The fall cattle run is underway in South Dakota, but the marketing pattern is different this year due to the drought. Hundreds of thousands of calves and yearlings are normally sold in the fall but Steve Hellwig with Hub City Livestock in Aberdeen says a large percentage of cows and calves were sold early this year when the pastures dried up and that means fewer calves and especially yearlings to market.

Kent Fjeldheim with Herried Livestock says there would have been even more herd liquidation if it hadn’t started raining in August.

Hellwig says calf and especially yearling prices have been stronger this fall than 2020 due to the tighter number and that should translate into a marketing hole coming in 2022.

Both Hellwig and Fjeldheim say there is ample feed and forage supplies for cattle producers to get through the winter, the biggest concern has been depleted water supplies.