Episodes

  • THE PROTEIN PULSE — DRIVE TIME Monday Market Open | October 12th, 2026

    THE PROTEIN PULSE — DRIVE TIME Monday Market Open | October 12th, 2026
    Oct 12 2026
    THE PROTEIN PULSE — DRIVE TIMEMonday Market Open | October 12th, 2026

    HOST: Protein Pulse Drive Time. Monday Market Open, October 12th. From The Sparks Group.

    SHAWN: John Tyson got a laugh this week when asked why he couldn't bankroll Arkansas football like Cody Campbell. "He's got oil, and I've got chickens." As a die-hard Oklahoma State Cowboy, that one hit home. We had our own oilman in T. Boone Pickens. Money can build a program. Commitment builds a legacy. The protein industry understands that. Capital opens doors, but margins, discipline, and execution determine who stays competitive. Go Pokes.

    HOST: Friday's Choice cutout fell a dollar fifty to three seventy-three thirty-five. Select gained two fifty-seven. Fresh nineties were three ninety-six ninety-two. Weekly cattle slaughter was five hundred thirty-one thousand, down three point seven percent. Year-to-date is down seven point four percent. December live cattle settled at two twenty-seven. November feeders at three forty-one ninety-five. Expanded lean-beef import access has yet to deliver noticeable retail price relief. Separate fed beef, cow beef and imported grinding inputs.

    SHAWN: Pork cutout gained eighty-six cents Friday to eighty fifty, but the five-day average was down three seventy-two on the week. Bellies averaged ninety seventy-seven, down on the week. Chicken breasts averaged one eighteen. Thighs one sixty-eight. Projected broiler production is up. Wasdy raised corn yield to one eighty-one point two. December corn settled at four eighty, down twenty and a half cents. Meal went the other way, up eight dollars. Friday changed the grain balance sheet, not the protein supply equation. Lower input costs create possibilities. They don't guarantee lower purchase prices. Stay disciplined.

    HOST: Protein Pulse Drive Time. Shawn Sparks, The Sparks Group.

    SHAWN: Stay disciplined.
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    2 mins
  • THE PROTEIN PULSE - Monday Market Open | October 12th, 2026

    THE PROTEIN PULSE - Monday Market Open | October 12th, 2026
    Oct 12 2026
    THE PROTEIN PULSEMonday Market Open | October 12th, 2026Full Executive Briefing — Spoken ScriptHOST: Welcome to The Protein Pulse Podcast, your daily market update on all things protein. This is Monday Market Open for October 12th, 2026, from The Sparks Group.SHAWN: John Tyson got a laugh this week when asked why he couldn't bankroll Arkansas football like Cody Campbell, the Texas Tech oilman and major Red Raiders booster. "He's got oil, and I've got chickens." As a die-hard Oklahoma State Cowboy, that one hit home. We had our own oilman in T. Boone Pickens, and I sure wish he were still around. We've endured some lean years since Boone's passing, so seeing the Pokes back in the Top 25 makes this one a little sweeter. College football has become big business. NIL, transfer portals, and multimillion-dollar rosters have changed the game. But spending money and building something sustainable aren't necessarily the same thing. The protein industry understands that lesson. Capital opens doors, but margins, discipline, and execution determine who stays competitive. Boone understood the value of investing in something you believe in. Money can build a program. Commitment builds a legacy. Go Pokes.HOST: Friday's October Wasdy reset the grain outlook. Corn futures fell sharply while feeder cattle rallied, but the protein supply equation remains uneven. Cattle availability is constrained, pork weakened on a weekly basis, and broiler production is forecast to expand. The margin challenge differs by protein. Tight cattle supplies favor producers while restricting packer utilization. Pork depends increasingly on export markets, and chicken must balance production growth with profitable demand. For buyers, the opportunity is understanding where those economic pressures create leverage, and where they don't.SHAWN: Friday's Choice cutout declined a dollar fifty to three seventy-three thirty-five. Select gained two fifty-seven to three fifty-four thirty. The Choice Select spread narrowed to nineteen oh five. Heavy boneless Choice ribeyes averaged fifteen eighty-one. Meanwhile, eighty-one percent ground beef averaged three forty-seven seventy-two. Daily fresh nineties were three ninety-six ninety-two. Fresh fifties were ninety-four twelve. The weekly fresh nineties average was three ninety-eight eighty. Premium middle meats and grinding components are not moving as one market. Different specifications create different buying opportunities. Weekly cattle slaughter totaled an estimated five hundred thirty-one thousand head, down three point seven percent. Year-to-date slaughter reached twenty-one point oh eight eight million, down seven point four percent. Projected 2026 beef production was reduced seventy-five million pounds to twenty-four point eight oh two billion. December live cattle settled Friday at two twenty-seven, up three fifty. November feeders gained seven oh seven five to three forty-one ninety-five. Expensive cattle and underutilized packing capacity continue to squeeze processing economics. An important distinction: the frequently cited eighty-five percent Big Four concentration figure applies to fed-cattle processing, not all cattle slaughter. The markets for fed cattle and cull cows differ significantly in processing economics, products and procurement competition. That distinction matters when evaluating consolidation, packer margins and competition for available cattle. Mexican feeder cattle entering through Douglas totaled a reported twenty-four thousand six hundred fifty since August 24th, versus twenty-five thousand three hundred fifty during the comparable 2024 period. Expanded lean-beef import access also has yet to deliver noticeable retail price relief. Approximately thirty-seven thousand four hundred eighty-six metric tons entered under the new tariff-rate quota through September 28th, against a one hundred thousand ton first-month allowance. Not all those imports represent additional supply beyond normal trade, and retail pricing does not respond immediately to raw-material changes. Separate fed beef, cow beef and imported grinding inputs. Expanded access does not guarantee cheaper delivered beef.HOST: Projected 2026 broiler production increased one hundred million pounds to forty-nine point seven two billion. For October 5th through 9th, boneless skinless breasts averaged one eighteen. Tenderloins one thirteen fifty. Whole wings one ten sixty. Boneless skinless thighs one sixty-eight. All four increased modestly. Drumsticks eased to fifty-three cents. Bulk leg quarters averaged fifty-three cents. Higher production forecasts do not guarantee lower wholesale prices across every cut. Proposed processing line-speed limits could rise from one hundred forty to one hundred seventy-five birds per minute, but physical infrastructure remains a constraint. One industry estimate suggests faster line speeds could add only zero to half a percentage point to annual chicken-production growth over the next ...
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    9 mins
  • THE PROTEIN PULSE — DRIVE TIME - WASDE Special Report | October 9th, 2026

