Plains Fed Cattle Sell Early,
Prices Higher In The Bargain

Plains fed cattle trade bucked two recent trends this week by selling early — and gaining money at the same time. Neither one of those have happened very often lately, and almost never in conjunction.

Observers are unsure how to attribute the mini-rally, but the best guess seems to be that the market is anticipating declining numbers just as it anticipated increasing numbers — and slid like a greased log — for weeks last fall.

The Texas Cattle Feeders Association counted 104,600 head selling in its trade area through Wednesday afternoon, most of them on Tuesday at $66. That’s up a smooth $5 on a week earlier. The volume also outstripped the area’s 100,000-head showlist, and more cattle are expected to sell Thursday and Friday. Captives were down to 23,000 head.

Kansas had moved 77,400 head by presstime Wednesday, also mostly Tuesday and mostly at $66. Nebraska’s volume was 101,600, the live price mostly $65-66 and dressed deals $105-106.

Midwest direct trade ranged from $64 to $66.50 live and $105-106 dressed with a few out at $104. Terminals paid anywhere from $61.75 to $64.60.

The Southwest was generally quiet except for some Southern California desert area trades at $65 on beef breed steers and $62 on Holsteins. Active trade met moderate offerings in the Northwest, where prices jumped $7 on a dressed basis at mostly $104-105.

A much more bullish market prevailed for stocker and feeder cattle as well, as grass season approaches for the little ones and big planting intentions suggest lower grain prices down the road for feeders.

St. Joseph, Mo. offered 3500 head and called the market $2-3 higher overall. La Junta, Colo., with 5100 on hand, was $2 to instances $3 higher on light steers and $2 higher on light heifers; feeder weights were steady to $1 higher.

San Antonio quoted feeder steers $3-4 higher, heifers steady to $3 higher; two day receipts there came to 1500 head. Just over 3000 head at Amarillo sold steady to firm on steers under 700 pounds and heifers under 600 pounds, while heavier weights gained $1 to mostly $2. The better end of three-weight steer calves earned $101-105, fours to fives $95-100, five to six-weights $85-91, sixes to sevens $75.50-84, sevens to eights $74-76.50, and a few heavier weights $70.90-73.80.

Oklahoma City receipts came to 8500 head, the trend $2-3 higher on both steers and heifers. Best 300-400 pound steer calves earned $104.25-115.50; 400-500 pounds $100-107; 500-550 pounds $93-101; 550-600 pounds $88.50-95.50; 600-650 pounds $83-85.50, a few $87-91; 650-700 pounds $76.50-81.75, a few stockers to $83.75; 700-750 pounds $75-79.50; 750-800 pounds $73.75-77; 800-850 pounds $72.25-76.50; 850-900 pounds $71-72.75; 900-950 pounds $68.25-72; and 950-1000 pounds $67-69.