Plains Fed Cattle Trade Off
Another $1 On Brisk Movement

A Texas Cattle Feeders’ Association wrap-up on last week’s Panhandle fat cattle trade noted the way packers had "skillfully manipulated" their captive supplies to slice another dollar off the market. Indeed, USDA figures show captives made up 40 percent of Texas movement, 53 percent of that in Kansas, a whopping 71 percent of Colorado volume, and even 22 percent of Nebraska/Wyoming sales.

Well, they did it again.

Despite one of the tightest showlists this year, Panhandle feeders were forced to give up another dollar this week, to $60. That vacuumed 109,000 head out of an 87,000-head list, but USDA’s count of captives stood right at 40,000 head, about 37 percent.

The good news for feedlots is that the $60 price is better than the $59 packers were bidding for a while.

Kansas had moved 66,200 head by presstime at mostly $60 as in Texas; 35,200 or 53 percent were captives. Nebraska’s volume by midweek came to 75,500 head, prices $59-60 live and $94-95 dressed.

Midwest direct areas sold the better end of cattle at $59-60.50 live and $95-96 dressed. Terminal sales came in at $57-60.40 around midweek.

The Southwest was quiet yet again, the Northwest mostly $1 lower early at $94-95 dressed and $2-3 lower late at $92-93.

The sick fat market continued to weigh on feeder cattle and drouth plagued their smaller siblings. At least that was the general pattern where numbers were adequate for a test.

St. Joseph, Mo. offered only 300 head, too few to call a trend other than the proverbial "weaker undertone." A roundup of Florida markets amassing 4556 head between them found steady to $2 lower prices.

San Antonio offered 800 head on Monday to a $3-6 lower market on most weights, $7-9 lower on steers and heifers under 400 pounds; Wednesday’s sale recovered as much as $3 of that loss, but only on 437 head. A limited test on 1400 head at Amarillo found heifers over 700 pounds steady but steers and other weights of heifers $1-3 lower.

San Angelo’s special monthly feeder sale Monday attracted about 5050 head and recorded prices weak to $1 lower.

Oklahoma City sold $3-4 lower on a large supply of 16,225 head. Best 350-400 pound steer calves brought $79-82; 400-500 pounds $77-80; 500-600 pounds $73-78.25; 600-650 pounds $69.50-74.25; 650-700 pound calves $66.25-72, yearlings $68.25-72.75; 700-750 pounds $67.50-71.50; 750-800 pounds $67-69.50; 800-850 pounds $65.75-69.25; 850-900 pounds $64-67.50; 900-950 pounds $64.50-66.50; and 950-1000 pounds $61.75-62.50.