Fall 2025 Cattle Feeder Enterprise Projections Now Available

Oct 15, 2025

With cattle prices at all-time highs, forward-thinking cattle feeders and backgrounders will be doing some calculations to determine what they can pay for feeder calves, and/or what they should forward contract them for. To assist with this task UW-Madison Division of Extension has assembled a set of projections using initial purchase prices for feeders calves derived from late September 2025 Wisconsin feeder calf sale reports.

These projections are intended to serve as an initial guide. They are based on regional averages; therefore, producers are strongly encouraged to use their own numbers rather than the estimated costs to evaluate their specific situation.

Download Fall 2025 Cattle Feeder Enterprise Projections examples

Projected sale prices were estimated by looking at futures contract prices and considering seasonal and cyclical trends in addition to current placements and animal breed influence on prices.

Market volatility can result in rapid changes in margins. The projections suggest there is opportunity for profit for some of the enterprises if cash prices follow what the futures market is predicting they will be. Price optimism remains strong due to tight supplies of feeder cattle coupled with continued strong demand for beef.

Source : wisc.edu

Video: What If Everything You Knew About Feed Inventory Was Wrong?

AI, Agriculture & the Future of Smart Farming with BinSentry CEO Ben Allen. Every day, livestock producers make thousands of dollars' worth of decisions based on one simple question: How much feed is actually left in the bin? For decades, the answer has often been an estimate.

In this episode of AgTech with Andrew, I sit down with Ben Allen, CEO of BinSentry, to explore how artificial intelligence, machine vision and real-time data are transforming one of agriculture's most overlooked challenges—feed and grain inventory management.
We discuss why some of the biggest inefficiencies in livestock production aren't happening in the barn, but throughout the feed supply chain. Ben shares insights from his career leading agricultural technology companies, explains why AI must solve real business problems to earn producer trust, and offers his vision for the connected farm of the future.

In this interview, you'll discover:
Why feed inventory has remained one of agriculture's biggest blind spots
How AI is reducing costly feed outages, waste and unnecessary deliveries
The hidden safety risks of traditional bin inspections
What separates successful ag technologies from those that never gain adoption
How connected farms are changing decision-making for producers, feed mills and integrators
Why real-time inventory may become as important as precision planting and autonomous equipment

Whether you're a livestock producer, grain farmer, feed manufacturer, ag retailer, nutritionist or simply passionate about the future of agriculture, this conversation offers valuable insights into where the industry is headed.