Nation’s Feeder Cattle Prices
Worked Lower, Calves Off Most

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. —(USDA)— Feeder cattle and calf prices turned lower last week after several weeks of rising prices. Steers and heifers sold weak to $3 lower with calves often at the full decline.

Heavy rains through some sections of the country the previous week created muddy conditions and dampened demand, particularly for calves. The rain, when in moderation, was good for wheat pastures, but most wheat pastures need a few weeks more growth before any major turnout occurs.

Fed cattle prices struggled during the week, even though fewer numbers were offered. Sharply lower slaughter hog prices could have worked against cattle prices as the spread between the two was in excess of $40. Fed cattle prices generally wound up at $63-63.50 in the High Plains, which was considered steady to 50 cents off.

Yearlings over 600 pounds amounted to approximately 32 percent of the week's feeder run.

Some trading:

Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 600-700 lbs. $69-71, 700-800 lbs. $67.50-70, few loads $72, 850 lbs. $65; 425 lbs. delivered $88, 500 lbs. $73, few 725-825 lbs. $70-71; 750 lbs. based at $2.50 under January CME board, 750 lbs. $2.50 under May; 725-750 lbs. even to $1 over January delivered; heifers, 575-725 lbs. $64-67, 825 lbs. $63; 425 lbs. delivered $78, 700 lbs. $66; 700 lbs. $6.50 under May CME board; 600 lbs. $1.50 under November CME board delivered, 650 lbs. $3 under January, 600 lbs. even for February.

Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 475 lbs. $80, 725-775 lbs. $70-72; heifers, 460 lbs. $70, 650 lbs. $64, 700-750 lbs. $65-67.50.

Colorado: steers, medium and large No. 1 load 560 lbs. $76, 630-675 lbs. $72.50-73, string 820 lbs. $70; 800-840 lbs. delivered $70-70.60; 750 lbs. delivered for December $73-73.50; auction, 300-400 lbs. $85.50-96, few to $98, 400-500 lbs. $76.50-86.25, mostly $78-82.75, 500-600 lbs. $68.50-79, mostly $71.50-75.50, 600-700 lbs. $67.50-73.50, 700-800 lbs. $68-72.50, few to $75, 800-900 lbs. $64.50-70.75; heifers, load 560 lbs. $69, few loads 775 lbs. $67.50; auction, 300-400 lbs. $73.50-81, 400-500 lbs. $68.50-77.75, 500-600 lbs. $67-74.50, 600-700 lbs. $65.50-72.50, 700-800 lbs. $64.50-69, 800-900 lbs. $61.50-66.50.

South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 500-550 lbs. delivered $76.50-77, string 875 lbs. $67.50, load 918 lbs. $65.50; heifers, load 525 lbs. delivered $73, two loads 825 lbs. $65.50, load 850 lbs. $64.

Wyoming, Western Nebraska, and Western North and South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 525-575 lbs. $76-79, 600-660 lbs. $72-76.50, 850 lbs. $70, 1000 lbs. $61; auction, 340-400 lbs. $86.25-95.75, 400-500 lbs. $80-88, fancy $88-95, 500-550 lbs. $75.50-82, fancy $83-88.50, 550-600 lbs. $70.25-79.75, 600-700 lbs. $66.50-76, mostly $74-76, 700-800 lbs. $68.25-76.10, 800-900 lbs. $66-71.60, 900-1000 lbs. $60.10-68.80, 1000-1080 lbs. $62-63.15; heifers, 480-525 lbs. $70-71, 600-625 lbs. $67-69, 765 lbs. $63.50; auction, 300-400 lbs. $73.50-80, 400-450 lbs. $70.50-79, 450-500 lbs. $67-78.25, mostly $72.50-78.25, 500-600 lbs. $68.25-75.50, fancy $77-77.25, 600-700 lbs. $62-72.60, mostly $68.25-72.60, 700-800 lbs. $64-72.50, 800-900 lbs. $60.25-68.90, 900-920 lbs. $60.25-63.75.

