Fat Lambs Up,
Feeders Steady
But Scarce

Feeder lambs remain in very limited supply all over the country. What lambs are available generally go to slaughter. Slaughter lambs were higher for the most part, some sharply higher, particularly on light lambs. A slow, two-day rain over much of Texas this week considerably reduced market supplies.

Lamb carcasses traded a couple of dollars higher, but it is like reading between the lines. Carcasses 40-45 pounds in the central part of the country brought $126-139, 45-65 pounds $126-142, 65-75 pounds $118-140, 75-85 pounds $110-135, and over 85 pounds $95-108.

There were 14,600 carcasses traded on those figures, with 140 weighing 40-45 pounds, 3700 from 45 to 65 pounds, 5100 at 65-75 pounds, 3900 weighing 75-85 pounds and 1800 over 85 pounds. That is 74 percent over 65 pounds, the supposedly best weight.

Included in the estimated 60,000 sheep killed last week were reportedly 2000 packer owned, over 32,000 on a formula basis and 1600 on a negotiated basis. It's hard to know whose tail is wagging this dog. Few lambs are actually sold on the market, and the way things are going there won’t be any lambs sold openly.

In fact, most lambs on the San Angelo market are bought on Mexican orders. That includes a lot of lambs that could be going into feedlots, but are well beyond the pencil.

Slaughter ewe prices were mixed, with Texas ewes weak to $2 lower. There were 9491 slaughter sheep exported to Mexico last week including 7377 ewes and 2114 lambs.

Lamb and mutton imported the week ending December 29 came to 980 metric tons, or around 2.2 million pounds. The total for the year was over 61,000 metric tons, or around 134 million pounds.

In San Angelo feeder lambs weighing 50-60 pounds brought $95-98, 60-70 pounds $81-88, 70-80 pounds $82-85 and 80-90 pounds $68-71. Fredericksburg had lambs 70-80 pounds at $80-85. Junction lambs 50-70 pounds were $80-88, a few to $100, 70-90 pounds $65-78. Midwest markets had 60-80 pound feeders $70-86.25 and 80-105 pounds $60-72.

North Dakota moved 70-75 pound feeder lambs direct at $82.50, 90-95 pounds $67.50 and 105 pounds $61.50. Oregon had 140 pound lambs at $61.50, and Utah lambs weighing 125 pounds went at $62. California feeders of 115-125 pounds made $67.50 and 135 pounds $62-63.

San Angelo had 50-60 pound lambs going to kill at $100-108, a few 68 pounders $97, 70-80 pounds $92-95, 80-90 pounds $76-84, 90-100 pounds $71-75, 100-150 pounds $63-71, and 150-165 pounds $52-60. Fredericksburg lambs 30-70 pounds brought $90-107, 75-130 pounds $62-75, a few 75-100 pounds $75-80. Shorn lambs in St. Paul were $56-58, wooled $52-54. Sioux Falls had wooled lambs $62.25-65.80.

In Texas 95-105 pound slaughter lambs sold direct on Mexican orders at $63-64.

Fat slaughter ewes in San Angelo brought $25-35, fleshy, lean kinds $42-54.50. Midwest ewes were $25-40.