On Tuesdays, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays visits with Ben Hale of Western Livestock Auctions as he talks about the latest in the markets and more. Established in 1995, Western has grown into a multi-generational family-owned and operated business and stands as a symbol of tradition, excellence, and a deep-rooted passion for the cattle industry. Western Livestock Auctions operates the Western Livestock Commission Firm, which sells cattle on Mondays and Tuesdays. They also operate the livestock auction markets in Woodward, Comanche, Waurika, and Knoxville, Iowa.
Cattle producers are working through a strong but weather-sensitive market as spring approaches, with numbers and cattle condition telling much of the story at the Oklahoma National Stockyards this week. Hale reported a solid run, noting, “it was 7,700,” final numbers, adding that tight moisture conditions may have pushed some cattle to town earlier than normal. He explained that many of those cattle were ahead of schedule, saying they “probably would have been normally another month or five weeks, but kind of playing out a little bit early.”
Hale said the quality and condition of the cattle stood out, particularly heavier feeders coming off wheat pasture. “Just lots of big feeder cattle, from 850 to 1000 (lbs) … and the cattle, you know, pretty fleshy, they’ve done extremely well on that wheat,” he said. Sellers were also surprised by performance, with Hale noting, “They just couldn’t believe how big those cattle were. They just didn’t think that they could have done that well.” Despite some softness in certain classes, he emphasized that “still a strong, strong market,” even with “a little bit of pullback on it.”
Moisture—or the lack of it—remains the biggest concern across the region. Hale said optimism hinges on incoming precipitation, explaining, “I think the main thing is, everybody is just really banking on that rain this weekend and next week. We just need some relief on it.” He added that drought conditions stretch across a wide area, saying, “It’s just a big old area that needs some moisture.” Even so, he remains hopeful that a turnaround is possible: “even though this wheat is short, if we get some rain, it would come back, we could get a little extended grazing on it, so it’s not all lost”
Looking ahead, Hale pointed to continued momentum across other markets in the state. “Gonna have 2,200 roughly at Waurika today… gonna have a few feeder cattle at Comanche Wednesday and then another good sale Thursday to Woodward.” With activity picking up, he summed up the current tone simply: “Kind of picking up a little bit, gonna be busy here for a little bit and still enjoying this market, indeed.”
Hale can be contacted at 940-631-2333. Check out more about the marketing options that Western offers by clicking here.
