Midwest sheep and goat market report for the week of May 21st

Midwest sheep and goat market report for the week of May 21st
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May 21st, 2022 | Clay Patton

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For the week ending May 21st the Midwest sheep and goat market was broadly lower again. Week to week it appears to be about a $20-$25/cwt drop. Sales that have gone to a summer schedule like Kalona saw a $40/cwt 2 week drop. Demand in the market is softening as well. Producers Livestock in San Angelo Texas noted that buyers were filled about mid sale and the market continued to soften to the end.This week’s data solidifies last week’s early assumption that the spring/summer slump was on for the sheep and goat market. Now comes the challenge of finding where the bottom on the market will be in this slump. There are still some strong prices being paid for quality livestock. #1 midweight slaughter goats can still push past $450/cwt and #1 midweight slaughter lambs can push over $300/cwt. However it takes the cream of the crop top end stock to garner the high prices. The spread between high quality stock and average quality is widening.  

Highlighted quotes this week include Columbus Sales Pavilion sold boer influenced families sold for $220-$240/family. Columbus also sold 16 mixed feeder lambs weighing 48 lbs for $430/cwt or $206/head. Sioux Falls sold 13 head of 46lbs slaughter goats for $455/cwt or $209/head the upper end of the draft brought $485/cwt or $223/hd. Sioux Falls also sold 41 wool lambs weighing 42 pounds for $354/cwt or $148/hd. The upper draft of the lambs brought $360/cwt or $151/hd. Kalona Iowa sold 7 head of 45lb goats for $431/cwt or $203/head. The upper end of the draft brought $446/cwt or $210/hd. Kalona also sold 2 head of 220lb does for $325/head. Colby livestock sold 41 head of boer cross slaughter goats weighing 60 pounds for $430/cwt or $258/hd. 

For the week ending May 21st  USDA retail data shows, the lamb cuts retail activity index was 16.58% higher. The roast ads were steady and chop ads were 3.31% lower for the week. Lamb features ad space for Shoulder Blade Chops, Leg Steaks, Ground Lamb and Stew MeatMutton were higher.  

Other commodity markets were extremely volatile again this week. While many traders continue to watch what is happening for the US growing crops the conversation turned more to global demand. Especially for wheat and veggie oils. Sunday into Monday India announced that they were in fact going to stop exports of wheat after saying they would export to try and fill holes left by Russia and Ukraine. This sent wheat soaring. Unfortunately that over inflated the market and traders sold grains the rest of the week. Meanwhile other countries continue to wobble on if they will or will not try to export more veggie oils like palm, sunflower and soybean oil. The confusion brought concern that most countries will elect to not or heavily restrict their trade. That kept buyers supporting the soybean complex. 

The hay market in Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, South Dakota and Wyoming was steady to slightly higher this week. For Wyoming there are reports of buyers inquiring on pricing new crop alfalfa, but so far no trade has actually occurred. Most area’s see hay movement starting to slow as grass is getting some color and growth following some mixed rain over the past couple of weeks. With livestock going to grass demand for hay has lessened, but the drought monitor still has much of the high plains in some level of drought stress. That leaves the lingering concern of can we produce enough hay to carry everything summer and winter if moisture doesn’t come soon. I had the opportunity to travel Kansas this past week on the Wheat Quality Council’s winter wheat tour and Southwest Kansas into the Oklahoma panhandle was extremely dry and struggling. 

Lamb slaughter this week was estimated at 35,000 head through Saturday. That is a decrease of 2,000 head  from the previous week and a 2,000 head decline from the previous year. Year to date lamb slaughter at 687,000 head  -11.6% behind the previous year’s lamb slaughter. Live lamb weights this week were 130 pounds. That was an increase of 4 pounds from last week and up 3 pounds from last year. Dressed lamb weights were 65 pounds. That is up 1 pound from last week and last year. 

Here is a regional price range from all sales in the report. 

Wool lambs

40-70 lbs $230-$430/cwt

70 lbs & up $180-$300/cwt

Hair lambs

20-40 lbs $250-$320/cwt

40-70 lbs $250-$355/cwt

70 lbs and up $180-$310/cwt

Wool ewes 

Stocker $130-$250/hd

Slaughter $75-$175/cwt

Rams

Slaughter $90-$240/cwt

Hair Ewes 

Replacement $200-$300/hd

Hair Rams $95-$245/cwt

Kid Goats

20-40 lbs $185-$452/cwt

40-70 lbs $220-$485/cwt

70 lbs & up $225-$436cwt

Wether

70-100 lbs $175-$400/cwt

Does

Slaughter medium-fleshy $140-$325/hd

Replacement $225-$305/HD 

Bucks

Slaughter $170-$345/cwt

Breeding $225-$430/cwt

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