    THE PROTEIN PULSE — DRIVE TIME - WASDE Special Report | October 9th, 2026
    Oct 10 2026
    THE PROTEIN PULSE — DRIVE TIMEWASDE Special Report | October 9th, 2026

    HOST: Protein Pulse Drive Time. A Wasdy special for October 9th. From The Sparks Group.

    SHAWN: USDA just added 282 million bushels to projected corn ending stocks while cutting beef and pork production forecasts for both 2026 and 2027. That's the disconnect. Corn yield jumped to 181.2 bushels an acre. Meal stays at $340 a ton. Cattle supplies remain constrained, pork expectations are slipping, and chicken continues adding pounds. The benefit of cheaper corn won't move through the complex at the same speed. Poultry can respond relatively quickly. Cattle production cannot. The market just repriced corn. It hasn't repriced the biology of cattle production.

    HOST: Corn ending stocks are 1.849 billion bushels. Stocks-to-use is 11.3 percent. The farm price is $4.70, down 10 cents. For 2027, beef drops 160 million pounds. Pork drops 245 million. Broilers rise 150 million. USDA cut 2027 pork exports 95 million pounds and lowered the hog price forecast from $64 to $63, even with less production. Chicken is the only major protein with upward revisions for both years.

    SHAWN: Better feed economics and improved fed-cattle availability are two different propositions. Imported lean can help the grind. It cannot replace domestic fed cattle. Monitor the cutout and export demand before extending pork commitments on tighter production alone. Lower feed costs can improve production economics without automatically lowering finished protein prices. The feed cushion is growing. The red meat cushion isn't. Stay disciplined.

    HOST: Protein Pulse Drive Time. Shawn Sparks, The Sparks Group.

