With beef cow slaughter down 20% and cull bulls breaking the $200/cwt. barrier, record-heavy steer weights are fueling a surge in demand for lean beef to blend for the spring grilling season.

For 2026 alone, 3,900 more cows have been culled each week on average compared to a year ago, resulting in year-to-date slaughter being 35,000 head or 7.5% higher than the year prior.