Cattle Call is an original production of the Nebraska Rural Radio Association and is presented Blue Chip Herefords – Oxford, Nebraska.
A sharp decline in summer video auction offerings may be revealing more about cattle producer sentiment than any cash trade this week.
In this week’s episode of Cattle Call, Brad Kooima of KKV Trading says the four largest summer video sales have offered nearly 30% fewer feeder cattle than a year ago, not because there are dramatically fewer cattle, but because many producers appear reluctant to forward market after regretting early sales in 2025.
The trend was highlighted by this week’s major five-day video auction, where roughly 241,500 head are expected to sell, down from about 330,000 head during the comparable sale a year ago.
“The number of cattle offered on those videos is almost 30 percent less than a year ago… I don’t mean to have anybody get the impression that I think there’s 30 percent less feeder cattle out there. I don’t.”
Kooima believes many ranchers are reacting to last year’s market, when cattle sold early in the summer gained considerable value by fall.
“If you think back to last year, any of these ranchers that sold cattle in June or July regretted their decision the whole summer and fall… I think that has incentivized them to wait till the fall.”
Rather than abandoning marketing plans altogether, Kooima encourages producers to remain disciplined regardless of market direction.
“Don’t ride last year’s horse in this year’s race… If you trade the plan, plan the trade. Do what you usually do.”
The decline in video offerings comes as the cash cattle market has softened from recent highs, with weaker boxed beef prices and seasonal pressure weighing on trade. Even so, Kooima cautions against assuming the reduced auction volume reflects a significant increase in herd retention or a major shortage of feeder cattle.
Other topics discussed
- Cash cattle market softening after the Fourth of July and seasonal beef demand patterns.
- Packers reducing harvest schedules and operating below capacity because of poor margins.
- Processing capacity versus available cattle supplies and the amount of unused shackle space.
- How USDA cattle-on-feed reports account for smaller feedlots and backgrounded cattle.
- Expectations for the upcoming USDA Cattle Inventory and Cattle on Feed reports.
- Details of USDA’s $500 million assistance program for small and regional meat processors and eligibility requirements.