MIGHTY POOR SHADE is afforded by scrub mesquite, but it’s all these Borden County steers could find recently to take the edge off blistering sunshine that has burned down on their black hides for uninterrupted weeks at a stretch. A cool front this week offered temporary relief and even brought scattered showers to some badly parched country.

Rains Come But Drouth Still Here
Good rains occurred in a rather narrow strip of West Texas this week, and a "new" drouth will start this weekend. Around an inch of rain fell in the San Angelo area. Some areas still looking for their first good rain of the year.

Plains Fed Cattle Trade Zigs, Zags, But Bulk Still Captives
Plains fed cattle prices put on moves this week that would make the latest multi-million-dollar NFL running back green with envy. By midweek, however, captives still made up the bulk of movement. Bids of $57 Monday seemed calculated to add insult to grievous injury, and packers pulled a likely record 43,800 captives to enforce their will.

PLAINS FEEDLOT SALES

RANGE SALES

J.W. Sartwelle Made His Dream A Reality With Port City Sale
The Sartwelle name has long been linked to the ranching industry in the Gulf Coast area of Texas. The late James Williams "J.W." Sartwelle, often described as a visionary, had a lifelong dream to provide Gulf Coast cattlemen with a better way to market their cattle.

Forecaster Predicts La Niña Will Bring More Dry Weather
There is good news and bad news about the hot, dry weather that has spread across Texas and Oklahoma this summer. The good news is that it has nothing to do with La Niña. That’s also the bad news — the drouth of La Niña has yet to arrive.

Feds’ Disaster Loan Program May Be Little Use To Rancher
The good news is that the rest of the country has finally realized — after four years or so — that there’s a drouth on, and federal assistance is available to help agriculture producers cope with the economic burdens.

Researchers Find That Burning Improves Life Of Barbed Wire
Everyone knows that prescribed fires destroy fences. But everyone may not be right. So say Oklahoma range scientists. Recent research gathered at OSU’s Cross Timbers Research Unit shows that burning actually improves the strength and life of barbed wire — under certain circumstances.

Feds Don’t Seem To Know Much About Secret Deal With Ecos
Congress is giving some support to ranchers who complain they had no say in an out-of-court settlement barring cattle from stream-side areas in dozens of U.S. Forest Service grazing allotments in New Mexico and Arizona.

Thoughts In Midst Of A Wreck Must Be Both Quick And Clear
The other day, I was put in a situation that required some major concentration on my part. It was a situation that required quick and decisive thinking.

Lobbying Groups Get Tax Bucks To Agitate Over Global Warming
The Kyoto global warming treaty may pose a looming threat to the U.S. economy, but it has spawned a cottage industry based in the nation's capital, courtesy of the U.S. taxpayer.

Calf Market Outlook Better For Those Who Can Hold Them
Despite a substantially lower cattle inventory, prices for calves have collapsed during the past two months. The collapse appears influenced by higher numbers of calves on the market as a result of drouth-induced liquidations and lower bids for feeders due to very tight feedlot profit margins.

Beef Tenderness Study Looks At Usefulness Of Gene Markers
The first phase of a 42-month research project recently launched by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is looking for the answers that can guarantee a juicy, tender steak every time.

NCBA Launches Plan To Move Excess Beef
With beef supplies near record levels, the beef industry will launch immediately an eight-point action plan to move beef supplies, says a news release from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

A&M Offers Service To Test Nutritional Value Of Forage
Knowing the nutritional quality of forage is important, especially during times of drouth. The Grazingland Animal Nutrition Lab on the Texas A&M University Campus can analyze livestock fecal samples to help ranchers determine the nutritional quality of the forage their animals are eating, says to Doug Tolleson, assistant director for the lab.

Wyoming Revises Pay For Grizzly Damage
Wyoming's Game and Fish Commission increased the amount of money it pays ranchers for livestock losses to grizzly bears.

Texas Reported Free Of Stomatitis Virus
The Texas Animal Health Commission late last week lifted a quarantine on two Reeves County horses that had been infected with vesicular stomatitis, freeing the state from animal movement restrictions intended to prevent spread of the virus.

