Keep pulling the thread on Randy Block.
CattleFax forecasts the average price for fed cattle in 2026 will be very close to the 2025 average of $2.25 per pound.
A correction in cattle markets is expected once trade normalizes from current tariffs and the flow of cattle from Mexico resumes.
The current cost to add weight to cattle is approximately $1 per pound.
In 2025, fed cattle prices ranged from a low of $1.95 to a high of $2.45 per pound.
The average price for fed cattle in 2025 was $2.25 per pound.
CattleFax predicts the price range for fed cattle in 2026 will be narrower than the $50 per hundredweight range observed in 2025.
Feeder cattle are currently trading between $3.60 and $3.70 per pound based on index prices.
Cow-calf producers are expected to experience very strong price levels for the next two years due to a slow herd expansion trend.
The feeder and fed cattle markets are currently at or near their cyclical highs.