Nation’s Feeder Cattle Prices
Continued To Decline Last Week

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. —(USDA)— Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $3 lower around the country last week, though some places sharply reduced offerings, spurring trends steady to $2 higher, notably in the Southeast.

The week was marked by substantially reduced marketings after record early-year runs. The industry is pondering the possibility of tighter available salable supplies or wondering if curtailed marketings were due to lower prices, the struggling slaughter market or winter weather. Feedlot numbers were reported to be seven percent above a year ago, but the inventory count was only down one percent, and the calf crop was unchanged.

A skidding boxed beef trade forced packers to save costs on front-end supplies. Direct slaughter feedlot trade was $1 lower at $67-68 and $107-108 in the beef. Carcass cutouts were below $113 and drops were under $7.50 to narrow kill margins. Killers bought less and slaughtered less, so some feedlots did not get show-lists completely cleaned up.

An early-week snowstorm paralyzed some big consumption centers in the East, and late in the week the Southwest and Southeast got dumped on. However, moisture in any form was greatly appreciated in most places. The weather and 15-20 cent higher corn prices the past three weeks played havoc with costs of feedlot weight gains.

Offerings weighing more than 600 pounds made up 51 percent of the week's supply.

Some trading:

Texas: steers, medium and large No. 1 500-525 lbs. $101-103, 700-800 lbs. $82-86; 565-675 lbs. delivered $87.50-94.50, 700-800 lbs. $84-88.75; 675-800 lbs. for February through April delivery $82.50-87, 625-775 lbs. for May through July $81-85, 750 lbs. for October $85; 650-800 lbs. delivered for March through September $84.50-87; 750 lbs. delivered 75 cents over February CME board, 750 lbs. delivered 50 cents under April; heifers, 650-725 lbs. $80-81.50; 525-610 lbs. delivered $86-92, 625-725 lbs. $81.75-87; 650 lbs. for February delivery $84, 700-735 lbs. for February through June $79.50-81; 475-525 lbs. delivered for February through May $90-92.50.

Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 565 lbs. $95.50, 750 lbs. $84.50, 800-825 lbs. $83-84.50; 785 lbs. for February delivery $83, 750-850 lbs. for March $83-83.75, 750 lbs. for April $84, 750 lbs. for May $84-85.50, 675 lbs. for June $89.50, 800 lbs. $82.50, 675 lbs. for July $89.50, 800 lbs. $82, 800 lbs. for Augusts $82.50; heifers, 650 lbs. $84; 750 lbs. for February delivery $77, 735 lbs. for April $79, 700-750 lbs. for June $80-82.

Colorado: steers, medium and large No. 1 445 lbs. $116.50, 530 lbs. $110.50, 650 lbs. $95.75, 775 lbs. $86, 850 lbs. $82.50; 550 lbs. delivered $108, 700 lbs. $91, 775-800 lbs. $85-86.25; auction, 300-400 lbs. $110-121, 400-500 lbs. $105-113, 500-600 lbs. $96.50-110.50, 600-700 lbs. $85.75-94.50, 700-800 lbs. $84-89.50, 800-900 lbs. $81-85.75; heifers, 600 lbs. delivered $89, 725 lbs. $82.50; auction, 300-400 lbs. $98-106, 400-500 lbs. $95.50-101, 500-600 lbs. $85.50-94, 600-700 lbs. $81.50-88.50, 700-800 lbs. $78-82.75.

South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 500-550 lbs. $105-107, 550-600 lbs. $99.50-104, 600-700 lbs. $90-97, 700-800 lbs. $82.50-86, 800 lbs. $82; heifers, 500-600 lbs. $89-95, 600-650 lbs. $85.25-86.25, two loads 1040 lbs. $69.50.

Wyoming, Western Nebraska and Western North and South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 430-445 lbs. $114-117, 530-550 lbs. $104-111, 600-650 lbs. $94-97.50, 775-880 lbs. $85-87; auction, 300-350 lbs. $111-120, 390 lbs. $125.50, 400-450 lbs. $108-117.50, 450-500 lbs. $100-114.50, 500-550 lbs. $101-113, 550-600 lbs. $98.25-108, 600-700 lbs. $87.50-97.50, fancy 605 lbs. $102, 700-800 lbs. $81.50-89.70, 800-850 lbs. $81-83.75, 900-1000 lbs. $77-79.60; heifers, 800 lbs. $84; auction, 380-400 lbs. $105-115, 400-450 lbs. $102-109, 450-500 lbs. $96-105, 500-550 lbs. $91-100.75, 550-600 lbs. $88-95.60, 600-650 lbs. $82-89, fancy $90-92.10, 650-700 lbs. $79.75-86.90, fancy $88.30-90, 700-800 lbs. $78.25-85.75, 800-900 lbs. $75.50-80.50.

