# Shrinking cattle herd could equal high calf, beef prices

> A Texas A&M AgriLife economist says drought has forced Texas producers to cull cattle earlier and deeper than normal, leaving few replacement heifers. He expects post-drought herd recovery to take longer than after the 2011 drought and calf prices could approach 2014 records.

- Date: 2022-07-27 · published 2022-07-27T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: weather · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/40435-shrinking-cattle-herd-could-equal-high-calf-beef-prices
- Commodities: [Feeder Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/FCATTLE.md), [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md), [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md)

## Why it matters

Heavier culling and few replacement heifers point to tighter calf and beef supplies for years, supporting feeder cattle prices and reducing feedlot demand for grain.

## Read by commodity

- CORN: neutral
- FCATTLE: bullish ▲
- LCATTLE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| FCATTLE | 2025-10-30 | [The source of high cattle and beef prices](https://feedsoft.ai/events/22522-the-source-of-high-cattle-and-beef-prices.md) | -6.4% | -9.4% |
| FCATTLE | 2025-01-01 | [Feeder cattle market: Prices ending 2024 on higher note](https://feedsoft.ai/events/27086-feeder-cattle-market-prices-ending-2024-on-higher-note.md) | +1.0% | +7.2% |
| FCATTLE | 2022-08-09 | [Coping with high feed prices, drought in 2022
						 \| The Cattle Site](https://feedsoft.ai/events/40182-coping-with-high-feed-prices-drought-in-2022-the-cattle-site.md) | -0.7% | +1.6% |
| FCATTLE | 2021-08-13 | [How this summer's drought could have you paying high beef prices again next year \| CBC News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/45514-how-this-summer-s-drought-could-have-you-paying-high-beef-prices-again-next.md) | -0.3% | -2.8% |
| FCATTLE | 2022-11-13 | [All Drought, No Cattle: Low herd supply may drive record-high prices next year](https://feedsoft.ai/events/38615-all-drought-no-cattle-low-herd-supply-may-drive-record-high-prices-next-year.md) | +2.2% | +3.8% |
| LCATTLE | 2025-10-30 | [The source of high cattle and beef prices](https://feedsoft.ai/events/22522-the-source-of-high-cattle-and-beef-prices.md) | -3.8% | -8.7% |
| LCATTLE | 2021-08-13 | [How this summer's drought could have you paying high beef prices again next year \| CBC News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/45514-how-this-summer-s-drought-could-have-you-paying-high-beef-prices-again-next.md) | -0.1% | +1.0% |
| LCATTLE | 2022-11-13 | [All Drought, No Cattle: Low herd supply may drive record-high prices next year](https://feedsoft.ai/events/38615-all-drought-no-cattle-low-herd-supply-may-drive-record-high-prices-next-year.md) | +0.8% | +2.2% |

## Sources

- agrilifetoday.tamu.edu: https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2022/07/26/shrinking-cattle-herd-could-equal-high-calf-beef-prices/

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