Market Intelligence Overview
Market Intelligence in Cattle360 gives you access to real-time USDA auction data so you can make informed decisions about when and where to sell your livestock. This article provides an overview of how the feature works and what you can do with it.
What Is Market Intelligence?
Market Intelligence pulls auction data from USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) reports and compares it to your herd’s profile. It helps you:
- Track current market prices — See what animals like yours are selling for at nearby sale barns.
- Identify sell opportunities — Get recommendations based on price trends and your group’s weight and composition.
- Compare sale barns — Find the highest-volume and best-performing auctions in your area.
How to Access Market Intelligence
Navigate to the Market Intelligence section from the main menu. From there you can:
- Browse sale barns — Search and view auction houses by state or favorites.
- View auction results — See recent sale reports broken down by commodity and weight range.
- Get sell signals — Select a group and receive a pricing recommendation based on current market conditions.
Data Sources
All market data comes from official USDA AMS auction reports. Cattle360 automatically pulls and updates this data so you always see the most current prices. The system uses a 45-day lookback window for auction data and a 365-day lookback for your own sale history.
What You Need
To get the most out of Market Intelligence:
- Create groups — Organize animals into groups so the system can analyze your herd’s composition.
- Record weights — Animals with recent weight records produce more accurate price estimates.
- Set your location — Your state is used to find relevant auctions and benchmark prices.