Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Market Economist Dr. Derrell Peel has been looking at recent cattle on feed numbers - not just the latest report, but taking into consideration the last several months and comparing them to some historical averages for the major feedlot states. He brought to the attention of Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays, some changes he has observed happening, regarding where cattle are being fed across feedlot country.
According to Peel’s calculations, a couple of the top cattle feeding states, both Texas and Nebraska, are experiencing a slower rate of year-over-year placements, while they still have maintained year-over-year increases. At the same time, he says, the third, fourth and fifth largest feeding states, Kansas, Colorado and Iowa respectively, have seen much more rapid growth compared to the other top two states.
“It’s a combination of short and long run factors that are at play here,” Peel said. “Over the last few years, Texas has declined. Even though Texas is still larger on an annual basis, that gap has cleared a little bit and it’s one of the things that we kind of expected a decade ago really in the face of the ethanol juggernaut that took off, that we might see a relative shift of cattle feeding, or at least a competitiveness of cattle feeding. That’s kind of what we’re seeing happen.”
And while Oklahoma is not one of the top five feeding states, our feedlot numbers are trending in line with those in Texas - somewhat in decline. Peel says the facts are there and the numbers tell the story, but why it’s happening, Peel is hesitant to say.