US animal protein prices were steady on Wednesday August 28, with light trade volumes reported for the day.

Cattle feed simulator and cattle herd expansion 
Market analysts and sources have described cattle herd expansion as non-existent to slow-moving in 2024, mostly due to persistently high heifer and beef cow slaughter levels. In the year to date, heifer slaughter is down by 0.71% from 2023 while beef cow slaughter is down by 13.42%.

Though slaughter head counts are lower than the previous year; slaughter levels are still well above prior expansion years 2014-2017, which were under 5 million head for heifer and below 1.6 million head for beef cow in the year through July.

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