ST. JOSEPH, Mo. —(USDA)— Feeder cattle price trends across the country last week were fairly uneven, but the market was generally $1-2 lower.

However, the market on lightweight cattle showed some improvement in certain areas where calf prices have been sharply lower. This was the case in Oklahoma, where newfound demand came from growing lots and those lucky enough to have wheat pasture sufficient for grazing.

Unseasonably warm weather has covered most of the winter wheat areas and moisture has been nonexistent. Receipts are turning lighter in the Southeast, where most of the better cattle have already been sold. At the same time, receipts in the Midwest and the Mountain states continue to rise with a stampede of spring calves. Yearlings made up less than 30 percent of the week’s movement, for the first time this year.

Corn and soybean harvest is almost complete, which should help demand as more farmer feeders enter the market in the Upper Midwest.

Direct trading remains, which is not uncommon in a down market. Producers would rather truck their stock to town, have a steak, and hope for a miracle when their cattle come through the sale ring. Fat cattle prices remained steady after sellers held out until Friday in hopes of a higher market.

Feedlots have painted themselves into a corner by putting off marketing, resulting in heavy carcasses and increased leverage for the packers. However, the DTN screen looks better to cattle feeders as October left the board at $66.22 and they are that much closer to the $70 prices quoted for early next spring.

The week’s reported volume included 29 percent over 600 pounds.

Some trading:

Texas: steers, medium and large No. 1 700-750 lbs. $87-90; 600-650 lbs. delivered $90-94.50, 700-750 lbs. $87-91.50, 750 lbs. $86.50, 800-900 lbs. $83-87; 725 lbs. for December delivery $84.75; 700-750 lbs. delivered for November $89-91; medium and large No. 1-2 600 lbs. delivered $85.50, 750-800 lbs. $84-87.50; medium and large No. 2-3 Mexico origin 300 lbs. $111-112; heifers, medium and large No. 1 650-700 lbs. $84.50-86; 650-700 lbs. delivered $85-88.50, 700-750 lbs. $83-85.15; 675 lbs. delivered for November $85; medium and large No. 1-2 625 lbs. delivered $83; medium and large No. 2-3 575 lbs. delivered $79.

Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 650-700 lbs. $87.50-90.75, 775 lbs. $85; medium and large No. 1-2 725 lbs. for May delivery $83.50; heifers, medium and large No. 1 575 lbs. $88.50; medium and large No. 1-2 700 lbs. for January delivery $80, 700 lbs. for March $78.

Colorado: steers medium and large No. 1 800-805 lbs. $83.50-87; load 490 lbs. delivered $101.50, load 550 lbs. $94, 725-790 lbs. $87-89, load 800 lbs. $85.50, few loads 900 lbs. $82; string 800 lbs. for January delivery $83.50; auction, medium and large No. 1 300-400 lbs. $111-118, 400-450 lbs. $96.50-112, mostly $98-108, 450-500 lbs. $92-109.75, mostly $94.50-104, 500-550 lbs. $88.75-95, 550-600 lbs. $87.50-95.50, 600-700 lbs. $84.50-93, mostly $85-91.50, 700-800 lbs. $81.50-89.50, bulk $83.50-87.75, 800-900 lbs. $80.50-84.75, 900-950 lbs. $76-78.10; medium and large No. 1-2, few 300-375 lbs. $102-110, 400-500 lbs. $86-98, 500-600 lbs. $83.50-93, 600-700 lbs. $80.25-87; heifers, medium and large No. 1 525-575 lbs. delivered $87-89.10, 625-660 lbs. $86.80-87.60, few loads 710-725 lbs. $82-85; few loads 700 lbs. for January delivery $81; auction, medium and large No. 1 300-400 lbs. $96-108, few to $112, 400-450 lbs. $87.50-95.75, 450-500 lbs. $84.75-94, 500-550 lbs. $83-89.75, 550-600 lbs. $81.50-87, 600-700 lbs. $78.25-87.25, mostly $80.50-84.50, 700-750 lbs. $80-85.35, 800-850 lbs. $81.25-84; medium and large No. 1-2 350-400 lbs. $86.50-90.50, 400-500 lbs. $81-88, 500-600 lbs. $79.25-86.75, 650-700 lbs. $81.50-83.50, 750-800 lbs. $77.50-81.50, few 800-820 lbs. $76-77.50.

