Market News

Optimism running high in cattle country

Optimism is running very high in cattle country right now—and it’s being reflected in the prices being paid for replacement females this fall.

Sale barn operators in the Dakotas report bred heifers and stock cows are bringing about 200 dollars per head more than last year. 

Larry Schnell, owner of Stockmen’s Exchange in Dickinson, North Dakota, says young cows sold very well at a recent auction there.

“We sold most of the cow from about 1,700 to 2,000 dollars.  Overall, we had about 550 young cows and they averaged 1,700 dollars,” Schnell says. “Bred heifers were pretty much the same story—mostly from 1,500 to 1,800 dollars.  We had four or five sets over that.  Overall our heifers averaged 1,673 dollars.”

Auction barn owners says the demand for replacement females is being supported not only by a strong overall cattle market, but also by abundant grass and feed supplies—and by the large number of cows that came up open this fall and need to be replaced.

Al Gustin, KFYR/KBMR, Bismark, N.D., contributed to this report.