Nation’s Feeder Cattle Mostly
Steady Last Week, Demand Good

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. —(USDA)— Feeder cattle and calves sold mostly steady across the nation last week. The only exception was the Southeast, where prices were mostly $1-2 higher as business returns to normal following the previous week’s heavy rains.

Though prices remained virtually unchanged, the undertone has turned positive along with the mood of most cattle feeders. Tuesday’s CME live cattle contracts saw significant gains, and though feeder cattle buyers are still trying to show caution, trading was reported to be active in most auction and direct markets.

The fat cattle market continues to advance and cattle feeders can almost taste the black ink on the ends of their pens. February and April futures are both trading at a nice premium to current cash levels, and the weekend’s Superbowl may have been the first football game enjoyed by a cattle feeder all year.

A blast of cold and wet weather moved across the center of the United States. Precipitation came largely in the form of ice, and conditions were slippery from West Texas all the way up to eastern Iowa. Any moisture was a welcome sight to the Plains, where conditions are dry and most wheat cattle are receiving supplemental feeding. Many feedlots received their first dose of winter weather, which will slow performance as cattle use more of their energy staying warm and tromping through mud.

The idea that cow-calf producers have been slow to replenish their herds is evidently true. Friday’s cattle inventory report estimated a one percent drop in the 2001 calf crop. This was expected and can be seen in the higher prices recently paid for replacement cattle. Heifers have simply been too valuable to hold back, and many cow-calf regions have been exceptionally dry. The number of beef cow operations in 2001 was down two percent from 2000 and four percent below 1999.

Cow and heiferette feeders in the upper Midwest lost a major market Wednesday, as Federal Beef Processors went up in smoke from an early morning fire. Located in Rapid City, S.D., Federal Beef killed mostly cows but was also an outlet for overweight farmer-fed slaughter steers and heifers.

Offerings weighing more than 600 pounds made up 46 percent of the week's reported volume.

Some trading:

Texas: steers, medium and large No. 1 590 lbs. $90, 625 lbs. $83-83.50, 750-760 lbs. $81.50-83.35, 800 lbs. $79.25; 600-700 lbs. $84-87, 700-800 lbs. $82.50-85.55, 800-825 lbs. $78.50-79.25; 750 lbs. for February-March delivery $81.50-83, 750-775 lbs. for April-May $82.25-83.75, 775 lbs. for June-July $82; 550 lbs. delivered for April-May $97; medium and large No. 1-2 640 lbs. delivered $86, 840 lbs. $77; 750 lbs. for June-July delivery $77; medium and large No. 2-3, Mexico origin 500 lbs. $92-93; 480 lbs. delivered $97, 500 lbs. $92-93, 600 lbs. $86, 725 lbs. $79.50; heifers, medium and large No. 1 590 lbs. $85, 600 lbs. $78-78.50, 725 lbs. $77-79; 525 lbs. delivered $84.50, 600-700 lbs. $79.50-83, 700-750 lbs. $78-79.85; 675 lbs. for April-May delivery $80; 625 lbs. delivered for February-May $81.80, 625-650 lbs. for April-May $82; medium and large No. 1-2 575 lbs. delivered for April-May $82; medium and large No. 2-3 Mexico origin 400 lbs. delivered $92.25, 500-550 lbs. $83-84.

Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 700 lbs. delivered $86, 700-725 lbs. $83, 750-800 lbs. $79-82, 800-835 lbs. $78-81, 900 lbs. $75.50; 750 lbs. for April delivery $82.50; 800 lbs. 50 cents back of the April-May CME board; heifers, medium and large No. 1 725 lbs. $78, 750-775 lbs. $76-76.50; 725 lbs. for March delivery $77.50; 650 lbs. $3.50 back of April CME board, May 1 delivery.

