fits your environment. Moderation of cow size and milk potential can pay dividends.
   
   
4. Herd Health and Parasite Control. Looking at the amount of females exposed that got bred, stayed bred and the amount of calves that survived from birth to weaning can often reveal if herd health protocols need improvement. Parasite control can pay dividends.

 

References 

OSU Beef Cattle Manual, Eighth Edition, E-913

Dr. David Lalman

Dr. Derrell Peel      

 

 

Oklahoma State Research to Enhance Value of Beef

Paul Beck, Oklahoma State University State Extension Beef Cattle Nutrition Specialist

 

Consumers relate the color of meat to freshness and base their purchasing decisions on color more frequently than any other quality trait. When purchasing beef, studies show that consumers want to see a bright cherry red color, deeming other color deviations as unacceptable off color of beef products is a significant economic cost to the beef production system. A recent published study from Oklahoma State University meat science researchers noted that the US beef industry loses $3.73 billion annually due to beef discoloration. Here are some highlights of efforts by OSU Animal and Food Sciences faculty and students to improve beef value.

 

Dr. Gretchan Mafi and Laura Yoder studied natural antioxidants and different packaging types on color and freshness of ground beef. Consumers prefer traditional foam trays with PVC plastic overwrap but this may limit shelf life. Alternatives like “Master Packaging” (MP) or “Modified Atmospheric Packaging” (MAP) will extend shelf life of meat products. In a MP, products are first packaged in traditional PVC and placed into a large bag which is flushed with inert gasses, such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen, or carbon dioxide, to create an anaerobic condition. Modified Atmospheric Packaging is where beef is place in rigid trays with air evacuated and then backflushed with gas mixtures. Rosemary, green tea and a combination of rosemary + green tea were added to ground beef and formed into patties. Patties were packaged into PVC, MAP or MP. Panelists strongly detected the green-hay flavor in patties with rosemary and rosemary + green tea antioxidants. However, patties with green tea or regular ground beef patties did not have detectable green-hay flavor. All patties in PVC had greater amounts of lipid oxidation and discoloration than those in MAP. In PVC packaging, green tea or rosemary + green tea reduced lipid oxidation and discoloration compared to control or rosemary patties in PVC. This research shows that packaging and use of antioxidants can reduce beef discoloration and extend storage shelf life. (More details can be at Meat and Muscle Biology)

 

Dark-cutting beef has a higher pH postmortem due to increased stress caused by many factors including transportation, weather and handling. Dark-cutting beef reduces carcass value because of negative consumer perceptions. A project by Dr Ranjith Ramanthan and Morgan Denzer looked at the effects of packaging type and enhancement of dark cutting beef with glucono delta-lactone and rosemary (DCE). Dark cutting steaks with enhancement had an increase in redness in 24 h of dark storage. DCE steaks packaged in a novel nitrite embedded packaging improved surface redness during retail display. However, repackaging DCE steaks in PVC decreased color stability and redness of steaks within 12 h of the display. The enhancement decreased internal redness upon cooking, and panelists did not notice major tenderness differences. This research suggests that adopting appropriate packing and enhancement technology has the potential to increase the value of dark-cutting beef. (To read the full article)

 

The meats group at OSU is very active in conducting research that will improve the economics of our industry by decreasing waste and increasing consumer acceptability of our beef products.