Lamb Meat
Held Steady
Last Week

After two months of declining values, carcass lamb prices held steady last week. Breakers were putting more pressure on heavies, but packers held out.

That long decline, which has taken up to $20 off lights and $40 from heavies, started in August, which was the same month that the unprecedented $45 jump on heavies occurred.

Blame it on the heavy lambs. The kill so far this year is down 7.7 percent while meat production is down only 4.2 percent.

Slaughter lambs sold a little higher around the country this week. Feeder lambs were a little higher in most places, some prices as much as $10 higher than last week. Slaughter ewes sold a couple of dollars lower. A total of 5649 ewes were exported to Mexico last week.

USDA’s cold storage report this week showed 18.8 million pounds of lamb and mutton in storage on September 30. That is the equivalent of 314,000 lamb carcasses, or more than a month’s kill. The report does not specify if the accumulation is imports or domestic, nor does it indicate whether it is heavy lamb carcasses or old ewes. Nevertheless, at 67 percent more than a year ago, it is a lot of lamb, particularly at a time when the kill rate is at an all-time low.

In San Angelo this week 40-60 pound feeders were $96-103, a few up to $106, 60-80 pounds $94.50-100, a few to $103, 80-90 pounds $90-95.50 and 90-115 pounds $87-90. The better Fredericksburg lambs brought $105-117. Goldthwaite quoted 60-85 pound lambs $85.50-97.50. Midwest feeder lambs weighing 60-80 pounds brought $94-97.50 and 80-100 pounds $80-91. Billings had 60-70 pound lambs at $94.50-99.50, 70-80 pounds $96.25-104, 80-90 pounds $95.50-103, 90-100 pounds $96.50-99.50, and 100-115 pounds $82.50-90.50.

Feeder lambs moving direct in West Texas recently brought $94-97. Colorado feeders weighing 95-100 pounds brought $98, and 90-100 pound Wyoming lambs made $82-85. Oregon moved 85-90 pounders for $90-95.

Fat lambs in San Angelo weighing 100-125 pounds brought $80-86, and Goldthwaite had a few fats at $80-89.50. In Midwest markets, fat lambs were $78-84.25 with Sioux Falls up to $85.50 on Wednesday. Billings fats brought $84.50-86.50. The Midwest teleauction moved fat lambs at $84.50-86.50.

Fat lambs moving direct from Texas feedlots to packers earned $85-88, Colorado lambs $88. Kansas called 140 pound lambs $86, and South Dakota fats bought $83-85. California lambs were $82-85. Midwest lambs moving direct brought $80-83.50, some 120 pounders $84.50.

Fleshy slaughter ewes in San Angelo brought $43-56, in Billings $32-37, and on Midwest markets $32-44.50.

San Angelo had mixed age stock ewes from $75 to $83 per head. Mixed age Colorado ewes went back to the country at $120 per head, yearlings in Wyoming brought $150 and aged ewes $63-65. Ewe lambs there weighing 64-72 pounds brought $110 cwt. Billings called yearlings $119-125 per head.