by Allan Bentley [email protected]

There are very few sow killers in the business and because of that if one takes down time it will dramatically affect the cull sow price. Short term this will happen after Memorial Day weekend. It is rumored that a large sow processor is taking that week off so we will see prices decline that week. However that cull sow price should bounce right back the following week. It is not always possible, but if you can store those sows for just a week it will pay off. We should see some $60 sows this summer.

As for butcher prices in years past I have pushed producers to hedge the 4th quarter at this time. Packing capacity will be increasing during the fall of 2017. Packers have plenty of margins to keep prices unseasonably higher with this added capacity. At current futures prices I see no advantage to look at hedging the 4th quarter. If December hogs reach $68.00, then I would be inclined to take advantage of that price.