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Market for older cows continues to find strength

The owner of one of the largest sale barns in the country says the demand for older cows remains strong. Jackie Moore with Joplin Regional Stockyards says prices for bred cows and heifers continue to push higher. “We’ve put $1,000 a head on these springer heifers since January 1 and $1000 on these cows,” he says. 

Moore tells Brownfield the slaughter cow market has added around $500 a head. “The salvage value of those cows, that’s what holds the stock cow market together,” he says. “Otherwise, we’ll slaughter a lot of those bred cows. We’re not slaughtering any of them. It doesn’t matter if she’s a broken mouth first period cow, she goes back home.” 

Tony Hancock with the Missouri Department of Agriculture says the market, overall, has been competitive.  “The slaughter cow demand is really good right now,” he says.  “But there’s also those guys who are getting in there and fighting, maybe trying to get one more calf out of some older cows, too. And the heifers, bigger feeders, but really good quality that guys are looking to take home, that market’s really good as well.”

Beef cow slaughter in 2025 was down 18 percent from the previous year.