Fat, Feeder Lambs, Lamb Meat Higher
Everything was on the rise this week in the sheep trade. Everything but the numbers, that is, and they remain short.

Plains Fed Cattle Trade Early Following Last Week's Standoff
Last week's Canadian "mad cow" scare was short-lived news. Packers stayed out of the market for the week, either because of uncertainty or a failed attempt to capitalize on it, but they were back with steady to slightly higher bids by Wednesday of this week.

Texas Meat Type Slaughter Kid Goats Find Higher Market Again
Meat type slaughter kid goat prices rebounded this week with most sales $2-10 higher.

PLAINS FEEDLOT SALES

RANGE SALES

Lifelong Rancher Attributes Success To Unity Of Family
 For Gene Walker it's always been about family — family and ranching, that is. For him the two are one in the same. That strong family foundation has kept six generations of Walkers on the land.

Canada BSE Count Still At One, But The Border Remains Closed
Good news was coming out of Canada this past week. It appears that the occurrence of "mad cow" disease in one beef animal in northern Alberta may in fact be limited to that one animal.

Senate Passes Bill To Clarify Ground Water Permit Process
Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, passed legislation through the Texas Senate this month that clarifies the process for ground water permit applications and rulemaking.

Kansas Brothers Run Business With A Big-Picture Mentality
Tracy Brunner is a big-picture kind of guy. In his mind, that big picture is relatively simple. As is the case for all businesses, the "big picture" it boils down to return on investment.

EPA Head Whitman Resigning, To Be Effective In Late June
Christie Whitman, often at odds with the Bush White House over environmental issues and a lightning rod for the administration's critics, resigned Wednesday as head of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Dormant Panhandle Water Group Reactivated, Seeking Permits
Of the 580,000 acres that make up Roberts County, almost half is controlled by groups wanting to pump water from beneath the Texas Panhandle county and transport it out of the county.

Economist Foresees Significant Ag Exports To Cuba In Future
It will never be the largest market for U.S. agricultural products, says Dr. Parr Rosson, an economist with Texas A&M University and head of the Center for North American Studies, but Cuba would be a reliable market.

COOL Amendment To Add Poultry And Goat Meat
U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Tex., has introduced legislation that would correct what he terms a clear inequity in the current country of origin labeling law.

Study's Authors Urge Caution In Applying Findings To COOL
A number of supporters of mandatory country of origin labeling meeting here this month with USDA officials cited a study released by Colorado State University concerning the controversial issue of whether consumers will pay a premium for U.S. beef.

Court Reinstates Suits Against Excel
A Wisconsin state appeals court last week reinstated 14 lawsuits against a meat company accused of supplying Wisconsin restaurants with contaminated beef that sickened dozens of people and led to a girl's death.

BAILING HAY sometimes involves bailing anything else that might be in the field. This rattlesnake came out looking for a fight after being caught up in the process of making round bales on John Moreland’s place east of San Angelo recently. Nobody was hurt, but handlers of bales might give ‘em a little push and check for noises from the bale before getting close and personal. Could be more than feed there.

U.S. Textile Industry Decries Vietnam Deal
The American Sheep Industry Association reports that the U.S. textile industry received bad news last month when U.S. government officials confirmed what many industry members had feared — the conclusion of an agreement between the United States and Vietnam that will allow the latter to ship approximately $1.65 billion worth of textile goods into the United States during 2003 and an even larger amount in subsequent years.

Major Implant, Wormer Theft Facing Scrutiny
Panhandle law enforcement officers are investigating the recent theft of more than $34,000 worth of feedlot pharmaceuticals.

Hearings Underway On Dairy Industry
Congressman Gil Gutknecht, Chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition, and Forestry, convened his first hearing this past week to review the state of the nation's dairy industry and gather information to provide a basis for future dairy policy discussions.

Nation’s Feeder Yearlings Lower Last Week, Calves Mostly Steady
Feeder steer and heifer prices ended steady to $1 higher across the country last week. Weakness was noted on weights over 800 pounds, as supplies of those types remain heavy with the last of the graze-out yearlings coming to town.

