Lamb Prices Closing Year On High Note
Feeder lamb prices the last few weeks have been at record high levels while fat lambs are not at their highest peaks, but still above prices historically paid at this time of year. Most Texas markets will be closed for the next two holiday weeks.

Fed Cattle Still Current, But Market Still Slipping
In what has become exasperating to many cattle feeders, Plains fed cattle supplies remain perhaps as current as they’ve ever been, but the market continues to settle like a house on a sandhill.

Plains Feedlot Sales

Range Sales

Self-Taught Saddle Maker Sparks Contest Among Peers
"Ever since I can remember, I'd take a saddle apart and put it back together," Howard Munsell says. "That was the kind of repairman I was. I was a cowboy in California at one time and worked on a ranch with a pretty good saddle maker. Watching him fascinated me, but I wasn't a saddle maker. I didn't help him. I just watched what he did.

NM AG’s Office Reviewing Flap On Predator Records
New Mexico Attorney General Tom Udall's office is reviewing whether the State Land Office must publicly disclose records it obtained from a federal agency to help in deciding to lift a ban on a predator control program.

Beef Industry On The Mend, 1997 To Be Average, But 1998 Better
Cattlemen attending the Kansas Livestock Association’s annual meeting here recently heard that the industry’s fortunes are beginning to look up, and an even brighter forecast for 1998.

Rodeo Bullfighter Is Thankful Last Bull Just Broke His Neck
This is the second time in the last 16 years that Rob Smets hasn't been at the National Finals Rodeo to compete. The reason is the same for both absences —a broken neck.

Clinton Treasury Secretary "Encouraging" On Tax Issue
Sens. Byron Dorgan and Max Baucus said last week they held "encouraging" talks with Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin about a new ruling that threatens to hit thousands of farmers with an unexpected tax bill next spring, but received no firm commitment.

US Premium Beef Sets Million Head Goal; 800,000 Committed
Vertical integration is underway in the beef industry today. Large processors are already buying cattle and backing down the chain, and in board rooms all across America there are discussions about how to get involved in this process.

Attorneys General From Several States Want Packer Regulation
The federal government should tighten regulation of the meatpacking industry and require packers to say how much they pay for livestock, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and 19 of his colleagues have urged.

Sheepmen Seek Other Promotion Fund Plan
All interested sheep producers are invited to an informal meeting called late last week by the Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers Association to discuss possible alternative plans for a promotion program now that the national checkoff referendum has "unofficially" failed.

Canadian River Boundary Dispute Enters Round Two
The Canadian River hardly would merit creek status in other parts of the state.

IBP Head Lectures Cattlemen At South Dakota Beef Summit
The chairman of the world's largest meatpacking company last week denied accusations of price-fixing, monopolies and collusion in the industry.

Judges’ Panel Hears Arguments In Edwards Aquifer Challenge
A three-judge panel heard arguments last week between the Sierra Club and people who pump water from the Edwards Aquifer system, who are appealing a federal court ruling that imposed limits on their use of the aquifer.

Coggins Test Rules To Apply On All Horse Movement Jan. 1
Beginning Jan. 1, virtually all activities involving horses in the state of Texas will require a paper trail, the most important piece of that paper being a negative Coggins test.

S. Texas Cattle Feeders Hear Of Grade Change Implications
On January 31, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will implement a change in the standards for grades of carcass beef. Under the new rules, all carcasses with overall maturity scores of "B" and with "slight" and "small" degrees of marbling will be excluded from the Choice and Select grades and placed in the Standard grade.

Old Fort Richardson Getting Spruced Up
At an old Texas fort once used to mount Indian campaigns, a cooperative effort between state park officials, residents and conservationists is helping to put a new face on historical resources.

Feeder Cattle Prices Generally Moved A Little Higher Last Week
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $1 higher around the country last week, instances $2 up.

Texas Fed Cattle Prices Move Lower Again, Feedlots Current
Slaughter steers and heifers sold $2 lower in Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma feedlot trading.

Feeders Sell Firm To $1 Higher In Angelo Special Sale Monday
Steers and heifers were firm to instances $1 higher Monday in the season’s tenth special feeder sale at Producers Livestock Auction. Most of the increase was on 700-800 pound steers.

Superior Livestock Video Sale Offering Totals 24,000 Cattle
Superior Livestock Auction offered close to 24,000 head of feeder cattle in their regularly scheduled video sale. Consignments were from 22 states and Mexico.

