Fed, Feeder
Lambs Find
Soft Prices

Feeder lamb prices failed to find any stimulus this week with most prices a little on the soft side. Fat lambs were also a little lower, due in part to a sluggish dressed trade.

Slaughter ewes were steady in the Midwest but a little higher in Texas.

Newcrop lamb numbers showed a substantial jump in most Texas markets, most outlets showing two or three times the number in recent sales.

Dressed lamb last week was steady as it has been for the last six weeks. The distributive trade has shown some improvement, but mostly just firming. The carcass cutout value has recovered $3-4 since the last of February. Weights 65 pounds and down were estimated at $167.19 last week, 65 and up $164.34.

Lamb and mutton in cold storage at the end of February was 55 percent more than a year ago at 15.29 million pounds. Lamb and mutton passed for entry into the United States last week totaled 986 metric tons, or about 37 percent of domestic production. Year to date entry was 10,834 metric tons compared to domestic production of 57.4 million pounds, or 41 percent of domestic production.

Feeder lambs in San Angelo weighing 40-60 pounds brought $90-100, 60-70 pounds $86-94, a few to $100, 70-80 pounds $82-87, a few to $91, 80-90 pounds $80-85.50 and 90-100 pounds $79-82.50. Fredericksburg called 55 pound lambs $108-111, 65-75 pounds $90-94 and 80-90 pounds $80-88. Goldthwaite lambs weighing 50-60 pounds were $100-117, 60-80 pounds $90-103, 80-95 pounds $80-90 and 95-110 pounds $74-80. Junction feeders of 40-65 pounds brought $97.50-107, 65-90 pounds $90-95.50. Midwest markets quoted 60-80 pound feeders $72-75 and 80-100 pounds $68-72. Billings had 80-85 pound lambs at $72-75, 80-100 pounds $68-72.

Slaughter lambs in San Angelo weighing 100-140 pounds brought $65-69.50, a few to $70.50, newcrop lambs $73-77. Goldthwaite sold fats for $63-69. Fat lambs were $64-72.20 on Midwest markets, $61.50-64.50 at Billings. Virginia lambs were $75.75-84 with newcrops $91-98, Pennsylvania 90-120 pounders $75-110.

Fat lambs moving direct from Texas feedlots to packers brought $68-73 with a slide of 20-40 cents on heavies. Colorado fat lambs at 140 pounds made $69.50 with a 50 cent slide. Lambs of 125-140 pounds moving on contract were $70-72.50, 140-160 pounds $65-71, and 160-180 pounds $59-64. The average was $70.91 at 151 pounds compared to $98.41 at 142 pounds a year ago. Wyoming fats weighing 145 pounds made $63.50, South Dakota lambs of 145-155 pounds were $65-67, and Idaho lambs scaling 130 pounds went at $65 with a 30 cent slide. California sold 125-150 pound lambs for $65-66, others going into feedlots for further feeding. Midwest lambs moved direct at $65-69.

Fleshy slaughter ewes in San Angelo were $44-59, a few to $60. Similar ewes in the Midwest markets were $35-49, and Billings ewes brought $41-46.50.

San Angelo had ewe lambs averaging 85 pounds at $78 cwt. Faith, South Dakota, sold babytooth ewes at $134 per head, solidmouth $106.