Domestic Wool Trade Still Slow, Aussie Wool Prices Lower Again
Domestic wool trading remains virtually at a standstill in most areas again.

Fed Cattle Prices Lower Last Week, Trade At Near Standstill
Slaughter cattle trading was moderately tested in the northern area last week. Sales through mid-day Friday were $2 lower both live and dressed basis. Trading was at a near standstill in the southern plains with sellers taking a wait-and-see posture to lower packer bids.

Superior Livestock Video Sale Offering Totals 27,800 Cattle
Superior Livestock Auction offered 27,800 feeder cattle in their regularly scheduled video sale. Yearling steers sold $2 higher, heifers $2-4 higher, calves steady.

Angelo Lambs Higher, Feeder Cattle Weak
Feeder lambs sold firm to $3 higher this week, slaughter lambs mostly $4-6 higher, slaughter ewes weak to $2 lower; slaughter meat type kid goats were $5-10 higher, nannies firm to $2 higher. Receipts totaled 7321 head, around 25 percent slaughter ewes, 15 percent slaughter lambs, 10 percent feeder lambs and 50 percent goats.

Fredericksburg Fat Lambs, Goats Higher
Feeder lambs sold steady, slaughter lambs $3-5 higher except lightweights steady, slaughter goats $5-7 higher, stock goats steady. Receipts totaled 3307 head.

Boxed Beef Values Reach New High Level
The national comprehensive boxed beef cutout value on all fed steers and heifers sold last week showed an advance of $1.40 to reach $130.73, the highest level since the report began last September.

Milano Feeder Steers Rise, Heifers Steady
Feeder steers sold firm to $1 higher, heifers steady, slaughter cows and bulls $1-2.50 higher. Receipts totaled 828 head.

Llano Lightweight Feeder Cattle Higher
Feeder steers and heifers under 650 pounds sold $4-5 higher, heavier weights steady, slaughter cows $2 higher, bulls steady. Receipts totaled 321 head.

Abilene Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Mixed
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $1 higher, the advance on weights over 500 pounds, slaughter cows and bulls $1-2 higher, stock cows and pairs steady to $10 lower. Receipts totaled 852 head.

Lampasas Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Lower
Feeder steers and heifers sold $1-3 lower, slaughter cows and bulls $1-2 higher. Receipts totaled 1048 head.

Colorado City Feeder Cattle Prices Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold $1-3 higher, slaughter cows $2 higher, bulls $2-3 higher, stock cows and pairs steady.

Most Junction Sheep Steady, Kids Higher
Small slaughter kids sold $1-2 higher, other classes of sheep and goats steady. Receipts totaled 1610 head.

U.S. Meat Production 2.4% Above A Year Ago
Total red meat production under federal inspection last week was estimated at 921.5 million pounds, 1.2 percent more than a week earlier and 2.4 percent more than a year ago. Cumulative meat production for the year to date was down .7 percent at 18.08 billion pounds.

Coleman Feeder Steer, Heifer Trends Decline
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $1 lower, slaughter cows and bulls steady, stock cows steady. Receipts totaled 825 head.

Most Cuero Cattle Prices Hold Steady
All cattle classes sold steady on receipts of 1559 head.

Goldthwaite Lambs Steady, Goats Higher
Slaughter lambs sold steady, stock goats steady, slaughter goats $2-3 higher. Receipts totaled 2031 head.

Mason, San Saba Feeder Cattle Prices Strong
Feeder steer and heifer calves and yearlings sold strong last week in Mason and San Saba, slaughter cows and bulls $3-5 higher, stock cows and pairs steady. Receipts totaled 1150 head at the two sales.

Loose Ends

Letter To The Editor

Coming Up...
May 31 — Risinger Ranch’s Complete Herd Dispersal, Jordan Cattle Auction, San Saba, Texas. May 31 — Special Replacement Female Sale, Jordan Cattle Auction, San Saba, Texas. May 31 — Special Boer Goat Sale, Lometa Commission Company, Lometa, Texas.