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.
The Oklahoma cattle market continued its impressive rally this week as strong demand for calves and yearlings pushed prices higher at the Oklahoma National Stockyards and across western Oklahoma auction markets. Hale said optimism in the cattle trade remains high, fueled by tighter supplies, favorable pasture conditions, and supportive market signals.
Hale said the week started with strong momentum and never slowed down. “It started off a ball of fire,” Hale said. “Saturday was an extremely high-tone market set. The board was up last week, and there was just a lot, a lot of optimism.” He added that the latest USDA Cattle on Feed report helped support bullish sentiment. “I think they kind of called it neutral to a little bit bullish. Those placements are still low,” he said. While the report may not have been overwhelmingly bullish on paper, Hale believes the bigger issue is simple: supply remains tight. “I think we’re just short on these yearlings,” he said. “We had orders for them—we can only get one load and need to get four today. They’re just not there.”
That shortage is being amplified by improved grazing conditions across much of cattle country, giving producers more flexibility to hold cattle longer. Hale said recent rains have dramatically improved pasture in many areas. “There’s been enough rain around, I think these guys are pretty optimistic with what this board is out in the fall,” he said. “Put some of these cattle together and lay them off, and it looks like they’ll make some money.” Producers with available grass are taking advantage of it. “If they’ve got the ability to have some pasture there, they’re going to take advantage of it.”
Hale said the improved forage conditions are visible well beyond Oklahoma. “You drive by, and a lot of country’s got grass, and you just don’t see a lot of cattle out,” he said. “There’s a lot of grazing out there, and I sure see it in Oklahoma and North Texas—especially eastern Oklahoma and East Texas.” He also noted moisture improvements farther north. “We came all the way across Nebraska Saturday and Sunday, and boy, they had gotten a tremendous amount of rain,” Hale said. “I mean, lots of grass.”
Even with better grazing conditions, rising feeder prices may encourage more producers to market cattle sooner rather than later. Hale reported active sales across his markets, including Waurika, Comanche, and Woodward. “We’re starting to get some phone calls,” he said. “I think this feeder market’s going to flush them out, if they’re anywhere close to marketing some.” For producers considering a sale, Hale believes current conditions are attractive. “If they’ve got some cattle and they want to try to cash them in, not a bad time to do it for sure.”
Still, uncertainty remains in the background as cattle producers continue monitoring the threat of New World Screwworm. Hale said concerns about potential quarantines are influencing some marketing decisions. “You’ve still got that screwworm at the back of your mind,” he said. “I’ve heard some of them say, ‘Well, I probably need to go and move some in case I get quarantined.’ So there’s some of that in the back of their mind.”
Hale can be contacted at 940-631-2333. Check out more about the marketing options that Western offers by clicking here.