Feeder Cattle Prices Steady Across The Country Last Week
Feeder cattle prices around the country held an even keel last week, most steers and heifers near steady on limited receipts for this time of year. Calf prices in Kentucky, Tennessee and the Southeast showed a little spark and prices moved steady to as much as $3 higher.

Texas Fed Cattle Continue To Move In Downward Spiral
Slaughter steers and heifers sold steady to $1 lower in Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma feedlot trading. Movement of fed cattle was noted each day with the bulk traded on Thursday.

Steers And Heifers Weak To Off In Angelo Special Sale Monday
Steer and heifers prices were weak to $1 lower here Monday in the season’s fourth special feeder sale at Producers Livestock Auction

Angelo Feeder Lambs Firm, Cattle Lower
Feeder lambs sold firm this week, slaughter lambs steady, slaughter ewes weak. Receipts totaled 15,984 head, more than half slaughter ewes and 30 percent goats.

Colorado City Feeder Steers, Heifers Higher
Feeder steers and heifers old steady to $2 higher, slaughter cows and bulls steady, bred stock cows and pairs higher. Receipts totaled 1158 head.

Goldthwaite Goat Prices Up And Down
Lambs were too scarce for a test, slaughter ewes and bucks near steady; stock Spanish nanny goats $3-5 higher, slaughter classes steady with kids over 40 pounds $4-5 higher; slaughter Angora goats $2 lower, stock goats untested.

Llano Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Lower
Feeder steers sold $2-3 lower, heifers steady to $3 lower, slaughter cows and bulls $2-3 lower. Receipts totaled 872 head.

Abilene Feeder Steers, Heifers Steady To Off
Feeder steers and heifers sold mostly steady on weights under 600 pounds, $2 lower on heavies, slaughter cows and bulls steady to $2 lower, stock cows slightly higher, pairs steady. Receipts totaled 2553 head.

Fredericksburg Feeder Heifer Prices Higher
Feeder steers sold strong, heifers $1-2 higher, slaughter cows and bulls $2 higher. Receipts totaled 1800 head.

Cuero Feeder Steers, Heifers Trade Mixed
Feeder steers and heifers sold mixed, slaughter cows and bulls steady to lower. Receipts totaled 2350 head.

Graham Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Lower
Feeder steers weighing under 425 pounds sold steady, over 450 pounds $1-3 lower, heifer calves $2-3 lower, yearlings $1-2 lower, slaughter cows and bulls $1-2 lower, cows with calves steady to $15 higher.

Mason, Brownwood, San Saba Cattle Up
Choice feeder steers sold steady to $5 higher last week in Mason, Brownwood and San Saba, the greatest advance on lightweights, heifers $1-2 higher, slaughter cows and bulls steady to $4 higher, bred stock cows $10-50 higher.

Lampasas Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Lower
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $1 lower, slaughter cows and bulls $1 higher. Receipts totaled 759 head.

Kansas Direct Feeder Cattle Mostly Steady
Feeder steers were mostly steady in Kansas direct trade last week, heifers steady to weak. Confirmed sales totaled 11,373 head. Rain fell over most of the state, amounts ranging from a trace to as much as eight inches.

Most Giddings Cattle Prices Termed Lower
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $3 lower, the greatest decline on 400-600 pounds, slaughter cows $2-3 lower. Receipts totaled 1254 head.

Most Junction Sheep, Goat Prices Lower
Feeder lambs sold steady to $2 lower, slaughter ewes $5-8 lower; stock Angora goats $2-4 lower, slaughter $5-8 lower; slaughter Spanish goats steady to $3 lower, stock nannies steady. Receipts totaled 10,500 head.

U.S. Meat Production 4.3% Above A Year Ago
Total red meat production under federal inspection last week was estimated at 859.4 million pounds, 2.8 percent more than a week earlier and 4.3 percent above the same week a year ago.

Domestic Wool Slow, Australia In Recess
Domestic wool trading was slow in all areas. Unusually large seasonal wool supplies remain either in producers’ hands or in warehouses. Demand was light to very light.

Loose Ends

Coming Up...
August 8 — Special Cow and Heifer Replacement Sale, Jordan Cattle Auction, Mason, Texas. August 13 — Special Calf and Yearling Sale, Jordan Cattle Auction, San Saba, Texas. August 14 — Special High Dollar Calf and Yearling Sale, Junction Stockyards, Junction, Texas.