Rain Improves Calf Demand;
Low Fed Prices Hurt Heavies

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. —(USDA)— Prices for feeders were uneven last week. Steer and heifer calf prices worked steady to $3 higher while prices for yearlings headed for feedyards wound up steady to $1 lower.

Rain in parts of Texas and Oklahoma fueled some enthusiasm toward calves, but buyers for those headed to feedyards bore down as fed cattle prices once again slumped.

Most sales of fed offerings in the High Plains moved at $59 with some late at $58, which was $1-2 lower. Prices on CME fed and feeder cattle contracts looked similar to a tall roller coaster with wide price fluctuations posted on a fairly regular basis.

Boxed beef prices lost a little. Feed costs fell again, but that did not show up in the feeder market as buyers now have little confidence in what the future holds for fed prices.

Yearlings made up approximately 50 percent of the week's run.

Some trading:

Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 350 lbs. $80, 575-675 lbs. $68-71, 700-800 lbs. $65.50-69.50, 800-850 lbs. $62.50-66, load 660 lbs. fleshy $66.50; 550-640 lbs. delivered $70-74, 800-925 lbs. $67.25-68.50; 750 lbs. delivered $1 over August CME board, 800-825 lbs. even to $1 under August; heifers, 350 lbs. $72, 650-725 lbs. $65-67; 650-825 lbs. delivered $65-66; 760-800 lbs. delivered for late September $66-66.25.

Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 525 lbs., 15 percent bulls, $72.50, 625 lbs. $70, 750-775 lbs. $65-67.50, 800-835 lbs. $64.50-66.50, 925 lbs. $62; heifers, 550 lbs. $68, 625-725 lbs. $63-64, 875 lbs. $61.50.

Colorado: steers, medium and large No. 1 string 850 lbs. $65.50; several loads 800-875 lbs. delivered $68-69; couple loads 550 lbs. delivered for November $77.50; heifers, string 750 lbs. $64; 800-850 lbs. delivered $63.50-66; string 825 lbs. delivered for November $65, couple loads 525 lbs. $71.50.

South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 850-875 lbs. $66.50-67; heifers, 800-835 lbs. $64-65.

Wyoming, Western Nebraska and Western North and South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 900 lbs. $64.50; auction, 720-765 lbs. $67.75-70.85, 800-900 lbs. $67-69.10, 900-1000 lbs. $64.85-67.50, 1000- 1030 lbs. $61-64.10; heifers, 750-800 lbs. $63-64; auction, 665-685 lbs. $68.75-68.85, 700-800 lbs. $64.75-67.50, 800-875 lbs. $62.25-66.50, 900-960 lbs. $62.25-63.60, 1040 lbs. $58.25.

Montana: steers, medium and large No. 1 850-900 lbs. $63-66, 900-925 lbs. $61-65; 600-650 lbs. for November delivery $72; auction, package 680 lbs. $68.60, 800-850 lbs. $64-67.10, 850-900 lbs. $63.25-65.25, 900-950 lbs. $62.25-64.25; heifers, string 850 lbs. $61; 550-600 lbs. for November delivery $66.50-68; auction, lot 740 lbs. $64.10, package 807 lbs. $62.75.

Washington, Oregon and Idaho: steers, medium and large No. 1 550 lbs. $73-75, 900 lbs. $61.50; 550 lbs. for November delivery $71-74, 550 lbs. $75-78; 800-875 lbs. for November delivery $61-63; 850 lbs. delivered for October $63; auction, 400-500 lbs. $70-73, 550-600 lbs. $72-74, 600-650 lbs. $68.50-70, 700-800 lbs. $62.50-63, 850-900 lbs. $59.50-61.50, 900-1000 lbs. $59-61.50; heifers, 700-800 lbs. $59-61; 550 lbs. for October delivery $65-66, 550 lbs. for November $67-70; auction, 500-550 lbs. $67, 650-700 lbs. $59-64.50, 700-800 lbs. $59-63, 800-850 lbs. $56.50-61, 900-950 lbs. $58.75.

Arkansas: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $86-95, 350-400 lbs. $81-90, 400-450 lbs. $76-84, 450-500 lbs. $73-81, 500-550 lbs. $70-77, 550-600 lbs. $67-74, 600-700 lbs. $64-71, 700-800 lbs. $62-68; heifers, 300-350 lbs. $72-80, 350-400 lbs. $69-76, 400-450 lbs. $67-74, 450-500 lbs. $65-72, 500-600 lbs. $63-70, 600-700 lbs. $59-65, 700-800 lbs. $58-64.

Kentucky: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $86-96, 300-400 lbs. $78-88, some $89-95, 400-450 lbs. $76-85, few up to $90, 450-500 lbs. $73-83, 500-600 lbs. $70-80, some $81-83, 600-650 lbs. $68-75, 650-700 lbs. $63-72, 700-800 lbs. $63-70, few $71-75, 800-900 lbs. $60-67.40; Holsteins, large No. 2 300-400 lbs. $54-64, 400-500 lbs. $54-61.50, 500-600 lbs. $50-60, 600-700 lbs. $47- 53, 700-900 lbs. $47-54; heifers, 200-300 lbs. $75-85, 300-400 lbs. $68-78, 400-500 lbs. $65-75, 500-550 lbs. $64-72, 550-600 lbs. $62-70, 600-700 lbs. $58-68, 700-800 lbs. $57-64.95.

Tennessee: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $80-88, 350-400 lbs. $77-87, 400-450 lbs. $74-81 few $84, 450-500 lbs. $73-80, 500-550 lbs. $68-78, 550-600 lbs. $67-75, 600-650 lbs. $65-73, 650-700 lbs. $63-69, 700-800 lbs. $60-66.50; heifers, 300-350 lbs. $67-76, 350-400 lbs. $65-73, 400-450 lbs. $63-70, 450-500 lbs. $62-69, 500-550 lbs. $60-67.50, 550-600 lbs. $60-66.50, 600-700 lbs. $58-64.50, 700-800 lbs. $55-63, load 675 lbs. $65.30.

Southeastern complex: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-250 lbs. $95-105, 250-300 lbs. $89-98, 300-350 lbs. $84-94, 350-400 lbs. $79-88, 400-450 lbs. $74-84, 450-500 lbs. $70-80, 500-550 lbs. $67-74, 550-600 lbs. $60-70, 600-650 lbs. $60-67, 650-700 lbs. $58-64, 700-800 lbs. $54-64; heifers, 200-250 lbs. $79-89, 250-300 lbs. $73-83, 300-350 lbs. $68-79, 350-400 lbs. $66-74, 400-450 lbs. $64-74, 450-500 lbs. $62-70, 500-550 lbs. $60-68, 550-600 lbs. $56-66, 600-650 lbs. $55-60, 650-700 lbs. $50-56.