Lamb And Ewe Price Hikes Substantial
Feeder lambs, fat lambs and slaughter ewes enjoyed substantial price hikes this week in most markets and major trading areas. Feeder and fat lambs moved up as much as $5, some fats in San Angelo as much as $9 higher. The small supply of newcrop lambs were frequently up in the $90 range. That figure took both lambs for feeding as well as killers.

Fed Cattle Trade Hits Wall As Feeders, Packers Face Off
S-T-A-N-D-S-T-I-L-L. Spell it as one word or two, it means you’re not going anywhere, and that’s precisely what the fed cattle trade did through the first half of this week.

Ewes To Mexico

Plains Feedlot Sales

Range Sales

Lamb Feeder Hopes Spring 1994 Won’t Come Back To Haunt Him
"If we never have another year like last year, it will be too soon." That sentiment, conveyed by sheepman Ray Broadbent, is a sentiment echoed throughout the country by most all lamb feeders.

Testimony In Three Hearings Portends Fight Over Shiner
State Senator Teel Bivins says whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting, and recent federal hearings here, in Oklahoma and in Kansas featured numerous salvos water, private property rights and the Endangered Species Act.

Cattlemen Viewed Positively By Consumer Thought Leaders
The beef industry continues to achieve favorable ratings from consumer thought leaders despite high visibility of issues such a E .coli 0157:H7 outbreaks and the grazing-fee debate.

Stock-Killing Cat Is Sought In The Wilds — Of England
Even stockmen in Merry England have predator problems, it seems, though many people in that long-tamed land are hard to convince. Perhaps skeptics could learn from the younger generation.

Socialist Public Land Policy Created The West’s Conflicts
Historically, land policy and land use decisions are made in two ways, either by market forces or politically. The former is common in private lands states, the latter throughout public lands states in the West. Such political decision-making is at the heart of the West’s current land-use problems.

Cattleman Urges Compadres To Learn From Pork Industry
An Iowa cattleman is urging the beef industry not to ignore a revolution taking place in his home state.

Democrats’ Idea Of Budget Cut Is To Attack Federal Lessees
Unwilling to offer any legitimate sacrifices but still eager to jump on the budget-cutting bandwagon, several House Democrats have proposed ending $3 billion in annual federal "subsidies" to the mining, livestock and timber industries. They claim such a move would balance the federal budget and help the environment at the same time.

Proposed Meat Inspection Rule Changes Focus On Contamination
After decades of inspection meat and poultry visually, the U.S. Agriculture Department last week announced a rules change proposal that would focus on reducing real bacterial contamination.

New Mexico Stockmen, Miners Get Anonymous Death Threats
Postcard and telephone threats have been received by people identified in a newspaper article as being on the side of ranching and mining in this rural area.

Congress With New Outlook Likely To Restructure ESA
Chances are the Endangered Species Act will be reformed by the new Republican-controlled Congress, but it won't be an easy task, Utah Sen. Bob Bennett warns.

USDA Proposes Grading Change Recommended For Beef By NCA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has proposed a change in the grading standards for carcass beef and slaughter cattle. The change, in line with recommendations made by the National Cattlemen’s Association, would help improve the quality and consistency of beef, saysMarshall King, chairman of the NCA grading committee.

Cattle Numbers Up 2% Jan. 1, Assuming USDA’s Finally Right
The total number of cattle and calves in the United States as of Jan. 1 was 103.3 million head, two percent above the same date in 1994 and four percent above Jan. 1, 1993.

Researchers Studying Cactus As Alternate Source Of Food
Stockmen have been feeding prickly pear to livestock for generations. Now researchers at Texas A&M University-Kingsville are studying its potential as an alternative food source for people.

Wolf Scheme Just Smokescreen For Effort To Remove People
Don’t you have coyotes in Wyoming?" an eastern reporter asked me regarding the opposition of western ranchers to Interior Secretary Babbitt’s $6 million (now $13 million) plan to put wolves in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. I said we did.

