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.
Moisture across parts of cattle country helped trim receipts at the Oklahoma National Stockyards this week, with Monday’s run totaling just over 5,300 head — about 1,000 fewer than a year ago. Hale said some of that lighter run was likely tied to recent rainfall. “Probably some of that would have been due to moisture that fell in some areas there Sunday into Monday,” Hale said. While feeder cattle traded softer, he noted the market still reflected strong underlying demand, especially considering how aggressive last week’s trade had been.
Hale described Monday’s futures action as unusually volatile, especially as cash cattle prices continued to move higher. “They were already bidding 260 on fats early yesterday morning, which obviously means they’re tight,” Hale said. “Then at about that time, the board crashed hard and went from $2 up to six down.” Despite the futures pressure, some negotiated cash cattle sales later reached $265, leaving many in the industry uncertain about overall market direction. Hale called it “kind of a strange deal,” with fat cattle moving higher while feeders weakened.
Even with softer feeder prices, Hale emphasized that quality cattle are still commanding strong premiums. “The long-weaned steers still got along extremely well,” he said. “Those cattle still bring a lot of money.” He added that heavier new-crop calves are beginning to see some seasonal pressure, though prices remain historically strong. “The fatter new crop calves, yeah- we’re starting to see a little bit of pressure,” Hale said, “but they still bring 23 to 2500.” On the calf side, lighter supplies were noted, though several loads of Red Angus calves from North Texas sold well.
Hale said widespread uncertainty continues to weigh on producer sentiment, fueled by conflicting headlines surrounding tariffs, global events, and livestock health concerns. “There’s just so much news going around,” he said. “I don’t think anybody knows what the actual news is — true news that it is.” He added that producers are trying to make business decisions amid constant speculation and misinformation. Looking ahead, Hale said markets across the region still have strong demand for quality replacement cattle and feeder numbers remain tight. “Hopefully this board will rebound this today and the rest of the week,” he said, “because these numbers are going to be tight on these feeders.”
Hale can be contacted at 940-631-2333. Check out more about the marketing options that Western offers by clicking here.