Angelo Feeder Lambs, Cattle Trade Lower
Feeder lambs sold $3-5 lower this week than the previous week’s sharply higher market, slaughter lambs $2-4 higher, slaughter ewes firm to $2 higher. The supply was mostly slaughter ewes, around 25 percent lambs and 20 percent goats. Receipts totaled 15,057 head.

Lampasas Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Higher
Feeder steers were steady to $3 higher, the advance on weights over 500 pounds, heifers steady to $3 higher, slaughter cows and bulls $2 lower. Receipts totaled 1448 head.

Domestic Wool Slow, Aussie Finewools Up
Trading on domestic wool was slow under light buyer demand.

Fredericksburg Feeder Cattle Prices Higher
Feeder steers and heifers weighing 300-500 pounds sold $1-2 higher, other weights steady, slaughter cows and bulls $1-2 lower. Receipts totaled 2108 head.

Goldthwaite Feeder Lambs Sharply Higher
Feeder lambs sold $8-10 higher, slaughter ewes and bucks steady to $1 higher; all classes of Angora goats mostly steady; Spanish stock nannies steady, all classes slaughter steady to $2 higher. Receipts totaled 6000 head.

Most Colorado City Cattle Prices Higher
All classes of feeder steers and heifers sold $1 higher, instances $2-4 higher, slaughter cows and bulls fully steady to $1 higher. Receipts totaled 628 head.

Llano Feeder Cattle Find Softer Market
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $2 lower, slaughter cows and bulls steady to $2 higher. Receipts totaled 289 head.

Mexican Feeder Cattle Imports Reach 18,000
Mexican feeder cattle crossing into the U.S. through Texas and New Mexico import facilities last week totaled 18,000 head compared to 25,983 for the same period a year ago.

Kansas Direct Feeder Cattle Slow, Steady
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady in Kansas direct trading in a very limited test. Warm weather set new daytime highs. Sales were confirmed on 4147 head.

Brownwood, San Saba, Mason Steers Higher
Feeder steers sold strong in Mason, Brownwood and San Saba last week, steers over 700 pounds $1-3 higher, lightweights steady to $3 higher, heifers steady, slaughter cows $2 lower, bulls steady, pairs and bred stock cows steady to $40 higher. Receipts totaled 3562 head at the three sales.

U.S. Meat Production .6% Below A Year Ago
Total red meat production under federal inspection last week was estimated at 825.5 million pounds, down .1 percent from the previous week and .6 percent less than the same week a year ago. Cumulative meat production for the year to date was 1.2 percent less than the comparable period last year at 40.6 billion pounds.

Milano Replacement Cattle Sell Active
Female cattle sold active at the Milano Livestock Exchange special replacement sale to restock drouthed-out pastures. Receipts totaled 1200 head.

Hindsight

Unregistered Bull in a Hotel Lobby
Choice gleanings from 45-plus years of Unregistered Bull. 
It was the Christmas Eve Day along the Pecos (began John), the same as in more civilized parts of the world, and by noon two hands from the I-Bar-O outfit were already halfway to town. The young men, known as Jake and Shorty, urged their ponies forward against the cold north wind, for they were eager to see bright lights and other proof that Christmas was at hand.

On The Edge Of Common Sense
By Baxter Black
The word came down last Christmas that Santy was not in compliance.
His mode of transportation fell far short of the standards of science.
The EPA and DOT proclaimed, and here's the real kicker,
He'd be required to now possess an official emissions sticker.

Pokin' Fun
By Doc Blakely
Christmas is that time of year when people go shopping for things they can't afford to give to people who don't deserve them so they can get something in return that they won’t appreciate in order to show the hateful devils that their own heart is full of love.

Shortgrass Country
By Monte Noelke
Weeks pass on trips to San Angelo without seeing a soul connected to the ranch business or related to the old days around the Wool Capital. Unless I go out to the auction complex, or make a party at a private residence, I might as well be in Fort Worth, or Fort Wayne. Grocery shopping has become so impersonal, I read the labels on the cans for company.

Wildlife By Design
By Dale Rollins, Ph.D.
A new year will soon be upon us, and as such we often think about fresh starts. Pretend for just a minute that you believe in reincarnation. After you're dead and gone, you're given a chance to come back to live another life, but your identity is limited to three choices: a coyote, a cockroach or a condor.

On Matters....Equine
By Dr. Jim and Lynda McCall
Standing a stallion at stud can create some unusual problems. Several years ago, a very distressed person called with one such problem.

It's The Pitts
By Lee Pitts
God couldn’t be everywhere, so he made babysitters. One of God’s grandest creations was a cow we called "Mom." Mom was our babysitting cow and, boy, was she ever something special!