Nation’s Feeder Cattle Trade
Takes Thanksgiving Holiday

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. —(USDA)— The feeder cattle trade had its usual seasonal low profile in honor of Thanksgiving last week. Many auctions were closed and most trading was put on the back burner. Too few sales were reported to fully establish price trends.

A booming economy, good consumer beef demand, soaring slaughter cattle prices and a bullish cattle on feed report all combined to place feeder cattle offerings in strong hands. However, prices are already at a relatively high level. The CME feeder index is $5 above a year ago and nearly $20 higher than the 1995-1998 average.

Cattle feeders have seen quite a bit of red ink this year and CME futures quotes are not promising a rose garden, albeit, they are a couple of dollars above last year's live trade. Corn and feedstuff prices are well on top of a year ago and moving upwards. On the other hand, boxed beef cutouts were up $4, on top of $123, and $16 higher in the past 10 weeks. This is $3 better than a year ago. Beef packers paid more money Wednesday, at $73-73.50, for slaughter steers and heifers.

Offerings weighing more than 600 pounds made up 42 percent of the week's receipts.

Some trading:

Texas: steers, medium and large No.1 500 lbs. $96, 615-650 lbs. $90-90.50, 700-775 lbs. $86-88; 700-775 lbs. delivered $90-91; medium and large No.1-2 600 lbs. delivered $92, 775 lbs. $88.25; heifers, medium and large No.1 675 lbs. $86, 700-725 lbs. $83-84; 450 lbs. delivered $98.75, 650 lbs. $87; 750 lbs. for March and April delivery $83.50; medium and large No.1-2 735 lbs. delivered $84.

Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No.1 675 lbs. $92, 700-750 lbs. $87-88; 800 lbs. for February delivery $85, 800 lbs. for March $86, 800 lbs. for April $85, 750 lbs. for May $86.50; large No. 3 Holsteins 650 lbs. $70; heifers, medium and large No.1 750 lbs. for February through April delivery $83.50, 650 lbs. for May $89.

Colorado: steers, medium and large No.1 few loads 525 lbs. delivered $103, few loads 625 lbs. $94.50; auction, 300-400 lbs. $117-127, 400-450 lbs. $113.25-123, 450-500 lbs. $105.50-113.50, 500-550 lbs. $98-108, 500-550 lbs. $96-103.50, 600-700 lbs. $88.50-96, 700-760 lbs. $85.50-90; medium and large No.1-2 325-400 lbs. $114-124.50, 400-500 lbs. $93.75-105.50, 500-600 lbs. $89-102.50, 600-700 lbs. $86-93.25; heifers, auction, medium and large No.1 300-400 lbs. $105.50-115, 400-450 lbs. $93-100.50, 450-500 lbs. $92.50-99.50, 500-600 lbs. $88.50-93, 600-700 lbs. $85-89.50, 700-800 lbs. $84-86.50; medium and large No.1-2 300-400 lbs. $100-108 400-500 lbs. $90-98, 500-600 lbs. $86.50-93, 600-675 lbs. $83.50-86.

Wyoming: steers, medium and large No.1 470 lbs. $108.25, 550 lbs. $99.25, 615 lbs. $95; heifers, medium and large No.1 470 lbs. $100, 550 lbs. $92.

Montana: steers, medium and large No.1 575-600 lbs. $93-95, load 700 lbs. $86; auction, medium and large No.1 300-400 lbs. $111-117, 400-500 lbs. $100-114, 500-550 lbs. $93-102, 550-600 lbs. $91.50-99.75, 600-700 lbs. $87-94, 700-750 lbs. $84-85; medium and large No.1-2 350-400 lbs. $102-103, 400-500 lbs. $95.50-103.50, 500-600 lbs. $86-91, 600-700 lbs. $83-87.50, lot 703 lbs. $83; heifers, medium and large No.1 load 550 lbs. $88; auction, medium and large No.1 300-400 lbs. $100-107, 400-500 lbs. $92-101, 500-600 lbs. $86-86-95, 600-700 lbs. $82-89, 700-800 lbs. $78-82, 800-900 lbs. $76-81.50; medium and large No.1-2 350-400 lbs. $94-99, 450-500 lbs. $85-94.25, 500-600 lbs. $81-85.25, 659 lbs. $80.75.

Washington, Oregon and Idaho: steers, medium and large No.1-2 450 lbs. $107, 600-650 lbs. $88-92, 700 lbs. $85, 800-825 lbs. $84, 900 lbs. $81; auction, 500-600 lbs. $88-93, 600-700 lbs. $86-93.50, 700-750 lbs. $80.50-85; heifers, medium and large No.1-2 450 lbs. $103.50, 550 lbs. $84, 700 lbs. $82, 800 lbs. $79.50; auction, 300-400 lbs. $85-87, 500-600 lbs. $82-88.50, 600-700 lbs. $82.50-87.

Arkansas: auction, steers, medium and large No.1 300-350 lbs. $115-130, 350-400 lbs. $108-120, 400-450 lbs. $102-114, 450-500 lbs. $97-107, 500-550 lbs. $92-102, 550-600 lbs. $87-96, 600-700 lbs. $82-91, 700-800 lbs. $80-88; large No. 3 Holsteins 400-500 lbs. $74-80, 500-600 lbs. $70-75; heifers, medium and large No.1 300-350 lbs. $100-110, 350-400 lbs. $95-105, 400-450 lbs. $90-100, 450-500 lbs. $86-95, 500-550 lbs. $82-91, 550-600 lbs. $81-90, 600-700 lbs. $79-87, 700-800 lbs. $75-83.

Tennessee: auction, steers, medium and large No.1-2 200-300 lbs. $122-148, 300-350 lbs. $106-130, few $136, 350-400 lbs. $104-120, 400-450 lbs. $99-113.50, 450-500 lbs. $94-107, 500-550 lbs. $87-101, 550-600 lbs. $86-93, 600-700 lbs. $78-88, 700-800 lbs. $71-83; heifers, medium and large No.1-2 200-300 lbs. $96-120, 300-350 lbs. $90-112, 350-400 lbs. $90-108, 400-450 lbs. $86-102, 450-500 lbs. $83.50-96.50, 500-550 lbs. $76-88, 550-600 lbs. $75-86, 600-700 lbs. $72-81, few $85.