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Cash fed cattle prices retreated $7.77 per cwt. last week. As a result, closeouts added another $75 of red ink.

Most analysts expected feedyards to be near breakeven by the time the calendar turned to May. May is here and the underperforming cash fed cattle market has kept feedyards struggling.

Last week’s $3 per cwt. decline in cash fed cattle prices dealt another cruel blow to feedyard closeouts.

Feedyard closeouts saw a $100 per head improvement last week, bringing losses under the $300 per head mark for the first time in months.

After slicing more than 50% off the monstrous losses found a month ago, cattle feeders saw their margins slip $43 per further into the red last week with $2 per cwt. lower bids.

Cattle feeders turned a tidy profit last week despite a $2 retreat in cash cattle prices.

Last week’s $2 per cwt. decline in cash cattle prices left feedyard margins at near breakeven levels.

Cattle feeding margins eroded $62 per head last week, falling $35 into negative territory.

With cash cattle prices tumbling another $4 per cwt lower, cattle feeding margins fell accordingly.