    SHAWN: Stay disciplined.
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    2 mins
  • THE PROTEIN PULSE WASDE Special Report | October 9th, 2026

    THE PROTEIN PULSE WASDE Special Report | October 9th, 2026
    Oct 10 2026
    THE PROTEIN PULSEWASDE Special Report | October 9th, 2026Full Executive Briefing — Spoken ScriptHOST: Welcome to The Protein Pulse Podcast, your daily market update on all things protein. This is a special report for October 9th, 2026. More feed. Less red meat. A different margin equation for 2027. From The Sparks Group.SHAWN: USDA just added 282 million bushels to projected corn ending stocks while cutting beef and pork production forecasts for both 2026 and 2027. That's the disconnect worth paying attention to. Corn yield jumped to 181.2 bushels per acre, surprising the trade and pressuring futures. Soybean production increased, but meal remains forecast at $340 per ton. Feed economics are shifting, but not evenly. Meanwhile, cattle supplies remain constrained, pork production expectations are slipping, and chicken continues adding pounds. The benefit of cheaper corn won't move through the protein complex at the same speed. Poultry can respond relatively quickly. Cattle production cannot. For procurement, the question isn't simply whether feed gets cheaper. It's who captures the margin improvement and whether those savings ever reach finished protein prices. Remember, the market just repriced corn. It hasn't repriced the biology of cattle production.HOST: October Wasdy delivered a larger corn supply outlook, expanded ending stocks, and lower red meat production forecasts. Corn stocks-to-use increased to 11.3 percent, while soybean meal remained at $340 per short ton. USDA reduced projected 2027 beef and pork production by a combined 405 million pounds from September while increasing broiler production 150 million. The signal: feed availability is improving, but the supply and margin outlook differs significantly across the protein complex.SHAWN: Corn yield is 181.2 bushels an acre, up 2.7. Production is 16.034 billion bushels, up 234 million. Ending stocks are 1.849 billion, up 282 million. Stocks-to-use is 11.3 percent, up 1.6 points. The farm price is $4.70 a bushel, down 10 cents. Soybean production is 4.562 billion bushels, up 27 million. Ending stocks are 315 million, up 5 million. Meal is unchanged at $340 a short ton. On the protein side for 2027, beef drops 160 million pounds to 24.675 billion. Pork drops 245 million to 27.825 billion. Broilers rise 150 million to 50.150 billion.HOST: USDA raised corn production to 16.034 billion bushels, increasing yield from 178.5 to 181.2 without changing harvested acreage. The forecast exceeded pre-report trade expectations and triggered substantial selling pressure in corn futures. Beginning inventories increased 173 million bushels following September's Grain Stocks report. Projected ending stocks climbed 282 million bushels to 1.849 billion. Stocks-to-use rose from 9.7 percent to 11.3 percent. That's a meaningful improvement in supply coverage, not necessarily an excessive inventory position. USDA also raised total corn use 125 million bushels, including higher feed, ethanol, and export expectations. Reuters highlighted questions surrounding historical feed-and-residual estimates relative to livestock inventories. Feed and residual includes statistical adjustments. It isn't a direct measure of livestock consumption. The larger corn cushion creates opportunities to reassess forward coverage, but buyers should evaluate local basis, freight, and delivered costs before assuming futures weakness will translate directly into cheaper feed.SHAWN: USDA increased soybean production 27 million bushels to 4.562 billion, with yields rising to 53.1 bushels an acre. Ending stocks increased only 5 million bushels to 315 million as exports were revised higher. Projected crush remained unchanged at 2.780 billion bushels. More important for livestock producers, soybean meal remained forecast at $340 per short ton. Soybean oil held at 70 cents a pound, with biofuel use unchanged at 17.8 billion pounds. A larger soybean crop does not automatically translate into lower meal costs. Crush economics, oil demand, exports, and local availability remain important pricing variables.HOST: USDA reduced projected 2026 commercial beef production 75 million pounds to 24.802 billion. The 2027 forecast declined 160 million pounds to 24.675 billion. Lower expected steer and heifer slaughter, lighter carcass weights, and reduced feedlot placements continue limiting production expectations. For 2027, USDA specifically anticipates slower first-quarter marketings following lower-than-expected placements during the second half of 2026. Improved feed economics can support cattle feeders, but tight finished-cattle availability may continue pressuring packer procurement costs and plant utilization. USDA increased projected 2026 beef imports by 85 million pounds to 6.347 billion, supported by stronger Australian shipments. The 2027 import forecast increased 125 million pounds to 6.175 billion. Additional imported lean beef can support grinding operations but cannot replace domestic fed cattle or...
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    2 mins
  • THE PROTEIN PULSE PODCAST - Closing Bell Friday | October 9th, 2026

