Fall is a Key Culling Decision Time for Cow-calf Operations

Being an extension economist in a feeder cattle state, I don’t know how many times I have said, “This calf market needs some green grass!” Nothing fuels calf prices like spring pasture and the opposite typically occurs in the fall. As pasture growth comes to a close, the full impact of feed prices are felt and calf prices almost always pull back. With spring feeder cattle futures in the $190’s back in late summer, I was optimistic that calf prices might hold serve as we moved into fall. But, those spring futures prices have declined by about $15 per cwt and the calf market has…