# Animal protein markets enter Q4 on uneven footing

> CoBank's Q4 outlook says animal protein markets diverged in the third quarter. Beef remains constrained by a tight cattle supply and rising import reliance, pork has ample supply but needs stronger domestic uptake, and chicken production is expanding into price-sensitive demand. The report cites USDA-ERS data, including a July cattle inventory of 94.2 million head.

- Date: 2026-10-11 · published 2026-10-11T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: market · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/17210-animal-protein-markets-enter-q4-on-uneven-footing
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md), [Lean Hogs](https://feedsoft.ai/c/HOGS.md), [Chicken](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CHICKEN.md)

## Why it matters

Tight beef supplies support cattle prices, while heavier pork supplies and expanding broiler output add pressure on hog and chicken values. Feed buyers should expect demand for feed to vary by sector.

## Read by commodity

- HOGS: bearish ▼
- CHICKEN: bearish ▼
- LCATTLE: bullish ▲

## Sources

- cobank.com: https://www.cobank.com/knowledge-exchange/animal-protein-markets-enter-q4-on-uneven-footing

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.