    THE PROTEIN PULSE PODCAST - Closing Bell Friday | October 9th, 2026
    Oct 9 2026
    THE PROTEIN PULSE PODCASTClosing Bell Friday | October 9th, 2026HOST: Welcome to The Protein Pulse Podcast — your daily market update on all things protein. This is Closing Bell Friday for October 9th, 2026, from The Sparks Group.SHAWN: We spend a lot of time talking about cattle numbers, plant capacity, and margins. Those numbers matter. But none of it works without the people showing up every day to keep these plants running. Recent immigration enforcement in southwest Kansas disrupted staffing and cattle movements in an already strained beef supply chain. Immigration policy deserves serious discussion, but so does the economic reality of losing experienced workers overnight. Roughly five hundred sixty thousand people work in U.S. meat and poultry processing. Manufacturing overall could face nearly two million unfilled positions by 2033. That's not a meatpacking forecast, but it should get our attention. We're already dealing with tight cattle supplies, expensive production, and pressure on margins. Adding workforce uncertainty only makes a difficult business harder. We can debate immigration policy all day, but we still have to keep the plants running. Remember, you can't build a dependable protein supply chain with an undependable workforce.HOST: Executive summary. Tight cattle supplies are no longer telling the entire beef pricing story. Boxed beef softened Thursday while imported lean availability expanded sharply, creating a different set of economics for ground-beef buyers. Pork continues moving lower, led by bellies, while chicken remains comparatively steady. The divergence presents selective procurement opportunities rather than a broad signal to extend coverage. Friday's Wasdy could reset feed-cost expectations. The key question is whether larger grain inventories outweigh slightly smaller crop estimates.SHAWN: Domestic cattle supplies remain historically constrained. USDA estimates year-to-date slaughter at twenty point nine eight million head, down seven point five percent. Thursday's slaughter totaled one hundred one thousand head, compared with one hundred thirteen thousand a year earlier. Heavier cattle are partially offsetting reduced headcount. The latest five-area weighted average live steer weight reached one thousand five hundred ninety-eight pounds, up sixty-seven pounds year over year. Choice boxed beef declined seventy-seven cents Thursday to three seventy-four eighty-five. Select fell two forty-eight to three fifty-one seventy-three. The Choice Select spread widened to twenty-three twelve. CattleNomics estimated feeder-to-finish losses of three hundred eighty-seven dollars a head, while showing a positive packer gross operating margin of five hundred forty-seven. Both are model estimates, and gross operating margin is not net profit.HOST: The bigger development for procurement is imported lean. USDA's October 9th entry report showed twenty thousand nine hundred twenty-seven metric tons of imported beef trimmings for the week ending October 3rd, up seven point eight percent from the preceding week and eighty-five percent above last year. Australia supplied forty-one point five percent of the total, with shipments increasing twenty-four percent week over week. Import volumes have now increased for three consecutive weeks. Platts reports the market is struggling to absorb arrivals during a seasonally slower demand period. Imported frozen nineties assessed at three nineteen, C-I-F East Coast, and three oh five, F-C-A East Coast, on October 8th, compared with about four oh two for the latest reported domestic fresh nineties on October 7th. Those values reflect different product conditions and delivery bases, not an immediately interchangeable discount. For grinding-beef buyers, the opportunity is meaningful. More imported lean can change blend economics even when domestic cattle remain scarce.SHAWN: Chicken remains the most stable of the three major protein markets entering Friday. USDA's October 8th broiler report described boneless skinless breasts, tenders, wings, and dark meat as generally steady. Smaller whole birds faced weaker bids, with good overall supplies and moderate export activity. Year-to-date young chicken slaughter reached seven point five billion birds, up one point three percent. That production growth provides more supply flexibility than the cattle market, but price direction still depends on cut, size, processing requirements, and delivery period. For buyers, there's little reason to manufacture urgency in a steady market.HOST: Pork's weakness is becoming more pronounced. The carcass cutout declined to seventy-nine sixty-four Thursday, down two oh seven on the day and six thirty-seven from Monday's eighty-six oh one. Bellies led the decline, dropping seven forty-five to eighty-two forty-six. Loins fell one ninety. Hams declined two oh seven. Picnics gained two thirty-eight. The five-day average cutout remained at eighty-three fourteen, illustrating how ...
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    9 mins
  • THE PROTEIN PULSE — DRIVE TIME Closing Bell Friday | October 9th, 2026

    THE PROTEIN PULSE — DRIVE TIME Closing Bell Friday | October 9th, 2026
    Oct 9 2026
    THE PROTEIN PULSE — DRIVE TIMEClosing Bell Friday | October 9th, 2026

    HOST: Protein Pulse Drive Time. Closing Bell Friday, October 9th. From The Sparks Group.

