Nation’s Feeder Cattle Higher,
Big Winter Storm Cuts Receipts

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. —(USDA)— Old man winter showed his face again last week as receipts were reduced in some areas due to snow and ice storms across the Midwest and High Plains. Feeder steers and heifers were mostly steady to $3 higher. The greatest advance was on calves that are to be turned out on grass in the upcoming weeks.

Demand for feeders was good at times due to buyers battling for numbers, but those quickly remembered the muddy mess that many feedlots were involved with. Those mucky conditions have kept many feedlots from receiving cattle even if they have open pens. Lousy weather has wreaked havoc on weight gains as stress levels are getting higher.

Feedlot clearance for the week was slow as a considerable amount of carryover was reported due to light direct feedlot trade. Midwest and High Plains direct feedlot trade was steady to 50 cents higher at mostly $78-78.50 live and $124-125 in the beef. Packers continue to slow chain speeds and kills for the week are estimated at a meager 617,000 head.

Despite the reduced cattle slaughter rate, boxed beef has firmed up after two consecutive weeks of lower price levels. Boxed beef is hovering just above $124, after hitting a recent low of $123.19 for light choice. Boxed beef movement has been in the moderate to heavy category. Retailers are still featuring other meat products, however the recent drop in prices will make beef more attractive.

The feeder cattle index hasn't shown any strength, losing $4.20 in the past four weeks. However, the CME feeder cattle futures tried to show some life and March closed at $86.07, about 50 cents higher for the week.

Yearlings made up 40 percent of the week's supply.

Some trading:

Texas: steers, medium and large No. 1 675 lbs. delivered $87.75, 700-750 lbs. $86-88.50, 750-800 lbs. $84.50-87; 750 lbs. for May delivery $85.50; 700-750 lbs. delivered for April and May $86.50-87.50, 800 lbs. for March $80; medium and large No. 1-2 725 lbs. delivered $82.50; heifers, medium and large No. 1 515 lbs. delivered $97, 600-650 lbs. $85, 700 lbs. $84.50; 600 lbs. for May delivery $87, 675 lbs. for March $83.

Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 700-725 lbs. $86-87; 750 lbs. delivered even with May CME board at seller's discretion, 750 lbs. delivered even with April; heifers, medium and large No. 1 700 lbs. $82.

Colorado: steers, medium and large No. 1 775 lbs. $85; 520 lbs. delivered $108.50, 825 lbs. $84-85.50; auction, 300 lbs. $138.50, 350-400 lbs. $122-129, 400-500 lbs. $112-115, 500-550 lbs. $102.50-111, 550-600 lbs. $98.50-105, 600-700 lbs. $89-93.50, 700-800 lbs. $84.50-87.50, 800-900 lbs. $78.50-85; medium and large No. 1-2 400-450 lbs. $103-108, 500-600 lbs. $93.50-97; heifers, medium and large No. 1 725 lbs. $82; 480 lbs. delivered $100.50, 525 lbs. $102.50, 725-800 lbs. $83-83.50; 675 lbs. delivered for March $84; auction, 300-400 lbs. $110-117, 400-500 lbs. $102-110, 500-550 lbs. $96.75-103, 550-600 lbs. $88-95, 600-700 lbs. $82-87.75, 700-800 lbs. $78.50-85.50; medium and large No. 1-2 300-365 lbs. $104-109, 400-500 lbs. $94.50-107, 500-550 lbs. $87.50-92.50, 550-600 lbs. $82.75-85.50, 715 lbs. $77.50.

Wyoming, Western Nebraska and Western North and South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 520 lbs. $108, 650 lbs. $92.75, 700 lbs. $87, 800-825 lbs. $85-85.50, 900 lbs. $81.50; auction, 300-350 lbs. $126-136, 360-370 lbs. $121-134, 400-450 lbs. $119-128, fancy 400-410 lbs. $131.50-132, 450-500 lbs. $117-125, 500-550 lbs. $108.25-120, fancy 500-515 lbs. $122, 550-600 lbs. $95.75-102.50, fancy $104.25-104.50, 600-650 lbs. $90-100, 650-700 lbs. $87.75-93, fancy 650 lbs. $95, 700-800 lbs. $83.10-88.75, 800-850 lbs. $82-84.10, 900 lbs. $80.10; medium and large No. 1-2 385 lbs. $107, 415-480 lbs. $110-115.50, 515-575 lbs. $97.50-108.50, 650 lbs. $93, 790 lbs. $84.25; heifers, medium and large No. 1 480-525 lbs. $100, 625 lbs. $87, 720-780 lbs. $82-83, 825 lbs. $77.50; medium and large No. 1-2 680 lbs. delivered $82; auction, medium and large No. 1 235-300 lbs. $109-116, 350-375 110-125, 400-450 lbs. $101-116.75, 450-500 lbs. $97.25-111.50, 500-550 lbs. $90-100, fancy $103.50-108, 550-600 lbs. $88.25-96, 600-650 lbs. $82-88, fancy 610 lbs. $91.50, 650-700 lbs. $82.25-86, 700-750 lbs. $82.50-84.25, 850 lbs. $78.10, 950-990 lbs. $73.25-76.75; medium and large No. 1-2 325-390 lbs. $91-108.50, 435-450 lbs. $97-104, 450-500 lbs. $95.50-105.50, 570-600 lbs. $83-87, 600 lbs. $80.75.