Kansas: steers, medium and large No. 1 couple loads 575 lbs. $93, load 683 lbs. $85.70, 700-750 lbs. $85.70-89.50, 750-800 lbs. $82.60-86.50, 800-850 lbs. $83-86, 850-875 lbs. $78.50-83.25; medium and large No. 1-2 several loads 850-875 lbs. $77.75; medium and large No. 2 several loads 400 lbs. $103, 500-550 lbs. $86-91; medium and large No. 1 725-750 lbs. for December-January delivery $85-86.50; 650-700 lbs. delivered $89.06-92.46, several loads blacks 654 lbs. $106.46; medium and large No. 1-2 couple loads 500-550 lbs. $89.38-89.82, load 731 lbs. $79.78; heifers, medium and large No. 1, couple loads 550 lbs. $85, load 700 lbs. $84; medium and large No. 2 475-500 lbs. $77.70-79.85; several loads 600 lbs. delivered $87; medium and large No. 1-2 load 533 lbs. $79.50, load 699 lbs. $76.17; medium and large No. 2 load 357 lbs. $90.95, 450-475 lbs. $80.30-81.56.

South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 500-600 lbs. delivered $94-101, 600-650 lbs. $93-94; heifers, medium and large No. 1 500-600 lbs. delivered $86-88.

Wyoming: steers, medium and large No. 1 425 lbs. $109, 470-485 lbs. $95-100, 575-725 lbs. $92, 750-900 lbs. $85-90; auction, medium and large No. 1 250-300 lbs. $116-131, 300-350 lbs. $118-135, 350-400 lbs. $109.25-127, 400-450 lbs. $101-113, fancy $114-119.50, 450-500 lbs. $95-106.25, fancy 450-470 lbs. $107-116, 500-550 lbs. $90-99.50, fancy 500-520 lbs. $100-107.75, 550-600 lbs. $87-93.50, fancy 575-595 lbs. $94.50-96, 600-700 lbs. $84.75-91.25, 700-800 lbs. $83.50-89.10, 835-900 lbs. $80-84.20, 900-960 lbs. $74-79, 1035 lbs. $75.80, 1130 lbs. $66; medium and large No. 1-2 400-500 lbs. $84.50-99.50, 500-580 lbs. $83.50-89, 650-800 lbs. $80.50-83.35; heifers, medium and large No. 1 440-485 lbs. $90-94, 525-625 lbs. $84-86, 710 lbs. $80; auction, medium and large No. 1 250-300 lbs. $99-117, 300-350 lbs. $96.50-117, 350-400 lbs. $96-111.50, 400-450 lbs. $91-102.50, fancy 425 lbs. $104.50, 450-500 lbs. $82-96.75, mostly $87-93, 500-550 lbs. $80-90.50, fancy 510 lbs. $93, 550-600 lbs. $81.25-88, 600-700 lbs. $80.50-86, 700-800 lbs. $73.50-84.75, 800-900 lbs. $78-82.20, 900-1000 lbs. $73.20-77.60, 1025 lbs. $67.50; medium and large No. 1-2 350-400 lbs. $91.50-102.50, 420-465 lbs. $82.75-94.50, 500-565 lbs. $81.75-83, 760-775 lbs. $79.50-79.75, 850-880 lbs. $74.50-79.75, 1050 lbs. $61.50.

Montana: steers, medium and large No. 1 500 lbs. $95, 550-575 lbs. $90-92, 600 lbs. $92, 650 lbs. $89, 700 lbs. $85-88; auction, medium and large No. 1 350-400 lbs. $103-117, 400-450 lbs. $101-115, 450-500 lbs. $95-106, 500-550 lbs. $89-101.50, 550-600 lbs. $84.25-96.50, 600-700 lbs. $84-92.25, 700-800 lbs. $81-87, 800-850 lbs. $81-81.50, 950 lbs. $75.50; heifers, medium and large No. 1 525-540 lbs. $82-86, 550-575 lbs. $83-85, 650 lbs. $80-83; auction, medium and large No. 1 265 lbs. $104, 300-400 lbs. $87-102.25, 400-450 lbs. $84.25-96.50, 450-500 lbs. $82-95, 500-600 lbs. $80-90.25, 600-700 lbs. $82-88, 700-800 lbs. $78.75-82, 800-900 lbs. $76.50-79.50, 900 lbs. $76-77.25.

