Ranching in eastern New Mexico

Audie Browning, 7, on his horse Nanner Puddin’, and Tucker Drake, 8, on his horse Heartache, work together to move cattle through the corral for loading into the livestock trailer at a ranch in eastern New Mexico on Wednesday.

Lacey Davis counts cattle after they are weighed with a livestock scale at a ranch in eastern New Mexico. Jimmie Fitzgerald, who runs De Baca Land and Cattle, says rising beef prices have helped his business get its “head above water.”

Cattle are moved into a livestock trailer bound for Missouri. "This is the first time the cattle industry has been truly profitable since the '80s," said Bronson Corn, president of the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association.

Seth Bohannon rides his horse, Stanley, alongside Adam West on Kawliga as they guide cattle into a livestock trailer to be shipped to Missouri for slaughter at a ranch in eastern New Mexico.

Audie Browning, 7, on his horse Nanner Puddin’, and Tucker Drake, 8, on his horse Heartache, work together to move cattle at a ranch in eastern New Mexico.

A livestock trailer pulls into the ranch with Della Fitzgerald, 6, atop her horse Biggie.

Audie Browning, 7, on his horse Nanner Puddin’, helps move cattle being weighed in preparation for shipment to Missouri for slaughter.

Lloyd Haneline waits inside his livestock trailer as cattle are loaded to be shipped off to Missouri.

Cattle are weighed with a livestock scale at a ranch in eastern New Mexico.

Jimmie Fitzgerald, owner of De Baca Land and Cattle, prepares for cattle to be loaded into a livestock trailer.

Chancey Bush

Chancey Bush Chancey Bush Chancey Bush Photographer

Published October 27, 2025 - 9:15 p.m. Modified October 27, 2025 - 9:15 p.m.

In New Mexico’s cattle country, record beef prices offer a brief reprieve

As featured on - In New Mexico’s cattle country, record beef prices offer a brief reprieve

Since the pandemic, years of drought — combined with inflation, tariffs and parasitic worms that halted cattle trade from Mexico — have thinned ranchers’ herds. Low cattle supply combined with steady demand for beef has created some of the highest prices ever recorded.

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