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Demand for premium replacement females remains strong in the cattle sector

The market manager for the Missouri Department of Agriculture says there continues to be strong demand for replacement females in the cattle sector.  Tony Hancock tells Brownfield, “There were several, maybe commercial plus, pretty dag-gum good first calf heifers with baby calves at their side that went through the auction barn last night bringing $6,300 a pair.” 

The first of the state’s five Show-Me-Select value-added sales recently took place, and he says there was some initial concern that the current prices could have an impact.  “With cattle prices being as high as they were if producers would still pay premiums for what was involved in these heifers, because there’s a lot of extra value added, “ he says.  “And we found out that producers, sure enough, would pay for those premiums.” 

Hancock says the heifers in that program are the best-of-the-best.  “Even with all of that value that’s added to those heifers for producers to pay the prices like they are for these, it just tells me there’s a lot of optimism out there because it’s a long time even at these prices before those heifers have a chance to turn a profit,” he says. 

The top selling heifer brought $7,200, and the sale averaged $5,811 per head, up $1,370 from the final Show-Me-Select sale of 2025.  

The Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer program uses research on health, nutrition, genetics, and reproductive science to help Missouri producers provide quality beef.  

AUDIO: Tony Hancock, Missouri Department of Agriculture