CME Feeder Cattle

Feeder cattle are young cattle that, after weaning, are raised on pasture to a certain weight and then sold to feedlots for the final feeding period before slaughter. Animals fed a grain-heavy ration in feedlots are sold for slaughter as finished cattle once they reach the target weight; feeder cattle therefore represent an early link in the beef supply chain.

The CME feeder cattle futures contract trades on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and is quoted in cents per pound. The contract is not physically delivered; at expiry it is closed by cash settlement against the CME Feeder Cattle Index. This index is calculated from a sample of sales of medium and large frame grade one feeder steers within a set weight range. Because feed prices such as corn determine feedlot costs, a rise in feed prices can weigh on the price that can be paid for feeder animals; pasture conditions, drought and cyclical changes in herd size also affect prices.

The value shown on Lzzo.com is based on front-month feeder cattle contract (GF=F) data obtained via Yahoo Finance; since the source gives the price in cents per pound, the value is presented after conversion into US dollars. This price is specific to the US market and does not represent prices for feeder calves or carcass meat in Türkiye.