    SHAWN: We spend a lot of time talking about cattle numbers, plant capacity, and margins. Those numbers matter. But none of it works without the people showing up every day to keep these plants running. Recent immigration enforcement in southwest Kansas disrupted staffing and cattle movements in an already strained beef supply chain. We can debate immigration policy all day, but we still have to keep the plants running. You can't build a dependable protein supply chain with an undependable workforce.

    HOST: Year-to-date cattle slaughter is twenty point nine eight million head, down seven point five percent. Choice fell seventy-seven cents Thursday to three seventy-four eighty-five. Select fell two forty-eight to three fifty-one seventy-three. Imported beef trimmings jumped eighty-five percent from last year, to twenty thousand nine hundred metric tons. Imported frozen nineties assessed at three nineteen, C-I-F East Coast, and three oh five, F-C-A, against domestic fresh nineties around four oh two. Those are not interchangeable. More imported lean can still change the blend even while cattle stay scarce.

    SHAWN: Pork cutout fell to seventy-nine sixty-four, down six thirty-seven from Monday. Bellies dropped seven forty-five to eighty-two forty-six. Chicken is the steady one, with year-to-date slaughter up one point three percent. WASDE is at eleven a.m. Central. Analysts see a smaller corn crop, but higher ending stocks. A smaller harvest doesn't necessarily mean tighter available supplies. Tight supply doesn't always mean higher prices, and falling prices don't automatically mean a buying opportunity. Stay disciplined.

    HOST: Protein Pulse Drive Time. Shawn Sparks, The Sparks Group.

    SHAWN: Stay disciplined.
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    2 mins
  • THE PROTEIN PULSE — DRIVE TIME Thursday Margin Monitor | October 8th, 2026

    THE PROTEIN PULSE — DRIVE TIME Thursday Margin Monitor | October 8th, 2026
    Oct 8 2026
    THE PROTEIN PULSE — DRIVE TIMEThursday Margin Monitor | October 8th, 2026

    HOST: Protein Pulse Drive Time. Thursday Margin Monitor, October 8th. From The Sparks Group.

    SHAWN: I think most of us know somebody dealing with alpha-gal syndrome. One tick bite, and suddenly they can't enjoy a steak, hamburger or bacon. So when I read about people receiving acupuncture treatments in their ears and reportedly eating red meat again, it caught my attention. Am I skeptical? Absolutely. I'm not convinced acupuncture is a cure, but I sure hope there's something to it. The science still has a lot to prove. But if there's a chance to put steak back on somebody's plate, I'm pulling for it.

    HOST: Fresh nineties averaged four oh two. South American frozen nineties were indicated around three oh five to three twelve, a ninety to ninety-seven cent gap. Some formulations still limit frozen product to fifteen or twenty percent. Cheaper imports can pressure the market. They can't replace every fresh pound. Eighty-fives three forty-three. Fifties eighty-seven cents. Choice cutout fell three thirty-one to three seventy-five sixty-two. Select fell two thirteen. Sterling has feedlots losing about three hundred forty a head and packers making about one hundred eighty-four. Same cattle market. Very different margins.

    SHAWN: Prime tonnage is up about twenty-five percent, and the Prime premium over Choice widened to thirty-eight thirty-four. Chicken thighs firmed while breast, wings and tenderloins weakened. Hog slaughter was four hundred ninety-five thousand. The pork cutout fell two thirteen to eighty-one seventy-one, with bellies down six sixty-four. Farrow-to-finish margins narrowed to about nineteen dollars a head. Brazil has hit China's quota wall, and another one hundred thousand metric tons of U.S. quota opened October 1st. December corn five oh two. Meal three sixty-five eighty, up eleven dollars. November West Texas Crude eighty-eight twenty-eight, down a dollar sixteen. Scarcity still sets the cost of cattle. Competition determines what buyers will pay for the beef. Stay disciplined.

    HOST: Protein Pulse Drive Time. Shawn Sparks, The Sparks Group.