Washington, Oregon and Idaho: steers, medium and large No. 1-2 500-550 lbs. $89-91.50, 650 lbs. $88, 800-850 lbs. $80-82; 750 lbs. delivered $86; auction, medium and large No. 1-2 400-500 lbs. $82-100, 500-600 lbs. $82-90, 600-700 lbs. $79-86, 700-800 lbs. $76.50-85, 800-900 lbs. $72.50-79; heifers, medium and large No. 1-2 500-600 lbs. $81-85, 600 lbs. $84, 825 lbs. $77; 775 lbs. delivered $80; auction, medium and large No. 1-2 300-400 lbs. $84-89.50, 400-500 lbs. $78-88.50, 500-600 lbs. $78-84, 600-700 lbs. $75.

Arkansas: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $100-110, few to $113, 350-400 lbs. $95-105, 400-450 lbs. $91-101, 450-500 lbs. $86-95, 500-550 lbs. $82-91, 550-600 lbs. $79-87, 600-700 lbs. $76-84, 700-800 lbs. $74-81; medium and large No. 2 300-350 lbs. $90-100, 350-400 lbs. $85-95, 400-450 lbs. $80-90, 450-500 lbs. $75-85, 500-550 lbs. $71-81, 550-600 lbs. $70-78, 600-700 lbs. $67-75; large No. 3 Holsteins 400-500 lbs. $70-75, 500-600 lbs. $68-72, 600-800 lbs. $65-70; heifers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $86-95, few to $104, 350-400 lbs. $84-93, 400-450 lbs. $82-91, 450-500 lbs. $80-88, 500-550 lbs. $75-83, 550-600 lbs. $73-81, 600-700 lbs. $71-78, 700-800 lbs. $69-76; medium and large No. 2 300-350 lbs. $77-85, 350-400 lbs. $75-83, 400-500 lbs. $73-81, 500-600 lbs. $67-74, 600-700 lbs. $63-70.

Kentucky: steers, medium and large No. 1-2 525-600 lbs. $88-92, 600-700 lbs. $84-87, 700-800 lbs. $80-86, 800-850 lbs. $79-82; auction, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $104-110, 300-350 lbs. $97-109, 350-400 lbs. $92-100, 400-450 lbs. $90-102, 450-500 lbs. $83-94, 500-550 lbs. $81-94, 550-600 lbs. $77-85, 600-650 lbs. $79-87, 650-700 lbs. $75-84, 700-750 lbs. $76-85.20, 750-800 lbs. $72-81, 800-900 lbs. $73-81.50, 900-1000 lbs. $69-78; large No. 3 Holsteins 300-400 lbs. $70-82, 400-500 lbs. $68-75.50, 500-600 lbs. $64-75.50, 600-700 lbs. $63-68, 700-800 lbs. $58-67, 800-900 lbs. $58-63.70; heifers, medium and large No. 1-2 600-700 lbs. $76.08-82, 700-750 lbs. $75-79; auction, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $87-92.50, 300-350 lbs. $81-91, 350-400 lbs. $79-88, 400-450 lbs. $79-88, 450-500 lbs. $73-84, 500-600 lbs. $71-82, 600-700 lbs. $69-78.35, 700-750 lbs. $70-80, 750-800 lbs. $63-72.

Tennessee: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1-2 200-300 lbs. $106-130, 300-350 lbs. $95-115, 350-400 lbs. $90-105, 400-450 lbs. $85-95, 450-500 lbs. $80-92, 500-550 lbs. $80-88, 550-600 lbs. $75-84, 600-700 lbs. $70-79.50, 700-800 lbs. $68-79; heifers, medium and large No. 1-2 200-300 lbs. $87-100, 300-350 lbs. $80-90, 350-400 lbs. $78-88, 400-450 lbs. $74-84, 450-500 lbs. $70-80, 500-600 lbs. $68-78, 600-700 lbs. $67-76.50, 700-800 lbs. $65-76.

Southeastern complex: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1-2 200-250 lbs. $117-136, 250-300 lbs. $110-130, 300-350 lbs. $103-118, 350-400 lbs. $97-108, some to $113, 400-450 lbs. $88-98, some to $105, 450-500 lbs. $81-94, 500-550 lbs. $76-91, mostly $80-88, 550-600 lbs. $73-85, mostly $76-85, 600-650 lbs. $70-81, 650-700 lbs. $68-79, 700-750 lbs. $70-77, 750-800 lbs. $65-74; heifers, medium and large No. 1-2 200-250 lbs. $102-115, 250-300 lbs. $95-105, 300-350 lbs. $85-100, mostly $89-99, 350-400 lbs. $80-96, mostly $85-96, 400-450 lbs. $82-92, 450-500 lbs. $72-86, mostly $78-86, 500-550 lbs. $74-80, 550-600 lbs. $66-77, mostly 70-77, 600-650 lbs. $64-75, 650-700 lbs. $63-72.