Feeder Cattle And Calf Prices
Reverse Course; Trend Higher

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. —(USDA)— Feeder cattle prices did an about-face around the country last week to close sharply higher. Feeder steers and heifers sold $1-4 higher with many sales up $2-3. Both calves and yearlings shared in the advance as fall runs began to increase seasonally and lots of cheap feed is available.

Rains occurred in South and East Texas and eastern Oklahoma, but hardly any in the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma. That will be required if farmers are to get wheat in the ground with good prospects for grazing, which could be needed to support any lasting uptrend for calves.

Fed cattle prices jumped another $2. Most sales in the High Plains were at $60, providing some incentive to own yearlings. CME futures prices for fed and feeder cattle contracts also responded, making substantial price gains in all months by the week's end.

Yearlings made up approximately 49 percent of the week's run.

Some trading:

Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 500 lbs. $71-75, 600-625 lbs. $67-68, 700-800 lbs. $66-69, 800-860 lbs. $63-66.50; 550-575 lbs. delivered $68-68.75, 600-650 lbs. $68-70, 700-750 lbs. $69-70.50, 800-875 lbs. $65-69.50; 735-750 lbs. for October delivery $70-70.25; heifers, 450-500 lbs. $64-65, 575 lbs. $63.50-66, 650-700 lbs. $62.50-63.50, 700 lbs. $63-64.50, 800 lbs. $60; 650-700 lbs. delivered $65, 700-800 lbs. $62-67.50, 800 lbs. $65.50-66.

Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 600 lbs. $68-72, 675 lbs. $67.25, 700-800 lbs. $65-68, 800-850 lbs. $63-66, 850-900 lbs. $62.25-63, 900-950 lbs. $62-63; heifers, 575-650 lbs. $60-63.50, 800 lbs. $60.50.

South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 two loads 725 lbs. $71, two loads 775 lbs. $69, load 800 lbs. $68.85, 900-950 lbs. $65-66.50; Holsteins, large No. 2, two loads 875 lbs. $51.

Colorado: steers, medium and large No. 1 few loads 775 lbs. $66, 825-900 lbs. $63.50-64.50; auction, few 300-400 lbs. $85-87, 400-500 lbs. $75-81, 500-600 lbs. $68-74, 600-700 lbs. $64-71, mostly $66.50-70, 700-800 lbs. $63-67.25, 800-900 lbs. $61.25-68.10, mostly $62.50-66, 900-1000 lbs. $60.75-64; heifers, 760-775 lbs. $65; string 800 lbs. delivered $64; auction, 400-500 lbs. $65-71, 500-600 lbs. $65-71, 600-700 lbs. $63-67.50, 700-800 lbs. $62.75-67.25, 800-900 lbs. $61.25-64.75.

Wyoming, Western Nebraska and Western North and South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 435-450 lbs. for October delivery $82-83; 600 lbs. delivered for October $73, 800-925 lbs. $63-66; auction, 400-430 lbs. $82-85.50, 535-545 lbs. $74.75-77.50, 600-700 lbs. $71.60-76.25, 700-750 lbs. $68.50-74.35, 750-800 lbs. $64.10-70, 800-900 lbs. $64.60-68.40, 900-1000 lbs. $62.85-66.80, 1000-1060 lbs. $61.25-65; heifers, 400-500 lbs. for October and November delivery $76-77.75; 575-580 lbs. delivered for October and November $67-69.50, 725-825 lbs. $63-64, 840-850 lbs. $64.50-65.30; auction, 400-500 lbs. $71-75, 500-600 lbs. $67.50-69, 600-700 lbs. $61-69.75, mostly $66-69.75, 700-800 lbs. $64-69.80, 800-900 lbs. $59.10-66.90, 900-975 lbs. $63-63.80.

Washington, Oregon and Idaho: steers, medium and large No. 1 525-550 lbs. $75-76, 625 lbs. $70, 750-800 lbs. $60-64.50, 875 lbs. $62, 925-950 lbs. $60; 800-850 lbs. delivered $63.50-65; auction, 600-700 lbs. $66-70, 700-800 lbs. $63-67, 800-900 lbs. $58-65, 900-1000 lbs. $59-60; heifers, 500 lbs. $69-70, 550 lbs. $65, 775-800 lbs. $60-62, 825 lbs. $58, 925 lbs. $57; 775 lbs. delivered $62-63; auction, 550-600 lbs. $62-64, 700-750 lbs. $53-57. Kentucky: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $69-79, 300-400 lbs. $71-83, 400-500 lbs. $67-78, 500-600 lbs. $62-73, 600-700 lbs. $58-67.50, 700-800 lbs. $57-66, 800-900 lbs. $56-65; Holsteins, large No. 2 300-400 lbs. $50-60, 400-500 lbs. $49-59, 500-600 lbs. $46-56, 600-700 lbs. $46.50-56, 700-900 lbs. $46-52; heifers, 200-300 lbs. $60-67, 300-400 lbs. $59-69, some $70-71.75, 400-500 lbs. $58-68, some $68-70, 500-600 lbs. $56-66.50, 600-700 lbs. $54-64, some $64-65.50, 700-800 lbs. $52-62.

Tennessee: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-400 lbs. $70-81 few $85, 400-450 lbs. $66-73, 450-500 lbs. $65-72 few $76, 500-550 lbs. $62-69 few $73, 550-600 lbs. $59-69, 600-700 lbs. $58-66, 700-800 lbs. $57-63.50, five loads 725 lbs. $66.30; heifers, 300-400 lbs. $60-68, few $74, 400-450 lbs. $58-64, few $68, 450-500 lbs. $57-65, few $66.50, 500-550 lbs. $56-63, few $65, 550-600 lbs. $56-62, 600-700 lbs. $54-60, 700-800 lbs. $52-59, two loads 650 lbs. $64.25, one load 700 lbs. $62.65.

Southeastern complex: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-250 lbs. $90-100, 250-300 lbs. $80-90, 300-350 lbs. $74-84, 350-400 lbs. $71-81, 400-450 lbs. $66-76, 450-500 lbs. $63-73, 500-550 lbs. $60-70, 550-600 lbs. $58-68, 600-700 lbs. $56-66, 700-800 lbs. $55-62; heifers, 200-250 lbs. $69-78, 250-300 lbs. $65-73, 300-350 lbs. $63-70, 350-400 lbs. $60-70, 400-450 lbs. $56-66, 450-500 lbs. $55-65, 500-600 lbs. $53-63, 600-700 lbs. $50-58.