The Holstein springer market might have hit a historic ceiling last month, as values, while still strong, dropped nationwide in all reported markets this month. The biggest hit came in Minnesota, where Holstein springers fell about $500 per head at Pipestone Livestock Auction Market. Pot loads of Holstein springers from California held fairly steady at around $3,500 per head, but Jersey loads also dropped by about $500 per head, averaging about $2,650 per head. Calf prices re

Cattle markets continued to retreat last week. Nearby live cattle closed at $221.35 per hundredweight, down 6.4%, while feeders finished at $326.40, down 3.7%. Without the CFTC Commitments of Traders report, there is some mystery around this selloff. Let’s talk this through, however. Have fundamentals changed since July to the tune of $50 per hundredweight in feeder cattle and $25 in live cattle? Was the last $50 of upside in feeders and $25 in live cattle (from July to mid-O

Consumer demand for protein is hot. That’s driving whey prices higher at a time when most other parts of the dairy value chain are neutral to lower. Booming demand for something the dairy industry is naturally well-positioned to provide is a welcome development. But the path from high whey protein prices to larger milk checks is murky because of the way milk components are valued for most producers. Since the pandemic, protein has been a focus for consumers looking to strengt