With October and the fall calf run now officially here, the beef industry is getting its first look at the realized profitability of many cow-calf operations. Most operations wean and market calves in the fall, starting in September or early October and running through December, which means Q4 prices and basis levels are hugely influential on industry profits. Early results, as should be no surprise, show the industry is in amazing financial shape with record-breaking profits realized so far.  2025 Outlook The October rally in feeder cattle futures, which put values at new all-time highs, has certainly helped cow-calf producer profitability. Kansas feeder steers are selling near $405/cwt for 700-800-lb animals, which equates to a posit...