Feeder Lambs Shakey, Fats Settle Lower
Feeder lamb prices were a real mixed bag this week. Some Texas markets were off several dollars while others actually put on a few dollars. Midwest markets held unevenly steady.

Fed Cattle Lose Another $1, Red Ink Anticipated On Many
The fed cattle business evidenced an advanced case of osteoporosis again this week, unable to stand up and resist yet another round of lower packer bids.

Plains Feedlot Sales

Range Sales

Positioning Key To Livestock Handling, Says Bud Williams
Dubbed the "circuit riding animal behaviorist," Bud Williams has been traveling the countryside since 1989 spreading his message on proper livestock handling. That message centers around the philosophy of working animals with the least amount of stress possible. Williams teaches that proper positioning is all it takes to move livestock with minimum stress, and that excessive pressure only serves to put animals into a panic.

Post-Flooding Anthrax Risk Noted By N.D. Veterinarians
North Dakota veterinarians are warning ranchers to be alert for the deadly anthrax bacteria in their herds this summer.

Real Supporters Of Species Act Should Back Death Tax Repeal
We have heard about the economic and social benefits of repealing the estate tax, and how repeal will make it easier to maintain small family-owned businesses and family farms. These benefits are significant and important, but they are not the only reason to support the Family Heritage Preservation Act. Repealing the estate tax will also produce significant environmental benefits by removing a powerful economic incentive to develop land and liquidate natural resources.

Producers Hoping To Jump-Start Market With New Mohair Carpet
Mohair entrepreneurs are looking for ways to jump-start the lackluster mohair market. Ford Oglesby, an active buyer in the wool and mohair market for half a century, is expanding his current mohair woven rug business through a new venture, Creative Conversions, a "C" Corporation made up primarily of mohair producers.

Hessian Fly Strategy Offered For Next Year’s Wheat Crop
The 1996-1997 wheat production year has given producers a run for their money in West Texas. The year started with fall armyworms damaging early plantings and is ending with rust and Hessian fly problems in many areas.

Struggle Over New Clean Air Scheme Ropes In Barbecuers
The Clinton administration’s rapacious EPA has armed itself to do mortal battle with critics of its scheme to impose draconian new "clean air" rules on a reluctant nation. EPA administrator Carol Browner, an Al Gore protégé, is willing to go sword to sword with everyone from mean old big business to a mean old Republican Congress — even some fellow Democrats who lean more toward common sense than "Green" radicalism.

New Law Keeps A Lid On Censervation Pacts
Water quality management or conservation plans developed between landowners and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board or local districts would generally not be subject to the state open records law under a bill signed into law by Gov. George W. Bush last week.

It’s Not Too Early To Plan Tax Strategies For Next Year
While it may be too late to do much about your 1996 business taxes, it's never too early to begin taking steps to reduce your 1997 tax bill. And one of the best ways of doing that is to keep accurate records of all the legitimate business expenses you've incurred, so that you can deduct them from your taxes.

Study Says Exports A Sizeable Bonus For U.S. Beef Industry
Beef exports in 1996 increased by three percent over 1995's record export volume, a significant bonus for American cattle producers and allied industries last year, says the U.S. Meat Export Federation. MEF bases that assessment on a study conducted by CF Resources, an independent research firm in Denver, Colorado.

Board Nixes Scheme To Evade Grazing Rule In Land Bidding
The Idaho state Land Board has decided that a proposal to put just one goat for one day a year on a state parcel of land near Pocatello is not a valid grazing plan.

Animal Rights Extremists Kill Thousands Of Minks In Release
The release of nearly 10,000 minks from a facility near Mount Angel could be the largest act of eco-terrorism to hit the U.S. mink industry, an industry spokeswoman said Saturday.

Economist Advises Caution In Rebuilding Cow Numbers
The excellent recent moisture, abundant forage supplies, substantially reduced feed costs when compared to a year ago, and a much better cattle market outlook are causing ranchers to seriously consider expanding their herds.

Texas Water Rights Have Evolved To Meet Supply, Demand Changes
This Texas Legislature may well provide us with two historic pieces of legislation: a comprehensive system for the development and management of the water resources of Texas and a thorough revision of our property tax system. Both are needed.

Emergency Bill To Revive Boll Weevil Plan Adopted
The state effort to stamp out the boll weevil appears to be back in business. Gov. George W. Bush signed legislation last Friday to resume the war against the biggest enemy to the state's important cotton production.

Wolf Found Dead Near M-44 Device
A radio-collared female wolf has been found dead near an M-44 cyanide ejector in southwestern Montana's Ruby Reservoir area.

