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For more than 10 years, Paul Dykstra has written a bi-weekly market column for the brand which evolved into the CAB Insider e-newsletter. He shares current market updates, trends and observations with a closer look at the cattle market from the beef-product side than you can find anywhere else. Yes, there’s an emphasis on the Certified Angus Beef ® brand, and you will also find the latest research exploring carcass quality.
We want you to have confidence in what is relevant and drives value in your cattle business to help you make profit-driven decisions at home. And the CAB Insider helps you do that.
Meet the Author
A native of Colorado, Paul Dykstra grew up on a commercial cow-calf ranch in western Colorado and later earned a degree in animal science from Colorado State University. Paul worked as a feedyard manager for the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Neb., before joining the brand’s supply development team in 2002.
As the Director of Supply Management and Analysis for the brand, Paul combines his experience and knowledge to work closely with ranchers and feedyard managers to raise Angus cattle using the best management practices to enhance profitability by producing quality beef.
READ THE LATEST INSIDERS
Ends and Thin Meats Rise Over Time
The contribution of each beef cut to total carcass value is best assessed on a weighted price basis. This matters, given the vast differences in scale weight that exist among the seven primals. Of course, price-per-pound differences show the same general relationships, but tend to exaggerate the importance of price shifts for the lighter-weight cuts.
It’s Not Just Days on Feed
The August 1 Cattle on Feed report indicates that the number of cattle in feedyards with more than 1,000 head capacity was 1.8% larger than a year ago. It’s widely understood that, despite a smaller cowherd, the growth in feedyard occupancy has come from the strong uptrend in the duration of feedyard stays (i.e. days on feed).
Heifers Dip Low in Harvest Mix
The recovery status in U.S. beef cow numbers in the U.S remains a top-five issue in the beef complex. Hand-over-fist increases in feeder cattle values over the past two years have provided indications that 2026 would bring about the cycle-low in calf head counts.