Montana: steers, medium and large No. 1 couple loads 450 lbs. $83, 500-550 lbs. $75-79, 550-600 lbs. $74-77, 600 lbs. $71-72, 650-700 lbs. $70-75, string 900 lbs. $65; auction, 370-400 lbs. $87-95, 400-450 lbs. $81-87, 450-500 lbs. $77-83, 500-550 lbs. $72.75-79, 550-600 lbs. $70.50-76.50, 600-650 lbs. $70-76.60, 650-700 lbs. $67-73.50, 700-750 lbs. $67.50-70, 750-800 lbs. $67.75-71, 850-900 lbs. $67.50-70.25, 900-950 lbs. $64.50-67; heifers, 425 lbs. $75, string 525 lbs. $69-70; auction, 400-450 lbs. $70-77.50, 450-500 lbs. $69.75-74, 500-550 lbs. $65-72.50, 550-600 lbs. $65-70.50, 600-650 lbs. $64.75-68, 650-700 lbs. $65-66, 700-750 lbs. $64-66.25, 750-800 lbs. $64-65.25, 800-850 lbs. $65.50-66.60, 850-900 lbs. $62-65.85.

Washington, Oregon and Idaho: steers, medium and large No. 1 string 850 lbs. delivered $65; auction, 300-400 lbs. $75-86, 400-500 lbs. $75-84, 500-600 lbs. $70-80, 600-700 lbs. $65-74.75, 700-800 lbs. $64-68.75, few 800-850 lbs. $64-64.75; heifers, auction, 300-400 lbs. $68-77, 400-500 lbs. $65-74.25, 500-600 lbs. $61.50-69.50, 600-700 lbs. $61-67.50, 700-800 lbs. $60-64.

Arkansas: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $86-95, 350-400 lbs. $81-90, 400-450 lbs. $77-85, 450-500 lbs. $74-82, 500-550 lbs. $70-77, 550-600 lbs. $66-73, 600-700 lbs. $63-70, 700-800 lbs. $61-67; heifers, 300-350 lbs. $72-80, 350-400 lbs. $67-74, 400-450 lbs. $63-70, 450-500 lbs. $61-67, 500-600 lbs. $60-66, 600-700 lbs. $58-64, 700-800 lbs. $58-62.

Kentucky: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $80-90, 300-400 lbs. $74-84, few to $90, 400-500 lbs. $72-81, 500-550 lbs. $70-78.50, 550-600 lbs. $67-75, 600-700 lbs. $63-73, 700-800 lbs. $61-70.50, 800-900 lbs. $58-66.50, few to $68.30; Holsteins, large 2 300-400 lbs. $52-62, some $64-67, 400-500 lbs. $51-61, 500-600 lbs. $48-55, few to $64, 600-700 lbs. $47-55, 700-900 lbs. $44-50.50; heifers, 200-300 lbs. $63-73, 300-400 lbs. $62-71, few $72-73, 400-500 lbs. $58.50-69, few $69-70.50, 500-600 lbs. $58-69, 600-650 lbs. $57-64, 650-700 lbs. $55-62, 700-800 lbs. $54-62.

Tennessee: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-400 lbs. $75-86, 400-450 lbs. $71-78 few $80, 450-500 lbs. $68-77, 500-550 lbs. $65-73, 550-600 lbs. $62-69, 600-700 lbs. $60-66, 700-800 lbs. $60-64, 800-900 lbs. $58-60; heifers, 300-400 lbs. $60-70, 400-450 lbs. $60-66, 450-500 lbs. $58-65, 500-550 lbs. $55-63, 550-600 lbs. $55-61, 600-700 lbs. $54-60 few 64, 700-800 lbs. $53-58.50.

Southeastern complex: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-250 lbs. $95-110, 250-300 lbs. $87-98, 300-350 lbs. $81-91, 350-400 lbs. $75-85, 400-450 lbs. $72-82, 450-500 lbs. $70-78, 500-550 lbs. $67-75, 550-600 lbs. $66-72, 600-650 lbs. $60-68, 650-700 lbs. $57-64, 700-750 lbs. $57-61, 750-800 lbs. $54-59; heifers, 200-250 lbs. $70-80, 250-300 lbs. $68-78, 300-350 lbs. $65-75, 350-400 lbs. $62-72, 400-450 lbs. $61-69, 450-500 lbs. $60-67, 500-550 lbs. $58-64, 550-600 lbs. $54-63, 600-650 lbs. $52-60, 650-700 lbs. $50-60.