ST. JOSEPH, Mo. —(USDA)— Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $2 higher around the country last week with calves $3-8 higher in the past two weeks.

Feeder cattle trends have been higher nine out of the past 10 weeks. Offerings are in strong hands and record high prices have not lined up trucks at the sale barns. The October-November receipts on this report have been well below a year ago. The CME feeder index is $20 above the 1995-1998 average. January has been the peak month the past few years.

Income taxes are also entering the marketing picture. Feeder returns are still in the red on the crop now coming to market and CME futures are promising the same for yearlings now going into the finishing pens. Beef demand continues to be the big question mark. Packers increased kills early in the week and boxed beef cutouts dropped. Kills for the past five weeks were relatively meager and more holidays are on tap this month.

Feedlots managed to get steady money at mostly $73 and $114 in the beef. Carcass returns figured out around $120 late, if they are choice. A liberal volume sold during the week and a most pressing showlist was cleaned up.

Offerings weighing more than 600 pounds made up only 29 percent of the week's receipts.

Some trading:

Texas: steers, medium and large No. 1 500-590 lbs. $96-100, 600-650 lbs. $90-93, 700-775 lbs. $87-90; 675 lbs. delivered $93; 750-800 lbs. for January through May delivery $85.50-89; medium and large No. 1-2 400 lbs. $107, 800 lbs. $84.50; heifers, medium and large No. 1 575 lbs. $91, 650 lbs. $85, 725-750 lbs. $83-87; 625-650 lbs. delivered $87-90; 600 lbs. delivered for January through April $88-89.50.

Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 450 lbs. $110, 725-775 lbs. $87-89; heifers, medium and large No. 1 425 lbs. $100; 700 lbs. for May delivery $82.50.

Colorado: steers, medium and large No. 1 couple loads 525 lbs. $105, few loads 825 lbs. $89; load 680 lbs. delivered $94, few loads 725 lbs. $91.50, string fancy 850 lbs. $93.50; auction, 300-400 lbs. $121-134.50, 400-450 lbs. $108.50-120, 450-500 lbs. $108-112.50, 500-550 lbs. $98-111, 550-600 lbs. $93.50-102.50, 600-700 lbs. $90-98, 700-800 lbs. $85.50-90.50, 800-875 lbs. $83.50-86.35; medium and large No. 1-2 300-400 lbs. $114-122.50, 400-500 lbs. $96-108, 500-600 lbs. $92-97.50, 750-800 lbs. $84-84.50; heifers, medium and large No. 1 couple loads 510 lbs. $98, few loads 650 lbs. $85; few loads 625 lbs. delivered $87; auction, 300-400 lbs. $109-115, 400-500 lbs. $97.50-104, 500-600 lbs. $88-96, 600-700 lbs. $85-88.50, 700-800 lbs. $83.50-86.60, 800-850 lbs. $78.75-84; medium and large No. 1-2 300-400 lbs. $100-107, 400-500 lbs. $90-95, 500-600 lbs. $83.50-90.50, 600-700 lbs. $82-85.50.

Wyoming, Western Nebraska and Western North and South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 fancy 850 lbs. $93; medium and large No. 1-2 725 lbs. $87; auction, medium and large No. 1 280-290 lbs. $122-131, 300-350 lbs. $121-133.75, 350-400 lbs. $118-129.50, 400-450 lbs. $107.75-122.50, 450-500 lbs. $102.75-111.25, 500-550 lbs. $97-112.50, 550-600 lbs. $94-107.50, 600-650 lbs. $90-105.75, 650-700 lbs. $84.25-95.75, 700-800 lbs. $84.50-95.50; medium and large No. 1-2 300 lbs. $137, 380-400 lbs. $110.50-124, 400-450 lbs. $104.50-109, 450-500 lbs. $98.75-109, 500-585 lbs. $95-103, 670-700 lbs. $84-92.25, 840-850 lbs. $85.50-87.25; heifers, medium and large No. 1 560 lbs. $92.75; medium and large No. 1-2 675 lbs. $82; auction, medium and large No. 1 260-290 lbs. $113-122, 320-350 lbs. $113-117, 350-400 lbs. $105.50-112, 400-450 lbs. $101-111, 450-500 lbs. $94-105.25, 500-550 lbs. $85.75-103, 550-600 lbs. $84.50-93.85, 620-660 lbs. $84-91; medium and large No. 1-2 295 lbs. $121.50, 300-350 lbs. $104-116.50, 390-400 lbs. $102.50-104.75, 400-480 lbs. $93-101, 525-550 lbs. $89-91.50, 750-785 lbs. $82.75-86.50, 815-900 lbs. $84.50-87.75, 970 lbs. $78.

