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Has It Peaked? Glynn Tonsor Explains What's Been Driving Up Boxed Beef's Choice/Select Spread

In the beef industry, wholesale boxed beef prices are used to gain insight into consumer demand. In recent days, Choice beef prices have climbed above $2.50/lb. - very strong demand indeed compared to year-ago prices. But with the Choice/Select spread currently backing off the $30/cwt where it was earlier this week, now hovering at approximately $27.53 as of Tuesday at midday, Extension Livestock Market Economist Dr. Glynn Tonsor tells Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays that this price swing may have peaked out for the year.

“That’s a very wide Choice/Select spread,” Tonsor remarked. “It’s very common that from roughly February, early March, we increase the Choice/Select spread until about this time of year. Usually sometime in June is when that spread peaks.”

And Tonsor says we are right on track for that to happen now. In fact, last year’s spread peaked this very same week. The important thing to look at though, says Tonsor, is that a high spread is an indication, or a demand signal, for quality. By breaking it down into primal cuts, he says you get a clearer picture of which specific cuts are actually driving the market - instead of looking at the carcass as a whole.

“What I want to call our attention to is trends versus last week, and more importantly, last year on those primals,” he said, pointing out that the total cutout is up 13%, while rib cutout is up 19% and conversely the loin, down 2% - all the other cutouts are up atleast 17%. “Loin sticks out like a sore thumb; a bit of a drag if you will, on that total carcass.

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WARNING! Rough Start To Breeding Season!!

Video: WARNING! Rough Start To Breeding Season!!

WARNING! Sheep Breeding Season Begins With A Bang! Breeding season is officially underway at Ewetopia Farms, but it didn’t exactly start the way we planned!

This vlog begins with us sorting through our rams to find the perfect match for a customer’s breeding program. What should have been routine quickly turned dangerous when one of our more nervous rams panicked. In seconds, Arnie’s knee was injured, and then I was slammed hard onto the concrete floor — both of us taken down by one ram!

Thankfully, it was just bruises, but it’s a reminder of how unpredictable and powerful mature rams can be. Once we recovered, it was time to get back to the real work — the start of breeding season.

We sorted the ewes into four breeding groups (two Suffolk and two Dorset), checking parentage as they ran through the chute, deworming those that needed it, and setting aside thinner ewes for session two of breeding season in a month’s time.This staggered approach keeps lambing organized and prevents overcrowding in the barns.

From rogue rams to the excitement of new breeding groups, this episode is full of action. Stay tuned for the next vlog, where we’ll share how we chose the rams for each group!