Colorado: steers, medium and large No. 1 load and part-load 800 lbs. $81; load 775 lbs. delivered $80, 800-860 lbs. $79.50-82; auction; medium and large No. 1 350-360 lbs. $118-125, few 400-425 lbs. $108-112, 450-500 lbs. $101-113.50, 500-550 lbs. $97.50-105, 550-600 lbs. $92.75-103, mostly $93.50-99, 600-650 lbs. $85.25-95.85, mostly $87-93, 650-700 lbs. $83.25-90, 700-800 lbs. $79.50-86.75, 800-850 lbs. $77.50-80.25; medium and large No. 1-2 300-400 lbs. $107-116, 400-500 lbs. $98-114.50, mostly $101-107, 600-700 lbs. $82-84.50; heifers, medium and large No. 1 load 480 lbs. delivered $102.50, load 725 lbs. $78.50; string 725 lbs. delivered for May $81; auction; medium and large No. 1 335-380 lbs. $111-116, 400-450 lbs. $95.50-106, 450-500 lbs. $94-102, 500-550 lbs. $83.85-95, mostly $85-91.50, 550-600 lbs. $83-91.25, bulk $84-88.50, 600-650 lbs. $80-85, 650-700 lbs. $77.50-83.35, 700-800 lbs. $77.50-80.50; medium and large No. 1-2 400-500 lbs. $89-103, mostly $90.50-96, 550-600 lbs. $83.85-84, 600-700 lbs. $76-79.50, few 700-750 lbs. $74.25-75.75.

South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 725 lbs. $84, 825 lbs. $82-84.61, outside price delivered, 900 lbs. $77.50-78; heifers, 725 lbs. $78.

Wyoming: steers, medium and large No. 1 600 lbs. $96, 725 lbs. $87, 750-760 lbs. $82-84, 800-815 lbs. $79-82, 850-860 lbs. $78-80; auction; medium and large No. 1 400 lbs. $121, 450-480 lbs. $108.25-114, 500-550 lbs. $102.25-105, 550-600 lbs. $90-102, fancy 550-560 lbs. $104.50-106, 600-650 lbs. $90-96, 650-700 lbs. $86.50-92, 700-800 lbs. $82-86.70, 800-850 lbs. $78.75-82.50, 900 lbs. $80.50; medium and large No. 1-2 580 lbs. $93.25, 710 lbs. $81.25; large No. 1 540 lbs. $95.50; medium No. 1 475 lbs. $88, 600-670 lbs. $84.25-86.25; heifers, medium and large No. 1 480 lbs. $100, 540 lbs. $90.50; 580 lbs. delivered $88, 630 lbs. $84, 700-750 lbs. $77-80, 825-830 lbs. $74-77; auction; medium and large No. 1 380 lbs. $110.75, 440-475 lbs. $99.50-105, fancy 450-465 lbs. $107.25-107.50, 500-550 lbs. $88.50-97.50, fancy 500-525 lbs. $100.50-101.50, 550-600 lbs. $80.75-90.60, 600-650 lbs. $83.25-86, 650-700 lbs. $80-86.50, fancy 670 lbs. $87.25, 700-750 lbs. $79.35-82.85, 750-765 lbs. $80.50-81.50, 800-880 lbs. $77-80.35; medium and large No. 1-2 350 lbs. $97, 515-550 lbs. $88; medium 1 530-560 lbs. $81.25-82.10.

Montana: steers, medium and large No. 1 550-600 lbs. $93.50-100, 600 lbs. $92, 690 lbs. $86, 750-790 lbs. $78-82, 800-850 lbs. $76-80, 900 lbs. $77; auction, 400-500 lbs. $107.50-115.50, 500-550 lbs. $99-108.75, 550-600 lbs. $90.25-100.50, 600-650 lbs. $85.50-92.50, 650-700 lbs. $81.50-89.25, 700-800 lbs. $77.75-85.50, 800-900 lbs. $75-80.50, 900-950 lbs. $74.50-75.10; heifers, 510 lbs. $95, 575 lbs. $87.50, 650 lbs. replacements $86, 700-775 lbs. $75-79; auction, 300-400 lbs. $102-107, 400-450 lbs. $95-105, 450-500 lbs. $93-101, 500-550 lbs. $87-95.50, 550-600 lbs. $83-88, 600-700 lbs. $76.25-85, 700-800 lbs. $74.25-77.35, 800-900 lbs. $72.25-75.50.

Washington, Oregon and Idaho: steers, medium and large No. 1-2 550 lbs. $90-92, 600-650 lbs. $84, 750-800 lbs. $79.50-81, 800-850 lbs. $76-78, 900 lbs. $76-77; 850-900 lbs. delivered $74.50-76; auction, 400-500 lbs. $87.50-99, 500-600 lbs. $84.50-90, 600-700 lbs. $82.50-84, 700-800 lbs. $76-83, 800-900 lbs. $74-77; heifers, 500-550 lbs. $79, 700-750 lbs. $73-78, 850 lbs. $75; auction, 500-600 lbs. $78.50-86, 600-700 lbs. $75.50-82.