New Mexico Farmers Defend CRP, But Might Not Replant Anyway
Bursting from a tangle of winter-dead shrubs, a jackrabbit zigzags through thick lovegrass to a dirt road, skirts a cattle guard, goes under a barbed-wire fence and disappears behind a cactus in a flatland field nearly beyond eyesight.

Now Activists Want To List Prairie Dog As Endangered
A request that could lead to the black-tailed prairie dog being listed as threatened or endangered in Wyoming makes little sense, says to a Sheridan County official.

Ranchers File Suit Over Tortoise Edict
Nevada ranchers have gone to federal court in an effort to convince the government they'll be harmed by grazing restrictions supposedly designed to protect the desert tortoise.

NCA Petition Seeks Carcass Rinse Okay
The National Cattleman’s Assn. has petitioned the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service to allow use of proven alternative technologies that will efficiently achieve the government’s zero-tolerance carcass contamination standard.

La Junta Lightweight Feeders $2-3 Higher
Feeder steers under 500 pounds were $2-3 higher, heavier weights steady to $2 lower, feeder heifers under 500 pounds $2 higher, heavier weights steady to $1 higher, slaughter cows and bulls steady. Receipts totaled 4355 head.

Database Established For U.S./Mexico Trade
The Texas Agricultural Extension Service here is offering a new database called ACTDAT (Alliance of Chihuahua and Texas Database), designed to simplify trade relations between the U.S. and Mexico.

Brush Feeders Lower For Heavier Weights
Feeder steers under 700 pounds and heifers under 500 pounds sold steady, heavier weights weak to $2 lower. Receipts totaled 2845 head.

Estate Planning Meet Set For Feb. 21-22
One of four farm and ranch estate planning seminars scheduled across the state is set for February 21-22 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Convention Center here.

County Versus Federal Rights Seminar Rescheduled
A seminar on county versus federal rights has been rescheduled for Monday, March 13th, at 7:00 p.m. in the San Angelo City Auditorim.

Judge To Grant Jury Trial On Charge Of Killing Rat
Ruling that the case is serious enough, a federal magistrate on Monday granted a jury trial to an immigrant whose Kern County farm is charged with violating the Endangered Species Act for killing a rat.

Traveling Partners Win Big In Saddle Bronc Competition
Todd Hipsag, 23, and Bobby Griswold, 26, travel together, eat together, and compete at rodeos together.

Cattle-Fax Predicts Cattle Numbers Increase To Continue
Cattle producers, taking another step toward a cyclical peak in cattle numbers in 1996-97, will increase beef production again in 1995, predicts the Cattle-Fax market information and analysis service.

NCA President Urges Battle To Maintain Property Rights
Bob Drake, Davis, Okla., newly elected president of the National Cattlemen’s Association, used his acceptance speech to encourage cattlemen to fight for their property rights.

Group To Publicize Farmers’ Eco-Work
A new foundation will publicize farmers' efforts to help the environment and assist them in doing even more, organizers said.

Cattlemen Approve Merger In Meeting
The National Cattlemen's Association voted during their annual convention here last week to consolidate four beef industry groups, a move aimed at increasing political clout and market share.

Most Feeder Steer And Heifer Prices Off, Some Calves Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $2 lower in major trading areas last week, some calves an exception with steady to $2 higher prices.

Texas Fed Cattle Prices Lower In Sluggish Trading Last Week
Slaughter steers and heifers sold mostly $1 lower last week in Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma direct trade.

Angelo Lambs Uneven But Mostly Higher
Feeder lambs sold unevenly here this week, most sales around $5 higher, slaughter lambs $6-9 higher, slaughter ewes firm to $2 higher. Receipts totaled 9612 head.

