After seven decades in operation, Lubbock Feeders, a 50,000-head capacity Texas feedyard that helped define cattle feeding on the South Plains, has announced it will shut down once current inventories are finished.
Established in 1955, the yard fed more than 5 million head of cattle over its lifetime and became both an economic engine and cultural landmark for the region. Locals often joked that when you could smell the yard on a warm West Texas day, it “smelled like money.”
Now, after 70 years, that chapter is ending.
The decision follows sustained economic pressure on the Southern Plains feeding sector, most notably the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s November 2024 closure of the U.S.-Mexico border to live cattle imports due to concerns over the New World screwworm. While no positive cases have been detected in the United States, the northward movement of the parasite through Mexico prompted federal officials to halt imports. Brief reopenings occurred in early 2025, but the border has remained closed since May 2025.
For Lubbock Feeders, the impact was immediate. Historically, 60 percent to 70 percent of the yard’s inventory originated from Mexico. Without that supply pipeline, and with U.S. cattle numbers already at historically low levels, procurement became increasingly difficult and costly.
Fewer available cattle, combined with elevated market prices and higher input costs, squeezed margins across the feeding sector. For Lubbock Feeders’ partners, the math ultimately no longer worked.
According to its website, the operation offered feeder cattle partnerships alongside feed and cattle financing options, and it supported multiple marketing pathways for cattle owners. It ran a state-of-the-art feed mill built around rations using 100 percent steam-flaked corn, and the yard infrastructure included a sprinkler system throughout with one to two sprinklers per pen to support animal comfort during West Texas heat.
The operation also participated in verification and quality programs, including serving as a MicroBeef PVP certified supplier yard and handling age- and source-verified cattle, while maintaining a grazing program as part of its broader cattle management approach.
The yard specialized in custom cattle finishing and built long-term relationships with cattle suppliers, lenders, and packers. Its financing options and marketing flexibility made it a strategic partner for many producers across Texas and northern Mexico.
The closure will ripple far beyond the feed yard. Local crop farmers who supplied corn and silage, truckers hauling cattle and feed, veterinarians, equipment dealers, and feed suppliers will all feel the impact.
Regional packers are already watching fed cattle supplies tighten. The diminished flow of cattle in the Southwest has contributed to operational adjustments elsewhere in the region, including reduced shifts at nearby beef plants.
Industry analysts note that while the New World screwworm threat accelerated the current crisis, the broader issue of historically low U.S. cattle inventories has been building for years. Some expect a gradual shift of cattle finishing capacity toward the Midwest, where more consistent feeder calf supplies and potential cost-of-gain advantages exist.
Meanwhile, the USDA has launched a $100 million New World Screwworm Grand Challenge initiative through APHIS aimed at detection, control, and eradication efforts. But for Lubbock Feeders, those efforts come too late.
Manager and CEO Kyle Williams described the closure to local news outlets as difficult and emotional, underscoring the weight of ending a 70-year legacy built by generations of cattle feeders and agricultural partners.
The yard will finish feeding out remaining cattle before ceasing operations. There is hope the property will remain in agricultural use, preserving at least part of its history.