Montana: steers, medium and large No. 1 650 lbs. $95; auction, 350-400 lbs. $117.50-120, 400-500 lbs. $105.75-112, 500-550 lbs. $99-109.75, 500 lbs. $111.25, 550-600 lbs. $95.50-100.75, 600-650 lbs. $88-91.75, 694 lbs. $84.75, 700-800 lbs. $82-85.50, 800-900 lbs. $76.50-81.25, 900-950 lbs. $72-78.50; medium and large No. 1-2 300-400 lbs. $109-114, 400-500 lbs. $97-105, 500-600 lbs. $84-93, 600-700 lbs. $85-85.75, 723 lbs. $81; heifers, medium and large No. 1 600 lbs. $90; auction, 350-400 lbs. $101-105, 400-450 lbs. $102.50-106.50, 450-500 lbs. $96-102.75, 500-550 lbs. $91-96.75, 550-600 lbs. $85.50-95, 600-650 lbs. $81-88.75, thin or fancy $90-90.50, 650-700 lbs. $78.50-85.25, 700-800 lbs. $77.50-81, 800-900 lbs. $76-79; medium and large No. 1-2 400-500 lbs. $90-98, 500-600 lbs. $82-89.50, 650-700 lbs. $78-78.75, 713 lbs. $75.

Washington, Oregon and Idaho: steers, medium and large No. 1-2 600 lbs. $90, 850 lbs. $81-85; 800-850 lbs. delivered $83; auction, 450-500 lbs. $107.50, 500-600 lbs. $95.50-103, 600-700 lbs. $84.50-89, 700-800 lbs. $83.50-88, 800-900 lbs. $80.50-84, 900-950 lbs. $79.50-80.50; heifers, 550-600 lbs. $88, 750 lbs. $80, 800-825 lbs. $80; auction, 450-500 lbs. $97-99, 500-600 lbs. $85.50-93, 600-700 lbs. $82.50-87, 700-800 lbs. $78.50-81, 800-850 lbs. $73-78.

Arkansas: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $115-128, 350-400 lbs. $109-122, 400-450 lbs. $104-114, 450-500 lbs. $99-109, 500-550 lbs. $94-104, 550-600 lbs. $89-98, 600-700 lbs. $85-94, 700-800 lbs. $81-89; medium and large No. 2 300-350 lbs. $104-114, 350-400 lbs. $99-109, 400-450 lbs. $94-104, 450-500 lbs. $89-98, 500-550 lbs. $84-93, 550-600 lbs. $80-88, 600-700 lbs. $76-84; heifers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $100-115, 350-400 lbs. $97-109, 400-450 lbs. $94-104, 450-500 lbs. $89-98, 500-550 lbs. $86-95, 550-600 lbs. $83-92, 600-700 lbs. $80-88, 700-800 lbs. $75-83; medium and large No. 2 300-350 lbs. $90-100, 350-400 lbs. $87-96, 400-500 lbs. $84-93, 500-600 lbs. $77-85, 600-700 lbs. $72-80.

Kentucky: steers, medium and large No. 1-2 600-700 lbs. $88-92, 700-800 lbs. $81-84, 800-850 lbs. $80-83; auction, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $113-128, 300-350 lbs. $108-118, 350-400 lbs. $100-111, 400-450 lbs. $101-111, 450-500 lbs. $94-104, 500-550 lbs. $89-99, 550-600 lbs. $83-93, 600-650 lbs. $80-90, 650-700 lbs. $75-84, 700-750 lbs. $81-88.05, 750-800 lbs. $76-82, 800-900 lbs. $77-85.25, 900-1000 lbs. $72-78; large No. 3 Holsteins, 300-400 lbs. $81-90, 400-500 lbs. $75-85, 500-600 lbs. $73-80.10, 600-700 lbs. $66-74.70, 700-800 lbs. $65-68.05, 800-900 lbs. $62-67; heifers, medium and large No. 1-2 500-525 lbs. $88, 600-650 lbs. $80-83.50, 700-725 lbs. $77; auction, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $105-112, 300-350 lbs. $96-106, 350-400 lbs. $90-100, 400-450 lbs. $87-97, 450-500 lbs. $82-92, 500-550 lbs. $81-89, 550-600 lbs. $76-85, 600-650 lbs. $77-83, 650-700 lbs. $70-79, 700-800 lbs. $74-81.70.

Tennessee: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1-2 200-300 lbs. $115-145, 300-350 lbs. $115-127, 350-400 lbs. $109-124, 400-450 lbs. $100-114, 450-500 lbs. $95-105, 500-550 lbs. $85-97, 537 lbs. $105.50, 550-600 lbs. $83-90, 600-700 lbs. $80-87, 627 lbs. $93.25, 700-800 lbs. $78-84, 706 lbs. $88; large No. 3 Holsteins, 400-500 lbs. $70-82, 500-600 lbs. $65-77.50, 600-700 lbs. $61-70.50, 780 lbs. $69.60, 1000 lbs. $65.50; heifers, medium and large No. 1-2 200-300 lbs. $96-124, 300-350 lbs. $93-111, 350-400 lbs. $90-103, 400-450 lbs. $85-95, 450-500 lbs. $83-93, 495 lbs. $97.10, 500-550 lbs. $78-88, 550-600 lbs. $78-85, 586 lbs. $88.25, 600-700 lbs. $74-82.

Southeastern complex: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1-2 200-250 lbs. $127-150, 250-300 lbs. $120-140, 300-350 lbs. $115-130, 350-400 lbs. $110-125, 400-450 lbs. $103-115, 450-500 lbs. $98-109, 500-550 95-105, 550-600 lbs. $87-97, 600-650 lbs. $80-91, 650-700 lbs. $77-85, 700-800 lbs. $73-84; heifers, 200-250 lbs. $115-127, 250-300 lbs. $105-125, 300-350 lbs. $105-115, 350-400 lbs. $97-110, 400-450 lbs. $94-105, 450-500 lbs. $86-98, 500-550 lbs. $84-94, 550-600 lbs. $82-92, 600-650 lbs. $75-85, 650-700 lbs. $74-83.