    SHAWN: Stay disciplined.
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    2 mins
  • THE PROTEIN PULSE PODCAST - Thursday Margin Monitor | October 8th, 2026

    THE PROTEIN PULSE PODCAST - Thursday Margin Monitor | October 8th, 2026
    Oct 8 2026
    THE PROTEIN PULSE PODCASTThursday Margin Monitor | October 8th, 2026HOST: Welcome to The Protein Pulse Podcast — your daily market update on all things protein. This is Thursday Margin Monitor for October 8th, 2026, from The Sparks Group.SHAWN: I think most of us know somebody dealing with alpha-gal syndrome. One tick bite, and suddenly they can't enjoy a steak, hamburger or bacon. So when I read about people receiving acupuncture treatments in their ears and reportedly eating red meat again, it caught my attention. Am I skeptical? Absolutely. I'm not convinced acupuncture is a cure, but I sure hope there's something to it. Think about somebody who's been told they'll never eat red meat again, possibly getting to enjoy a steak with their family. The science still has a lot to prove. But if there's a chance to put steak back on somebody's plate, I'm pulling for it.HOST: Executive summary. Cattle remain scarce, but boxed beef and processing trim are weakening. Sterling Marketing estimates feedlot losses exceeding three hundred forty dollars a head, while packer margins approach one hundred eighty-five. Domestic fresh nineties have fallen to four oh two, while imported frozen lean remains substantially cheaper. Formulation limits, however, keep domestic fresh beef essential to the grind. Pork faces heavier slaughter, rising hog weights and shrinking margins. Chicken production continues expanding, with prices moving differently across parts. Corn declined Wednesday while soybean meal rallied ahead of Friday's WASDE.SHAWN: Domestic fresh nineties averaged four oh two Wednesday. Recent South American imported frozen nineties were indicated around three oh five to three twelve. That's a ninety to ninety-seven cent gap. But some ground-beef formulations limit frozen ingredients to about fifteen to twenty percent. Cheaper imports can improve blend economics, but they can't replace every fresh pound. That helps explain why grinders continue buying domestic fresh lean despite substantial import discounts. Fresh eighty-fives averaged three forty-three. Fresh fifties averaged eighty-seven cents. USDA described lean boneless beef as steady to weak and beef trimmings as sharply lower on light demand. The cattle shortage remains real. But imported lean, cheaper fat trim and changing blend economics are giving buyers more options. Cheaper imports can pressure the market. They can't replace every fresh pound.HOST: Wednesday afternoon Choice cutout declined three thirty-one to three seventy-five sixty-two. Select fell two thirteen to three fifty-four twenty-one. The Choice Select spread narrowed to twenty-one forty-one. December live cattle settled at two twenty-three seventy-eight, down thirty-three cents. November feeder cattle declined two forty-eight to three thirty-five eighty. Negotiated cash trade remains limited. USDA's five-area report captured only three hundred thirty-seven head from Tuesday's activity. Tight cattle supplies continue supporting upstream costs, but downstream beef prices are encountering resistance. Sterling estimates unhedged feedlot margins at a loss of three hundred forty dollars a head for the week ending October 3rd, the weakest modeled result since January 2016. Estimated beef packer margins reached a gain of one hundred eighty-four a head, their strongest since April 2022. Cattle slaughter remains seven point five percent below last year, although heavier carcasses are offsetting some of the production loss. Same cattle market. Very different margins.SHAWN: Certified Angus Beef reports Prime carcass tonnage about twenty-five percent above last year, despite fed cattle harvest running more than seven percent lower. Yet the Prime premium over Choice widened from a summer low of eight fifty-four to thirty-eight thirty-four. Wednesday's negotiated sales included heavy Choice boneless ribeyes at sixteen forty-four, trimmed tenderloins at sixteen thirty-two, and boneless strip loins at nine seventy-four. More Prime supply hasn't eliminated the premium. Buyers should continue evaluating grade requirements, yields and alternative cuts.HOST: Wednesday young-chicken slaughter totaled thirty-five point one million head. Year to date slaughter reached about seven point four seven billion, up one point three percent. Boneless skinless thighs averaged one fifty-five, up about six cents on the month. Breast line run one oh four, down about twelve cents. Whole wings one ten, down about twelve. Tenderloins one thirteen, down about six. Breast meat, wings and tenderloins weakened, while thighs moved higher. Buyers with flexible formulations should evaluate opportunities in weaker categories without assuming all chicken prices will follow the same direction. Chicken supply is growing. Value still depends on the part.SHAWN: Wednesday hog slaughter totaled four hundred ninety-five thousand head, compared with four hundred seventy-nine thousand a week earlier. Week to date slaughter reached one point four ...
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    9 mins