Lamb Prices Bouncing Up And Down
Lamb prices were a little topsy-turvy this week on both fats and feeders. Record high price levels on both classes began to soften in some areas, while other markets may be just catching up with those highs.

Slaughter Cattle Price Rally Sparked By Limit-Up On Board
The fed cattle market was a tooth-pulling affair this week, but this time, for a change, it was the feedlots doing the pulling. The futures board handed them the forceps.

PLAINS FEEDLOT SALES

RANGE SALES

Illinois Feeder Buys Quality Cattle Out Of The Southeast
Illinoian Don Willrett feeds a number of calves from the Southeast. They’re not what might be envisioned as "typical" southeastern cattle, however. They’re home-raised, weaned and preconditioned, with all their proper shots and boosters.

Horse Politics Low Profile, But Results Have Big Impact
Congress has long been accused of horsing around, but when laws affect a specific industry, politics can be highly personal.

Wyoming Softens Buffalo Bangs Bill; Federals Decline Funding
A bill designed to send a message that Wyoming is working hard to keep its status as a brucellosis-free state was sent to the floor Monday by a House panel.

Technicalities Delay Further Work On Farm Bill In Congress
House and Senate leaders have let more than a week pass without naming negotiators to work out a compromise farm bill, but aides say congressional staff have begun informal talks.

Scientists’ Cloning Experiment Could Produce Sheep In Volume
In a feat never before accomplished in mammals, scientists have found a way to turn a laboratory dish full of cells into hundreds of genetically identical sheep.

Researchers Study Rangeland As "Greenhouse Gas"
Since the last Ice Age, levels of carbon dioxide in the earth's atmosphere have more than doubled. Researchers debate whether this "greenhouse effect" will eventually lead to global warming, but they agree that the world's vegetation, which uses carbon dioxide to make plant foods, is reducing any potential impact.

Increasing Compromises Fuel Complaints Over Grazing Bill
A public lands organization is urging its members to oppose the latest draft of legislation designed to help ranchers who graze livestock on public land.

Chad Klein Earns Big Check, All-Around Title At
Chad Klein, a 22 year-old roughstock rider from Jackson, La., took home $17,959 from the recent $537,040 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. With that he clinched the all-around title, beating the 1995 world champion all-around cowboy, Joe Beaver, by $786.

Blaming Cows For L.A. Smog Doesn’t Hold Up
A new study shows that urban cars produce far more air pollution than suburban cows, suggestions by this city’s mayor notwithstanding.

Academics In A Huff Over Fossil Measure
f fossils can’t be kept out of the hands of common folk, they might just as well turn to dust. That’s the attitude — if somewhat more bluntly stated than they would like — taken by archeological elitists.

Angelo State Offers Seminar On Exporting
Angelo State University’s International Trade Office and Small Business Development Center will offer a seminar March 21 for individuals interested in learning more about exporting.

TCFA Plans National Conference April 2
The Texas Cattle Feeders Association is sponsoring a national conference on optimizing cattle performance April 2 at the Ambassador Hotel here.

Simplot Inks Joint Japan Beef Venture
The J.R. Simplot Co. has entered into an agreement with a Japan-based company to increase production of beef for the Japanese market.

Superior Livestock Video Sale Offering Totals 13,000 Cattle
Superior Livestock Auction offered more than 13,000 cattle in their regular video auction here. Consignments came from 22 states and Mexico.

Feeder Cattle Prices Decline As Many Factors Exert Squeeze
The slaughter cattle market, feed costs, and weather all pulled against feeder cattle demand last week. Feeder steers and heifers sold mostly steady to $3 lower across the country, a few places $3-4 lower. Kentucky, Wyoming, and Montana were exceptions with some calves steady to $2 higher.

Texas Fed Cattle Prices Pushed Lower By Declining Beef Values
Slaughter steers and heifers sold $3 lower last week in Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma feedlot trading. Trade was slow to moderate most of the week, the best movement on Wednesday.

Angelo Feeder Lambs Strong, Cattle Soft
Feeder lambs sold firm this week, oldcrops up to $2 higher, slaughter lambs weak to $2 lower, slaughter ewes steady. Receipts totaled 8707 head.

Most Fredericksburg Cattle Prices Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold $2 higher, slaughter cows and bulls $1 higher. Receipts totaled 1534 head.

U.S. Meat Production 1% Above A Year Ago
Total red meat production under federal inspection last week was estimated at 807.6 million pounds, 3.6 percent less than a week earlier and one percent more than the same week a year ago. Cumulative meat production for the year to date was 3.5 percent more than the same period a year ago.

Kansas Feeder Cattle Sell Lower Last Week
Feeder steers sold $1 lower early last week in Kansas direct trade, late sales $2 off, heifers mostly $1 lower late. Weather was cold with some light snow. Receipts totaled 9003 head.

Most Cuero, Victoria Feeder Cattle Higher
Feeder cattle prices moved higher last week in Victoria and Cuero, slaughter cows steady, bulls higher. Receipts at the two sales totaled 1186 head.

Junction Sheep, Most Angora Prices Steady
Feeder lambs, slaughter lambs, slaughter ewes and bucks sold steady, stock ewes not tested; Stock Angora nannies and muttons steady, kids $2 lower; Spanish kids $1-3 lower, nannies steady, muttons and billies steady to instances $10 higher. Receipts totaled 5400 head.

Better Feeders Sell Higher At Giddings
Good quality feeder steer and heifer calves and yearlings sold strong to instances $2 higher, slaughter cows fully $2 higher, bulls steady. Receipts totaled 623 head.

San Saba, Brownwood, Mason Feeders Steady
Trade was active and demand good at Mason, Brownwood and San Saba auctions last week, feeder steers and heifers steady, slaughter cows $1-2 higher, slaughter bulls $1 higher and stock cows and pairs steady. Receipts at the three auctions totaled 2445 head.

Domestic Wool Slow, Aussie Wools Softer
Trading on domestic wool was nearly at a standstill last week, sales too few to establish an adequate test. Most mills remained cautious in the face of limited new orders, and the Australian market slipped to the lowest level of the season.

Matter Of Horse Apple Disposal Consumes Many Taxpayer Dollars
In our mind’s eye, the romance of the Old West conjures up images of horses grazing over large grass-filled plains. This impression quickly fades when reality kicks in. Today, most horses live where most of the people are. This is true even in the state of Texas — long noted as one of the leading horse producing states and still heavily saturated with the mythic of the Old West.

HINDSIGHT

Letter To The Editor

On The Edge Of Common Sense
By Baxter Black
The cow went down in the pasture. I took it as a sign.
Like lightning striking my saddle horn or guppies in the wine.

Unregistered Bull in a Hotel Lobby
Choice gleanings from 45-plus years of Unregistered Bull.
"This excitement about the RFC," said John, "sure puts a crimp in my plans." "How come?" I bit. "You promised one of the waitresses a mink coat or something?"

Pokin' Fun
By Doc Blakely
Getting to North Dakota is quite a chore; getting to Williston, North Dakota, in the winter time is a miracle. Out of Minot, North Dakota, my airline ticket showed that I changed to Air Kangaroo for the short hop to Williston. Since there was a line of Indians in front of the counter being frisked for tomahawks, I just picked up the phone and called the agent. He had to answer.

Shortgrass Country
By Monte Noelke
Maps of the Amazon trace close to 3000 miles of meandering stream. The guide on the riverboat in January sold me a detailed map of our trip, colored in by his wife and kids, for 10 bucks.