Lamb Prices Steady For The Most Part
Little price change was noted on feeder lambs around the country this week. Exceptions were Junction, as much as $5 higher, and Midwest markets, as much as $3 higher. Slaughter lambs were about the same, though Fredericksburg tacked on $2-5 with lightweights as much as $10 higher, and Midwest markets lost around $2.

Plains Fed Cattle Much Lower, But Market Appears Confused
Record high fed cattle prices of last week gave way to a much lower but uncertain market at midweek.

Texas Slaughter Meat Type Goat Prices Turned Lower This Week
Texas slaughter goats prices bounced downward this week with prices $3-5 lower, some sales off as much as $10.

PLAINS FEEDLOT SALES

RANGE SALES

Long-Retired Cavalry Trooper Eager To Mount Up Even Today
Robert Cooper stands at parade rest on his front porch, feet slightly apart and hands clasped behind his back, surveying the mesquite-filled pasture that is his front yard. The personalized license plates on the big Dodge dually sitting in the circular drive read, "1st CAV."

Duane Gibbs Made His Way First As Auctioneer, Then Cattleman
Duane Gibbs grew up in the Red River bottoms just north of Bonham. For the first half of the 20th century, farming, mainly cotton, was king here. But the young Gibbs never liked hoeing cotton. In fact, he never liked much of anything that had to do with farming, except that driving a tractor gave him an opportunity to practice his auction chants without anyone else hearing him.

Authority Seeking More Water Rights From Area Landowners
The general manager of the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority is talking to Texas Panhandle landowners who are offering to sell more than 100,000 acre-feet of water rights.

Fish, Wildlife Service Pegs Spending Priority On Trout
While the Bush administration is trying to raise money for Iraq and politicians are wrangling over health care and infrastructure costs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is promising environmental activists that they will spend money on trout before they consider any other purpose.

TAMU Geneticists Studying Several Sheep Composites
The term "composite" has been a buzzword in the cattle business for some time now. Many sheep producers don’t realize there are composite breeds in the sheep world, too.

Full Court Declines To Hear Another Beef Checkoff Appeal
A federal appeals court declined last Friday to rehear its decision that the national beef checkoff program is unconstitutional.

Greens Hate Grazing, But Only By Cattle
Environmental extremists demonstrated here this month in front of the regional Forest Service offices over the agency's decision to remove more wild horses from the Jicarilla Wild Horse Territory in New Mexico.

Regional Water Supply Topic Of NM Meeting
Regional water supplies will be the topic of conversation at a meeting of the United States Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission public meeting next week.

Del Rio Warehouse Sells Fall Mohair
Some 25,000 pounds of fall yearling mohair sold in a sealed bid offering Friday at Val Verde Wool & Mohair Inc. Number one fall yearling brought $2.50, No. 2 $2 and adult hair $1. Another 5000 pounds of fine adult sold for $1.08.

Mortensen Just Keeps Adding To Storybook Rodeo Career
An 18-foot bronze statue stands in front of the Metra Arena in Billings, Mont., a monument honoring the city’s favorite son, six-time PRCA world champion Dan Mortensen.

Fed Cattle Prices Reach Levels Even Optimists Never Imagined
Slaughter steers and heifers sold $12-14 higher last week, soaring into areas never thought of before. Market lines were vague at midweek as packers needed numbers at any cost to fulfill out-front contracts that came due.

Cattle On Feed Off 2 Percent Nationwide In 1000-Head Lots
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter October 1 in feedlots with a capacity of 1000 or more head totaled 10.2 million head, two percent below last year and eight percent below two years ago.

Yearling Feeder Cattle Trade Scarce, Other Classes Higher
Yearling feeder cattle prices were poorly tested across the country last week as supplies have been exhausted.

Angelo Feeder Lambs Steady, Cattle Higher
Feeder lambs sold steady this week, slaughter lambs weak, slaughter ewes weak to $1 lower; nannies were steady and kids $5-10 lower. Receipts totaled 10,824 head, around 20 percent slaughter ewes, 15 percent feeder lambs, five percent slaughter lambs, and 60 percent goats.

