Your calves are worth nearly three times more than they were worth just five years ago! See the blue line in the Cattle Range chart below. Because calf prices continue to go off the chart, several lines have been added to the top of this chart since January. On January 11th, the top value on the chart was $320. Last Saturday, the top value was $420. It could very easily be higher next week.
Although the high of the last cattle cycle (2014-2015) was well beyond what most of us thought possible, the high of this cycle is going to make the high of the last cycle look like a mere speed bump. These are unprecedented times for cow-calf producers. Enjoy them – but remember what goes up must come down. When cattle prices break, they almost always fall at the same rate they went up. That, unfortunately, will catch most cow-calf producers totally off guard.