Company Touts Gender Selection For Cattle
A Colorado company is preparing to commercialize a product it says will allow the gender of calves to be predetermined.

N.M. County Raises Funds To Seed Clouds
Farmers and ranchers in Roosevelt County have raised enough money to kick off a cloud-seeding program.

Wool Co-op Offers 1.6 Million Pounds
Producers Marketing Cooperative offered approximately 1.6 million pounds of wool including 1.3 million pounds of 12-month wools. Trading was termed active and 99.5 percent sold.

Texas Water Conservation Bill Passes With Transfer Language
Legislation that would give Texas its first water conservation plan has been thrown a life preserver in the form of language that softens the impact of so-called "interbasin transfers" of water rights.

Team Roping Entrepreneur Took Inspiration From Bass Tourney
Booger Barter got the idea from an ad for a fishing tournament. "About four years ago, I was looking at an advertisement for a bass tournament. For a set entry fee, the prizes were guaranteed," recalls Barter. "I thought, ‘why wouldn't this same concept work with team roping?’"

EQIP Program Rules Said Positive Step
The final rule for the federal Environmental Quality Incentives Program is a step in the right direction for conservation, says the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

Camels Touted As Latest "New" Livestock Species In Australia
Australia's first halal butchery for camel meat could open potentially huge new export markets in Southeast Asia and change the face of ranching in the outback, an industry spokesman said last Friday.

Eco-Activists Decry Private Land Use Around Yellowstone
Environmental activists appear to be laying the groundwork for taking over private land surrounding Yellowstone National Park.

Kansas’ Tallgrass Prairie Park Dedicated To Flint Hills’ Past
America's newest national park doesn't have towering forests, majestic rock formations or mountain lakes, just big skies and rolling acres of prairie grass that bend and outline wind gusts racing along the flat landscape.

"Respect" For Religion Used To Close Down Federal Lands
Imagine, if out of "respect" for Moslems, all women had to be covered to enter federal buildings. Imagine, if out of "respect" for Jewish dietary laws, park concessionaires were prohibited from serving certain foods. Imagine, if out of "respect" for the religion of Native Americans, Colorado's Aspen Mountain were closed to skiing during December.

Former BLMer Wants Buffalo, Not Cattle
A former Bureau of Land Management employee has started a group to bring back the buffalo to public lands.

FDA Announces Long Expected Feed Ban
As anticipated, the federal government Tuesday banned the use of virtually all animal parts in U.S. livestock feed because of supposed links to "mad cow disease."

TPWD Seeking Leases For Public Dove Hunt
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is seeking to enroll suitable small fields into its "Public Dove Hunting Program."

Brownwood Replacement Sale Tops At $1410
Bred stock cows and heifers sold strong at Jordan Cattle Auction’s special female replacement sale, cow calf pairs and open heifers steady.

Angelo Feeder Lambs, Cattle Trade Higher
Feeder lambs sold $1-2 higher this week, slaughter lambs not well tested, slaughter ewes $2-5 higher, the greatest advance on heavy and fleshy offerings. Receipts totaled 14,484 head.

On The Edge Of Common Sense
By Baxter Black
Dr. Brent, large animal vet in the wilds of western Montana, said he had an interesting case, about which he asked my opinion ... It seems one of his clients had called wondering what he could do for a downer cow with milk fever.

Unregistered Bull in a Hotel Lobby
Choice gleanings from 45-plus years of Unregistered Bull.
"Now that Ike is home from the Cold War," said John, "we’re all waiting to see how he takes the change to red hot politics. Up to now he’s acted sorta like a cautious kid testing out the old swimming hole with his big toe on the first day of spring. However, his opposition has been splashing in a big way for quite some time, and sooner or later Ike is going to have to get wet whether he wants to or not — that is, if he intends to run a serious race.

It's The Pitts
By Lee Pitts
It’s an addiction that starts off innocently enough. First, you do it socially and only on weekends. But before you realize what is happening you find yourself sneaking out of the house on Wednesdays to hang around unsavory people who, just like you, won’t admit they are sick and need help. You crave this thing so badly that you are unable to concentrate on your work (if you haven’t already been fired). Finally, you realize that you have hit bottom when you are pulled over by the police and they find syringes, needles, worming medicines and branding irons in your possession.

Pokin' Fun
By Doc Blakely
People send me stuff by e-mail all the time (dblakely@intertex.net). Some of it is too good not to pass on. Take the following, courtesy of the Internet, reportedly from Steven Wright, et al:

Shortgrass Country
By Monte Noelke
The time is important. The story begins in the 1940s before the Big Drouth of the 50s. The era prior to the big influx of unpapered aliens that shifted the Anglo cowboy to the oilfields and other work.