Montana: steers, medium and large No. 1 load 575 lbs. $94, 650 lbs. $92.75-93, 800-850 lbs. $82-83; auction, 300-400 lbs. $101-118, fancy $122, 400-500 lbs. $101-108.75, full $98, 500-550 lbs. $99-107, 550-600 lbs. $92.75-101.75, 600-650 lbs. $87.75-93.50, 650-700 lbs. $86-86.25, 700-800 lbs. $79.75-83.75, 800-900 lbs. $72.75-76.50, 908 lbs. $73.75; heifers, 475-500 lbs. $96-98, 750 lbs. $80.50; auction, 300-400 lbs. $99-113, 400-500 lbs. $98-107, 411 lbs. thin $109.50, 500-550 lbs. $91-99, fancy $101-104, 550-600 lbs. $89-94.75, 574 lbs. fleshy $87, 600-650 lbs. $79.50-83.75, 615 lbs. thin $86, 650-700 lbs. $78.25-81.50, 680 lbs. fleshy $77, 700-750 lbs. $77-79.25, 750-800 lbs. $74.50-77.25, 800-900 lbs. $70-74.50.

Washington, Oregon and Idaho: steers, medium and large No. 1 400-450 lbs. $110, 700-800 lbs. $82-88, 800-900 lbs. $80-82; 800-850 lbs. delivered $81-83; auction, 450-500 lbs. $100, 500-600 lbs. $95-98, 600-700 lbs. $87.50-95, 700-800 lbs. $80-87; heifers, 600-700 lbs. $82-84, 700-800 lbs. $79-79.50, 800-850 lbs. $78.50; auction, 450-500 lbs. $90-99, 500-600 lbs. $87.50-91, 600-650 lbs. $81-87.50, 700-800 lbs. $74.50-80.

Arkansas: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $108-127, 350-400 lbs. $100-117, 400-450 lbs. $96-110, 450-500 lbs. $94-105, 500-550 lbs. $91-101, 550-600 lbs. $86-97, 600-650 lbs. $85-95, 650-700 lbs. $81-90, 700-800 lbs. $78-87; heifers, 300-350 lbs. $94-107, 350-400 lbs. $90-104, 400-450 lbs. $90-100, 450-500 lbs. $84-95, 500-550 lbs. $81-90, 550-600 lbs. $79-86, 600-650 lbs. $76-85, 650-700 lbs. $74-80.

Kentucky: steers, medium and large No. 1 600-700 lbs. $80-86.50, 700-800 lbs. $83-84, 800-900 lbs. $79-82; auction, 200-300 lbs. $102-118, 300-350 lbs. $105-120, 350-400 lbs. $97-107, 400-450 lbs. $98-106, 450-500 lbs. $90-100, 500-550 lbs. $90-100, 550-600 lbs. $83-93, 600-700 82-92, 700-800 lbs. $74-83, some $84-85.75, 800-900 lbs. $75.90-83.80, 900-1000 lbs. $75.90-79.20; large No. 2 Holsteins, 300-400 lbs. $70-80, few $81.50-84, 400-500 lbs. $68-78, few $79-82, 500-600 lbs. $67-78, 600-700 lbs. $64-68, 700-800 lbs. $62-66.80; heifers, 600-700 lbs. $79-82, 700-800 lbs. $77-80; auction, 200-300 lbs. $93-102, 300-350 lbs. $93-106, 350-400 lbs. $83-93, 400-450 lbs. $85-95, 450-500 lbs. $81-91, 500-600 lbs. $75-85, few $86-88.50, 600-700 lbs. $78-85.30, 650-700 lbs. $71-79, 700-800 lbs. $70-77.10.

Tennessee: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $110-133, 300-350 lbs. $109-120, 350-400 lbs. $100-115, 400-450 lbs. $96-107, 450-500 lbs. $93-103, 500-550 lbs. $88-96, 550-600 lbs. $83.50-91, 600-700 lbs. $81-89, 700-800 lbs. $76-85; heifers, 200-300 lbs. $95-108, 300-350 lbs. $95-106, 350-400 lbs. $90-100, 400-450 lbs. $85-95, 450-500 lbs. $83-91 few $95, 500-550 lbs. $80-90, 550-600 lbs. $77-86, 600-700 lbs. $74-83.50.

Southeastern complex: steers, medium and some large No. 1 200-250 lbs. $124-144, 250-300 lbs. $120-140, 300-350 lbs. $113-126, 350-400 lbs. $108-118, 400-450 lbs. $100-112, 450-500 lbs. $96-108, 500-550 lbs. $92-103, 550-600 lbs. $88-97, 600-650 lbs. $83-90, 650-700 lbs. $81-88, 700-750 lbs. $78-83.50, 750-800 lbs. $70-80; heifers, 200-250 lbs. $102-120, 250-300 lbs. $105-113, 300-350 lbs. $101-110, 350-400 lbs. $95-105, 400-450 lbs. $90-99, 450-500 lbs. $86-96, 500-550 lbs. $83-93, 550-600 lbs. $80-90, 600-650 lbs. $75-85, 650-700 lbs. $70-80.