Most Junction Sheep, Goat Prices Higher
Feeder lambs were poorly tested, slaughter lambs $5-6 higher, slaughter ewes and bucks steady; all stock Angora nannies and muttons $5-8 higher, kids fully steady, slaughter muttons $6-10 higher; Spanish kids $6-10 higher, nannies steady, muttons and billies $5-8 higher. Receipts totaled 3300 head.

Lampasas Feeder Steer, Heifer Trading Firm
Feeder steers and heifers sold firm in active trading, slaughter cows $2-3 higher, bulls steady. Receipts totaled 900 head.

Feeder Cattle Imports On Rise
Fairly liberal numbers of feeder cattle have been coming across the Mexican border this year, pushing numbers up about 21 percent over a year ago.

Kansas Direct Feeder Cattle Prices Lower
Feeder steers weighing 700-825 pounds sold weak to $1 lower last week in Kansas direct trading, heifers 600-700 pounds weak to $1 lower on light offerings. Sales were confirmed on 11,242 head.

Domestic Wool Strong, Aussie Finewool Off
Trade was fairly active on limited supplies of feedlot lamb wool last week, prices firm to 10 cents higher. Too little 12-month wool was available for an adequate test. Colorado feedlots sold approximately 250,000 pounds, including relatively high yielding whiteface 64-70s 2.5-2.8 inch staple, at $1-1.10 f.o.b., crossbred 56-60s 80-85 cents.

Goldthwaite Feeder Lamb Prices Higher
Feeder lambs sold $3-5 higher, slaughter lambs $3-4 higher, newcrops $4-6 higher, slaughter ewes and bucks $2-3 higher; stock Angora nannies $2-3 higher, muttons and kids steady, slaughter muttons and nannies $3-4 higher, kids and yearlings steady; Spanish kids $6-8 higher, nannies, muttons and billies $2-4 higher. Receipts totaled 3500 head.

Most Fredericksburg Feeder Cattle Steady
Feeder steers sold about steady, slaughter cows and bulls $2 higher. Receipts totaled 1394 head.

Cuero Feeder Cattle Prices Some Softer
Feeder steers were in good demand but sold a little softer on lower grades, packer cows and bulls about steady. Receipts totaled 1959 head.

Hindsight

Unregistered Bull in a Hotel Lobby
Choice gleanings from 45-plus years of Unregistered Bull. 
John looked all tuckered out as he slumped in his favorite lobby chair this week. "You’d be exhausted, too," he said, "if you’d just got through tryin’ to explain somethin’ to a Member o’ Congress. I wrote a letter to my congressman this mornin’ an’ I’ll be durned if I hadn’t rather flank calves than try to explain what I want done in Washington. However, I got it wrote. Here’s a copy of the letter."

On The Edge Of Common Sense
By Baxter Black
"What happened to your pickup seat? Is that a buffalo track?"
Well, I guess you had to be there. We had a cow attack.
It all began when me and Roy went out to check the cows.
We’d finished lunch and watched our ‘soap’ and forced ourselves to rouse.

Pokin' Fun
By Doc Blakely
Speaking to the Lawton, Oklahoma realtors recently, I heard an officer give the following report. I asked him for a copy PDQ and this is just FYI:

Shortgrass Country
By Monte Noelke
San Angelo citizens seem to be moving farther away from the ones of us living in the outposts. More and more, businesses over there demand street addresses and reject postal box designations. Paying by check, or using a credit card causes rigamaroles more complicated than passing the citizenship exams down at the federal courthouse.

Views From His Better Half
By Linda Posey
Recently, while visiting with the foreman of another ranch, I heard him say he wished he could clone himself. What a thought! Now, after giving this some thought myself, I have decided that cloning yourself would be great for you but not so good for everyone else.

The Computer & The Cowboy
By C.A. Rodenberger, Ph.D.
Every Sunday morning as I drive to church, I listen to the organic gardening show on the radio. Howard Garret does a segment called "In Howard’s Garden," telling about what he is doing in organic gardening. I guess I need to confess what’s going on in my computer world.