Listen To Ron Hays And Ben Hale
On Tuesdays, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays visits with Ben Hale of Western Livestock Auctions as he talks about the latest in the markets and more. Established in 1995, Western has grown into a multi-generational family-owned and operated business and stands as a symbol of tradition, excellence, and a deep-rooted passion for the cattle industry. Western Livestock Auctions operates the Western Livestock Commission Firm, which sells cattle on Mondays and Tuesdays. They also operate the livestock auction markets in Woodward, Comanche, Waurika, and Knoxville, Iowa.
Ben Hale from Western Livestock noted strong activity at the Oklahoma National Stockyards this week, despite buyers being a bit choosy. “We wound up 6000, you know, with close to 4000 a year ago,” Hale said, adding that “a lot of it was the quality cattle.” He emphasized that prices jumped “from, you know, 10 to 20 higher” in just a week. Hale highlighted one impressive offering: “580 yearlings off one deal, predominantly all black hide it… they look like they come out of the same cow.”
Prices were notably strong for heavier cattle. “Some of those 777-pound steers bring 350, some 860 threes at 335, and, you know, some 927 at 325, and the 1000 pounders at 305,” he detailed. Hale made it clear that “the better kind of cattle, I don’t know, it was any cheaper—maybe even a little bit better.” However, he noted that “plainer type cattle, or cattle carrying a little more flesh, might have been steady to a little softer,” though overall, “it was an awful snappy market yesterday.”
Discussing current grazing conditions, Hale was optimistic. “People are… wanting to try to, you know, use the grass and potentially maybe some wheat down a few weeks down the road.” He acknowledged some variability, noting “North Texas didn’t get much rain,” but emphasized that “the big part of west northwest Oklahoma’s got good rains… people in awful good shape.” This favorable environment is fueling demand, especially with light calves: “There’s still not a lot of them moving… they’re getting softer and shorter, weaned or unweaned as you go.”
On the pricing front, Hale expressed amazement at the current market. “We had a customer who yesterday sent some steers that weighed 601, weighed 684, and those cattle bring 390 and 395,” he shared. “Those cattle are a dollar per- and weigh way well over 2500, it’s just amazing what they’re doing.” With such high prices, Hale stressed the importance of financial planning: “You’ve got to be better friends with your banker than ever before when you get them bought, now that interest starts ticking off pretty quick.”
Hale also highlighted the strength of the bred cow and pair market, saying, “We had those cows last week in Comanche bring 4500, those heavy bred falls.” He emphasized opportunities in the market with “several of them at Warrica today and Woodward last Tuesday.” With high prices and tools like LRP (Livestock Risk Protection), Hale advised, “It’s a good opportunity to protect yourself.”
Hale can be contacted at 940-631-2333. Check out more about the marketing options that Western offers by clicking here.