The short answer to cattle herd expansion is that it depends if there’s any money in it, says Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation.
“Any expansion will be dependent on this year’s weather, feed costs and conditions in the second half of 2023,” says Ann Boyda, provincial livestock market analyst with the Alberta government. “Expansion is dependent on increased profits for the cow-calf sector.”
Calf and feeder cattle prices have reached highs not reported since 2015. With anticipated tight feeder cattle supplies, prices continue to climb. Cost of gain is also improving due to lower barley prices.
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“These conditions may have producers retaining or purchasing heifers or retaining females that they may have otherwise culled,” says Boyda.
