Episode 290: Have We Hit the Spring Cattle Market Peak?

With challenging conditions across much of the ag economy, cattle markets are a bright spot in the first few months of 2026. 

Despite high prices, consumers are continuing to buy beef, even in advance of what is usually the peak demand period for the year. Add that to the fact that the Southern border has been closed for nearly twelve months with no signs of reopening anytime soon, and you'll find cattlemen across the country are still motivated to take advantage of top dollar prices — keeping the herd firmly out of the rebuilding cycle. 

But all that doesn’t mean that there aren’t potential risks on the horizon.

To help us make sense of all the news that’s affecting cattle markets today, we’re joined by DTN Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart. She'll walk us through the market-moving meaning behind the latest cattle-on-feed report, bring us up-to-date on the most recent confirmed case of New World Screwworm in Mexico, and help us understand what we might expect from the worsening drought situation across the American West.

We’ll also hear her advice on how to make sense of the firehose of news coming out of the Middle East and Washington at the moment, and finally, give us a boots-on-the-ground update from her own cattle operation in Wyoming. 

This episode of Field Posts is brought to you by MAGNIVA Forage Inoculants from Lallemand Animal Nutrition. Research-proven MAGNIVA helps drive efficient fermentation, reduce dry matter losses, and optimize feed value — so more of what you harvest turns into real performance in the bunk. Gain every advantage from field to feed. Learn more at MAGNIVA.com.