Montana: steers, medium and large No. 1 600-625 lbs. $98-100, load 725 lbs. $90; auction, medium and large No. 1 298 lbs. $124.50, 300-400 lbs. $112.50-126, 400-500 lbs. $101-111.50, 500-600 lbs. $92-101, 600-700 lbs. $85.50-92, 700-800 lbs. $84-89, 800-900 lbs. $82.25-83; medium and large No. 1-2 211 lbs. $112.50, 500-600 lbs. $85-92, 650-700 lbs. $82-85.25; heifers, medium and large No. 1 several deals 575 lbs. $95; auction, medium and large No. 1 294 lbs. $104.50, 300-400 lbs. $103-109, 400-500 lbs. $93-102, 500-600 lbs. $88-95, 600-700 lbs. $81-88.50, 700-800 lbs. $79-83.50, 800-900 lbs. $77.25-80.50; medium and large No. 1-2 350-400 lbs. $96-98, 400-500 lbs. $88.50-92, 500-600 lbs. $85-86.50, 650-700 lbs. $77.50-82.

Washington, Oregon and Idaho: steers, medium and large No. 1-2 450-475 lbs. $98-106.50, 600 lbs. $90, 700 lbs. $86, 800-825 lbs. $82-84; 650 lbs. delivered $90, 850-875 lbs. $83.50-85, 900 lbs. $81; auction, 400-500 lbs. $97.50-109, 500-600 lbs. $87.50-98, 600-700 lbs. $84-96, 700-800 lbs. $80-85, 800-900 lbs. $73.50-79; heifers, medium and large No. 1-2 420 lbs. $91, 500-550 lbs. $92, 700-725 lbs. $82-83; 600 lbs. delivered $85; auction, 350-400 lbs. $89.50-94, 400-500 lbs. $86.50-95, 500-600 lbs. $83-89, 600-700 lbs. $80-85, 700-800 lbs. $79.50-81.50.

Arkansas: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $120-135, 350-400 lbs. $112-125, 400-450 lbs. $104-115, 450-500 lbs. $99-109, 500-550 lbs. $95-105, 550-600 lbs. $90-99, 600-700 lbs. $85-94, 700-800 lbs. $81-90; heifers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $102-115, 350-400 lbs. $96-106, 400-450 lbs. $91-101, 450-500 lbs. $87-96, 500-550 lbs. $84-93, 550-600 lbs. $81-90, 600-700 lbs. $79-87, 700-800 lbs. $77-85.

Kentucky: steers, medium and large No. 1-2 550-600 lbs. $92.50-96, 600-700 lbs. $90-95, 700-800 lbs. $84-88, 800-900 lbs. $82.50-84; auction, medium and large No. 1 200-300 115-135, 300-350 lbs. $113-125, 350-400 lbs. $103-115, 400-450 lbs. $99-109, 450-500 lbs. $91-101, 500-550 lbs. $92-101, 550-600 lbs. $84-94, 600-700 lbs. $82-92, 700-750 lbs. $80-88, 750-800 lbs. $74-83, 800-900 lbs. $77-85.90, 900-1000 lbs. $78.50-81.30; large No. 3 Holsteins 300-400 lbs. $75-84, 400-500 lbs. $76-86, 500-600 lbs. $68.75-78, 600-700 lbs. $66-75, 700-800 lbs. $65-67, 800-900 lbs. $61-65.20; heifers, medium and large No. 1-2 525-550 lbs. $88-92, 600-700 lbs. $82-84, 700-800 lbs. $80-82; auction, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $100-115, 300-350 lbs. $95-105, 350-400 lbs. $87-97, 400-450 lbs. $87-97, 450-500 lbs. $82-92, 500-550 lbs. $83-92.50, 550-600 lbs. $77-87, 600-700 lbs. $75-85, 700-750 lbs. $74-82.95, 750-800 lbs. $68-76.

Tennessee: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1-2 200-300 lbs. $129-162, 300-350 lbs. $120-135, 350-400 lbs. $105-125, 400-450 lbs. $100-113, 450-500 lbs. $94-104, 500-550 lbs. $89-100, 550-600 lbs. $84-94, 600-700 lbs. $80-90, 700-800 lbs. $75-87.75; heifers, 200-300 lbs. $100-124, 300-350 lbs. $99-113, 350-400 lbs. $90-105, 400-450 lbs. $85-98, 450-500 lbs. $83-95, 500-550 lbs. $78-88, 550-600 lbs. $77-85, 600-700 lbs. $73-82.50, load 625 lbs. $86.25, load 694 lbs. $82.

Southeastern complex: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1-2 200-250 lbs. $135-165, 250-300 lbs. $120-155, 300-350 lbs. $118-140, 350-400 lbs. $111-130, 400-450 lbs. $100-115, 450-500 lbs. $97-107, 500-550 lbs. $90-100, 550-600 lbs. $84-94, 600-650 lbs. $79-89, 650-700 lbs. $75-86, 700-800 lbs. $72-82; heifers, 200-250 lbs. $115-138, 250-300 lbs. $110-129, 300-350 lbs. $104-119, 350-400 lbs. $98-110, 400-450 lbs. $90-102, 450-500 lbs. $85-95, 500-550 lbs. $82-92, 550-600 lbs. $77-87, 600-650 lbs. $74-85, 650-700 lbs. $71-81.