Feeder cattle hit record highs on strong beef demand - CME Pork slaughter rises as lean hogs rebound from one-month low10 July 2025 10 July 2025 2 minute read 2 minute read By: By: Global Ag Media North AmericaChicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) feeder cattle futures extended gains to record highs on Wednesday while live cattle futures set a contract high before pulling back, reported Reuters. Strong demand for US beef and tight domestic supplies of cattle continued to underpin the markets. August feeder cattle ended up 1.35 cents at 320.475 cents per pound and earlier set a contract high at 321 cents. US wholesale boxed beef prices tumbled after jumping on Tuesday. US meatpackers slaughtered an estimated 117,000 cattle on Wednesday, down from 122,000 cattle a week ago and 121,751 cattle a year ago, USDA data show.