Arkansas: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $110-130, few to $132-140, 350-400 lbs. $108-124, 400-450 lbs. $101-115, 450-500 lbs. $96-110.50, 500-550 lbs. $92-104, few to $107, 550-600 lbs. $87-96, 600-700 lbs. $80-89, 700-800 lbs. $76-84; medium and large No. 2 300-350 lbs. $100-110, 350-400 lbs. $95-106, 400-450 lbs. $91-102, 450-500 lbs. $86-96, 500-550 lbs. $82-92, 550-600 lbs. $77-86, 600-700 lbs. $72-80; heifers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $98-108 few $110-114, 350-400 lbs. $94-106, 400-450 lbs. $92-102, 450-500 lbs. $86-96, 500-550 lbs. $82-90, 550-600 lbs. $78-87, 600-700 lbs. $76-84, 700-800 lbs. $72-78; medium and large No. 2 300-350 lbs. $87-97, 350-400 lbs. $85-94, 400-500 lbs. $80-90, 500-600 lbs. $72-81, 600-700 lbs. $67-76.

Kentucky: steers, medium and large No. 1-2 600-700 lbs. $82-89, 700-800 lbs. $77-82, 800-875 lbs. $74-78; auction; medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $113-123.50, 350-400 lbs. $101-110, 400-450 lbs. $100-111, 450-500 85-98, 500-550 lbs. $88-98, 550-600 lbs. $79-89, 600-650 lbs. $77-87, 650-700 lbs. $70-86, 700-800 lbs. $72-83, 800-900 lbs. $68-80; large No. 3 Holsteins 300-400 lbs. $71.50-92.50, 400-500 lbs. $60-83.75, 500-600 lbs. $65-80, 600-700 lbs. $55.50-68, 700-800 lbs. $54.50-64.50, 800-900 lbs. $53-63.15; heifers, medium and large No. 1-2 550-600 lbs. $81-83, 600-700 lbs. $75-80, 700-775 lbs. $72-76; auction; medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $94-104, 350-400 lbs. $82-92, 400-450 lbs. $84-94, 450-500 lbs. $74-84, 500-550 lbs. $78.50-88.50, 550-600 lbs. $70-78, 600-650 lbs. $72-81.30, 650-700 lbs. $65-73, 700-800 lbs. $68-76.

Tennessee: steers, medium and large No. 1 load 650 lbs. $81, load 800 lbs. $78, load 775 lbs. $83.50; medium and large No. 1-2 couple loads 550 lbs. $72; auction; medium and large No. 1-2 200-300 lbs. $115-137, 300-350 lbs. $110-124, 350-400 lbs. $104-117, 400-450 lbs. $98-108, 450-500 lbs. $92-105, few $108, 500-550 lbs. $85-99, 550-600 lbs. $83-94, 600-700 lbs. $75-85.50, 700-800 lbs. $70-79.50; medium and large No. 2 300-350 lbs. $98-118, 350-400 lbs. $90-106, 400-450 lbs. $83-95, 450-500 lbs. $77-92, 500-550 lbs. $73-85, 550-600 lbs. $70-82, 600-700 lbs. $67-77; heifers, medium and large No. 1 load 600 lbs. $81, load 700 lbs. $77, load 675 lbs. $77; auction, medium and large No. 1-2 200-300 lbs. $96-113, 300-350 lbs. $90-107, 350-400 lbs. $87-103, 400-450 lbs. $82-94, 450-500 lbs. $78-88, 500-550 lbs. $75-85.50, 550-600 lbs. $73-80, 600-700 lbs. $69-76, 700-800 lbs. $66-72.

Southeastern complex: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1-2 200-250 lbs. $132-147, 250-300 lbs. $122-140, 300-350 lbs. $117-132, 350-400 lbs. $109-120, 400-450 lbs. $100-112, 450-500 lbs. $92-104, 500-550 lbs. $90-99, 550-600 lbs. $83-94.50, 600-650 lbs. $77-87, 650-700 lbs. $74-81, 700-750 lbs. $72-78, 750-800 lbs. $69-76; heifers, 200-250 lbs. $110-129, 250-300 lbs. $105-117, 300-350 lbs. $99-115, 350-400 lbs. $95-109, 400-450 lbs. $91-99.50, 450-500 lbs. $84-93.50, 500-550 lbs. $80-89, 550-600 lbs. $74-84, 600-700 69-79.