Boxed Beef Values Go Through Ceiling
The national comprehensive boxed beef cutout report on all fed steers and heifers sold last week was up $23.77 at $171.64, a 16 percent increase for the week and up 23 percent for the last two weeks. The average prices showed a $23.19 spread between Choice and Select beef.

September Red Meat, Poultry Below Year Ago
Total red meat supplies in freezers on September 30 were down 16 percent from a year ago at 834.5 million pounds. Poultry supplies were down 17 percent at 1.26 billion pounds.

Coleman Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $2 higher, the advance on weights under 500 pounds, slaughter cows and bulls $3-5 higher, stock cows and pairs steady to firm. Receipts totaled 769 head.

Milano Cattle Prices Find Declining Values
Feeder calves sold $2-4 lower, yearling steers $5-7 lower, heifers $3-5 lower, slaughter cows and bulls steady to $1 lower. Receipts totaled 1419 head.

U.S. Meat Production 7.7% Below A Year Ago
Total red meat production under federal inspection last week was estimated at 881.5 million pounds, .4 percent less than a week earlier and 7.7 percent less than a year ago. Cumulative meat production for the year to date was down .8 percent at 36.9 million pounds.

Abilene Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Lower
Feeder steers and heifers sold $2-3 lower, instances $5 lower, slaughter cows and bulls steady to $2 higher, stock cows and pairs $10-20 lower. Receipts totaled 1990 head.

Llano Feeder Steers, Heifers Off Sharply
Feeder steers and heifers sold $4-7 lower, slaughter cows and bulls $2-4 higher. Receipts totaled 809 head.

Fredericksburg Fat Lambs Up, Kids Off
Feeder lambs sold steady to firm, slaughter lambs $3-5 higher, lightweights $5-10 higher higher, slaughter goats $3-5 lower. Receipts totaled 3189 head.

Goldthwaite Lambs Firm, Goats Lower
Slaughter lambs sold steady to firm, slaughter goats $3-5 lower. Receipts totaled 3343 head.

Brownwood Steers Off, Heifer Prices Steady
Feeder steers sold steady to $4 lower, heifers steady, slaughter cows and bulls steady to $2 lower, stock cows and pairs steady. Receipts totaled 597 head.

Hamilton Sheep, Goats, Cattle Prices Steady
Sheep and goats sold steady Monday on receipts of 2948 head. Tuesday cattle prices were steady on 745 head.

Most Mason, San Saba Feeder Cattle Strong
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to strong last week in Mason and San Saba, slaughter cows and bulls $5-10 higher. A special bull sale offered 28 Chi-Angus that averaged $1475 with a top price of $3500. Receipts totaled 1360 head at the two sales.

Colorado City Feeder Cattle Prices Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $3 higher, the advance on weights under 500 pounds, slaughter cows and bulls $3-4 higher, stock cows and pairs steady. Receipts totaled 514 head.

Most Comanche Feeder Cattle Trends Lower
Feeder steers and heifers sold $3-5 lower, slaughter cows $2-5 higher, bulls $2-4 higher. Receipts totaled 753 head.

Junction Lambs Higher, Slaughter Kids Lower
Feeder lambs sold $5 higher, meat type slaughter kids $5 lower, other sheep and goats steady. Receipts totaled 4576 head.

Most Lampasas Cattle Prices Called Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold $1-2 higher, slaughter cows $6-7 higher, bulls $1-2 higher. Receipts totaled 1072 head.

Decatur Feeder Calf, Yearling Trade Lower
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $2 lower, slaughter cows and bulls steady to $3 higher, stock cows and pairs in good demand. Receipts totaled 2545 head.

Superior Livestock Video Sale Offering Totals 29,800 Cattle
Superior Livestock Auction offered 29,800 feeder cattle and bred cows in their regularly scheduled video sale. Yearling steers sold steady to $3 lower, heifers $3-5 lower, calves fully steady.

Domestic Wool, Mohair Slow, Aussie Wool Off
Wool trading remained seasonally slow, supplies light and demand light to moderate.

Coming Up...
October 23 — Special Bull Offering, Jordan Cattle Auction, San Saba, Texas. October 25 — Special Replacement Female Sale, Jordan Cattle Auction, San Saba, Texas. October 27 — Special Stocker and Feeder Sale, Jordan Cattle Auction, Mason, Texas.