Lamb Meat Steady, Fats, Feeders Mixed
Dressed lamb meat prices held steady last week. Fat and feeder lambs were mixed, Midwest markets $5 off and most others about steady, though some Texas feeder lambs were $1-3 higher. Slaughter ewes in Texas were a little higher; they were lower on Midwest markets.

Plains Fed Cattle Movement Picks Up Wednesday At $74-75
Plains feedlots held out for $75 this week and got it, packers coming to that level after bidding as little as $71 early. The new price is as much as $2 better than last week's level.

PLAINS FEEDLOT SALES

RANGE SALES

Summer Burning Becoming Norm For Edwards Plateau Ranchers
Prescribed fire has long been used on the Texas A&M Experiment Station here. At first it was for research purposes. Understanding the dynamics of prescribed fire is still a goal, but the program today involves far more than just research. Today prescribed fire is a primary management tool used to sustain and maintain the natural resources and the native plant and animal community on the station.

Texas Water Code Faces Close Scrutiny When Lawmakers Meet
The Texas Water Code may be inspected closely by the state legislature when it meets in January.

Industry Analyst Says Cattle Price Cycle Is Alive And Well
The cattle cycle is alive and well, says a 32-year veteran of such things.

"Grassbank" Concept Has Spread From Origin In N.M.'s Bootheel
The Grassbank, an environmentally friendly experiment initiated in New Mexico's Bootheel by the Gray Ranch and neighboring cattle operations, has spread north and won praise from environmental activists.

Hutchison Says New Interior Head Must Have Common Sense
The United States needs a new Interior secretary who has ``good common horse sense,'' U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said last week.

Texas Farm Bureau Changes Water Stand
After four hot summers that seared crops and wilted lawns across the state, farmers and ranchers are softening their opposition to groundwater regulations.

IBP Buyout, Merger Proposals Generating Intense Scrutiny
Disgruntled cattlemen have long held that the nation's largest beef packer, IBP, has had little concern for the cattle industry. Now, the company's stockholders are saying the company has little concern for shareholders.

N.M. Farm And Livestock Bureau Meeting Produces 41 Resolutions
Many New Mexico farmers and ranchers would like to abolish the U.S. Forest Service, move the silvery minnow someplace else and make trespass a fourth-degree felony.

USDA TB Rule Gives Most Texas Counties "Free" Movement Status
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has published an interim rule, granting Texas split-state status for tuberculosis eradication in cattle and bison, effective immediately. Of the state's 254 counties, 252

FDA, Poultry Industry At Odds Over Anti-Bacteria Products
Can bacteria make meat safer? Scientists say the answer is yes — by using good bacteria to drive out bad bacteria from the guts of food animals.

Mad Cow Scare Has Europeans Eyeing Strict Rules On Feed
A crisis session of European Union farm ministers is being held this week to consider drastic new measures to combat the spreading "mad cow" disease and to stem damage to consumer confidence in beef.

Nation’s Feeder Cattle Prices Higher Nine Of Past 10 Weeks
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $2 higher around the country last week with calves $3-8 higher in the past two weeks.

Texas Fed Cattle Held Steady In Spite Of Lower Boxed Beef
Slaughter steers and heifers sold steady in Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma feedlot trading last week. Limited offerings of live cattle maintained steady price levels despite weaker wholesale boxed beef cutout values.

Superior Livestock Video Sale Offering Totals 23,000 Head
Demand was good with feeder yearlings selling steady to $2 higher, lightweight calves $2-4 higher, heavy calves $1-2 higher. Consignments totaled more than 23,000 head from 23 states.

Angelo Feeder Lamb, Cattle Prices Steady
Feeder lambs sold steady in a light test this week, slaughter lambs firm, slaughter ewes firm to $1 higher; goats were weak, instances $5 lower. Receipts totaled 8060 head, around 10 percent feeder lambs, 10 percent slaughter lambs, 45 percent slaughter ewes and 35 percent goats.

Fredericksburg Feeder Lamb Prices Higher
Feeder lambs sold $1-3 higher, slaughter lambs steady to $1 lower; most goats sold $2-3 lower. Receipts totaled 2969 head.

Milano Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Lower
Feeder steers and heifers sold $1-3 lower, slaughter cows steady, bulls poorly tested. Receipts totaled 11399 head.

Abilene Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Steady
Feeder steers and heifers sold mostly steady to instances $2 lower, slaughter cows and bulls mostly steady, stock cows and pairs steady to $20 lower. Receipts totaled 1479 head.

Llano Light Feeders Steady, Heavies Lower
Light feeder steers and heifers held steady while five weight cattle were $2-3 lower. Cows and bulls were $2 lower.

San Saba Replacement Sale Demand Strong
Replacement cows and heifers sold at strong prices under broad buyer demand. Recent rains encouraged many buyers to replace some of their liquidated numbers while pasture growth appears to be recovering from the drouth. Receipts totaled 3457 head.

U.S. Meat Production .1% Above A Year Ago
Total red meat production under federal inspection last week was estimated at 904.5 million pounds, 13.1 percent more than the previous week’s holiday period and .1 percent more than a year ago. Cumulative meat production for the year to date was down .1 percent at 42.1 billion pounds.

Domestic Wool Slow, Aussie Wools Higher
Domestic wool trading remains at a standstill in most areas. Fall shearing was completed in Idaho and continuing in the Midwest and eastern U.S. areas.

Kansas Direct Feeder Steers Firm To Higher
Feeder steers sold firm to $2 higher in Kansas direct sales on a very light test last week, heifers too few for a market test. The weather was mild and dry. Sales were confirmed on 5363 head.

Producers Internet Auction Offers 4800 Feeder Cattle
Producers Internet Auction offered 4800 feeder cattle from Texas, Mississippi and Florida. Delivery was mostly current, a few into January.

September Lamb Imports Up 54%, Mutton Up 63%
The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that lamb meat imports during September were 54 percent more than a year ago at 3144 metric tons, or around 6.9 million pounds. Mutton and goat meat imports were up 63 percent at 1780 metric tons, or 3.9 million pounds.

Graham Feeder Steers Mixed, Heifers Lower
Feeder steers weighing less than 400 pounds sold steady to $3 higher, heavier weights $2-3 lower, heifers steady to $3 lower, slaughter cows and bulls $1 lower, bred stock cows and pairs steady. Receipts totaled 2015 head.

Cuero Feeder Steers, Heifers Sell Mixed
Feeder steers and heifers sold in a mixed trade, slaughter cows and bulls $2-4 higher. Receipts totaled 2509 head.

Goldthwaite Feeder, Fat Lambs Steady
Feeder and slaughter lambs sold steady on a limited test; stock and feeder goats $1-3 higher, slaughter goats steady. Receipts totaled 2729 head.

San Saba, Brownwood, Mason Feeders Higher
Feeder steers and heifer sold steady to $6 higher last week in Mason, Brownwood and San Saba, the greatest advance on lightweights, slaughter cows and bulls steady, stock cows and pairs $15-25 higher. Receipts totaled 2883 head at the three sales.

Loose Ends

Coming Up...
December 7 — Winter Livestock Video Association’s Video Auction. December 9 — Special Female Replacement Sale, Jordan Cattle Auction, San Saba, Texas. December 11 — Pied Piper Farms "New Industry" Hereford Sale, Scurry County Coliseum, Snyder, Texas.