Top-Heavy Lamb Prices Turn Shaky
Trends on the top-heavy slaughter lamb market were highly mixed this week as packer buyers tried to hold the line on costs in view of the vulnerability of record high price levels.

Packers Roll Bids Back $2, Thumbing Noses At Cowboys
You’ve got to hand it to the packers — it takes brass to try to peel $2 off the live market when beef is going up and most of the working industry is already mad as hell over what it considers blatant price manipulation.

Cape Mohair Sale Up 10-15% On Kid
South Africa’s Cape mohair sale Tuesday offered 1.1 million pounds and sold 90 percent.

Plains Feedlot Sales

Range Sales

Unlike Ancestors, Mort Mertz Is Rancher First And Foremost
Mort Mertz has banking in his blood but not in his heart. Unlike two generations of Mertzes before him, he never had the desire to put on a suit and be tied to an office on a daily basis. He’s been in the cattle and sheep business full-time since he graduated from college.

Effort Underway To Ease Rules Limiting Small Packer Outlets
As politicians and industry leaders belatedly begin addressing the issue of packer monopolies, a group of state officials are offering at least a partial answer — ditch a 30 year-old law that ties the hands of small packers and prevents them from competing against the industry giants.

Agriculture Has Large Stake In Survival Of Horse Racing
Scott Wells wasn't yet in his teens when he moved to the Land of Enchantment and his life forever changed.

Property Rights, Resource Issues Stalled In Congress
When it convened in January 1995, the new majority leadership of the 104th Congress began in earnest to address natural resources policy issues. Recently, that early fervor has been dimmed by the frustration of the legislative process.

Judge Strikes Key Policies In Clinton Range Regulation
A federal judge has reversed parts of the Clinton administration’s 1995 rangeland "reforms" that he said would wreak havoc with an industry Congress has tried to protect.

Tobacco Industry Turns Tables On Junk Science With Milk Ads
Milk causes cancer! No, of course not, but there’s a statistical link, says the tobacco industry, and it’s as strong as or stronger than some of the links touted between cancer and their products.

Farm Bureau, CFTC Tackling Hedge-To-Arrive Controversy
The Iowa Farm Bureau is launching a program to head off future disputes over controversial hedge-to-arrive grain sale contracts. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, meanwhile, is investigating the practice to see if is even legal.

Junk Food, Breakfast Cereal Finding Way Into Feed Rations
Undersized cornflakes and stale cookies — maybe even Gummi Bears — will be on the menu for many cattle and hogs this spring.

Government’s Wolves Caught Harassing Cows
A Montana rancher says he fired at two wolves to chase them from cattle they were harassing.

Iowa Approves Aid For New Beef Plant
Iowa is backing plans to build a state-of-the-art beef processing plant.

Beef Buyers Tour Texas Facilities
The U.S. Meat Export Federation joined in cooperation with the Texas beef producers June 3-4 in promoting U.S. beef to buyers from Central and South America.

TexDot Okays Mowing, Baling Along Roads
Ranchers struggling to feed livestock during the drouth will be able to mow grass along some roads to feed the animals, the Texas Department of Transportation said last week.

Feeder Cattle Prices Higher Across The Country Last Week
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $4 higher around the country last week, mostly $1-3 higher.

Steers, Heifers $2-4 Higher In Angelo Special Feeder Sale
Steers and heifers sold $2-4 higher Monday in the season’s second special feeder sale at Producers Livestock Auction.

Domestic Wool Slow, Weak, Aussie Finewools Decline
Trading on domestic wool was generally slow last week. Demand was light and limited sales were steady to weak.

Texas Fed Cattle Prices Up Again In One Day Movement
Slaughter steers and heifers sold $1 higher in Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma feedlot trading last week, the bulk moving on Thursday.

Angelo Feeder Lambs Steady, Cattle Higher
Feeder lambs sold steady this week, slaughter lambs not well tested, slaughter ewes steady to weak. Two day receipts totaled 15,952 head.

Junction Lambs Off, Most Angoras Steady
Fat and feeder lambs sold $2-3 lower, slaughter ewes steady, stock ewes steady to $3 lower; Angora goats steady except fat nannies and muttons $1-4 lower; Spanish goats steady except kids $1-2 higher. Receipts totaled 5208 head.

Most Lampasas Feeder Steer Prices Steady
Feeder steers were generally steady, heifers steady to $2 higher, slaughter cows and bulls steady to $2 higher. Receipts totaled 732 head.

Most Giddings Cattle Prices Climb Higher
All classes of cattle and calves sold $3-5 higher. Receipts totaled 985 head.

Most Fredericksburg Cattle Prices Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold $4-6 higher, slaughter cows and bulls $2-3 higher. Receipts totaled 1012 head.

Cuero Feeder Cattle Trade Mostly Steady
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady in active trade, slaughter cows higher. Receipts totaled 2616 head.

San Saba, Brownwood, Mason Cattle Steady
Stocker steer calves sold steady last week in Mason, Brownwood and San Saba, heifer calves steady to strong, feeder steer and heifer yearlings steady, packer cows and bulls strong. Receipts totaled 1681 head at the three sales.

Kansas Direct Feeder Cattle Prices Higher
Feeder steers sold steady to $3 higher in Kansas direct trade last week, heifers steady to $1 higher. Sales were confirmed on 16,358 head.

U.S. Meat Production .6% Below A Year Ago
Total red meat production under federal inspection last week was estimated at 843.5 million pounds, 2.2 percent more than a week earlier and .6 percent less than a year ago. Cumulative meat production for the year to date was 1.7 percent more than the same period a year ago.

El Reno Feeder Lambs Trade Lower Last Week
Feeder lambs sold $3-4 lower except blackfaces, which were steady with the previous week’s decline, slaughter ewes firm to $3 higher. Receipts totaled 1200 head.

Hindsight

Unregistered Bull in a Hotel Lobby
Choice gleanings from 45-plus years of Unregistered Bull.
"Come here," said John. "I want to get your idea, not that I expect it’ll be worth much, on a retirement plan I’ve figured out. My ambition is to retire before I get so tired I don’t have any ambition.

On The Edge Of Common Sense
By Baxter Black
THE MISSING LINK
It arched across the cloudless sky like someone throwin' chum
But they weren't fishin'; no my friends, the object was a thumb
It launched from Kenneth's dally when his heelin' rope came tight
And whizzed by Eddie's horse's head and disappeared from sight.

Pokin' Fun
By Doc Blakely
How do words get into a dictionary? Who makes the decision to add/take from our language? I would like to get my hands on him and Websterize his brain with a real hard Funk and Wagnall. Some eggheads belong to the word-a-week club so they can come up with new sounds to pollute literature with the latest obstacle to international understanding.

Shortgrass Country
By Monte Noelke
Air time from San Angelo to Philadelphia takes right at five hours. The big hump to overcome is landing and taking off again in Dallas.