GOING INTO WINTER in good flesh, especially considering the size of the calves on them, these cows near Mason were able to capitalize on late summer and early fall rains that came in time to grow some grass. That could buy them a reprieve from the forced shipping that still faces many of their sisters to the west.

Feeder Lamb Prices Show Signs Of Life
Demand for lightweight slaughter lambs for the holiday menu boosted the feeder market considerably this week. Practically all the feeder weight lambs in Fredericksburg went to slaughter, too high for feeder or stocker buyers.

Plains Fed Cattle Stalled At Midweek; Bidding Lower
Plains fed cattle trade got off to another slow start this week. As of Wednesday, buyers and sellers were two or more dollars apart and the trend was backward again. By midweek packers were bidding $61 and feedlots were seeking $63 to $64.

PLAINS FEEDLOT SALES

RANGE SALES

Walker White Retires From Life In Cattle Business At 93 Years
Ninety-three year-old Walker White has been in the cattle business for the most part full-time since 1929 and part-time even before that. In 1995 he liquidated his registered Beefmaster herd, which he had maintained since 1947, and this past August he began liquidating the last of his commercial herd.

Four-Legged Helper Makes Good Hand For Feedyard's Vet Crew
It was 34 degrees on a gray, wet day at Caprock Feeders across Ladder Creek just north of Leoti. Inside the east hospital barn, Annie was at the computer checking health records. Deb was filling syringes. Bill was pushing the cattle up the snake to the squeeze chute.

Ohl Overcomes Early Knee Injury To Top Whitfield In Angelo Match
Wagers are as much a part of matched calf ropings as pigging strings, and audible gasps could be heard from the grandstands here recently as an already-trailing Cody Ohl pitched face-forward into his outstretched rope on his third calf in the 12-head match at the San Angelo Roping Fiesta.

Editorial
Regarding The Sheep Industry, Where Does It Go From Here?
The sheep industry is in turmoil now, with a lot of speculations, complaints, suspicions, and just downright resistance in the air.

Ethanol Lobby Won Big Victory Before Congress This Session
The Washington-based farm lobby prevailed this year in one of its biggest battles ever, a fight to save the federal subsidy that props up the ethanol industry.

Lynx Probably Don't Live Here, But Ecos Say Save Them Anyway
The elusive Canada lynx has barely been seen in most of the lower 48 United States in recent years. But it has taken center stage in a growing debate over whether to list it as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act.

Wild Horses, Prison Inmates Said To Be Good Combination
Ten years ago, officials from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the Wyoming Honor Farm found a practical solution to problems they both were facing.

Clintonites Sign "Warming" Treaty But Won't Submit It
In the quest for a symbolic gesture to add a spark to floundering "global warming" talks last week in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Clinton administration representatives on Thursday signed the Kyoto convention on climate change.

Election Has Dems Predicting Return To Old Farm Bill Ways
Farm state Democrats are hoping gains in last Tuesday's elections will make it easier to alter legislation they blame for pushing agricultural prices to record lows. But Republican supporters of the 1996 "Freedom to Farm Act" predict no significant changes.

Pork Producers Say They Want Fair Share Of Retail Price
Pork producers are complaining now about a problem cattlemen have faced for several years — struggling with a supply glut, they are getting the lowest prices in nearly 30 years for their livestock. But the farmers contend that grocers are making big profits nonetheless, selling overpriced chops, roasts and sausages.

Grazingland Center One-Stop Shop For Rangeland Managers
The Center for Grazingland and Ranch Management, located on the Texas A&M University campus in the Rangeland Ecology and Management Department, is now in its third year and still growing.

Babbitt Turns Out More Wolves, Tells Ranchers: Get Used To It
Clinton administration Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt has a message for stockmen and others who oppose reintroduction of wolves into the Southwest — shut up and get over it.

Grain Harvest Storage Problems Not As Serious As Anticipated
Elevator manager Dennis Bedore, like many of his counterparts, prepared at the start of fall harvest to pile milo on the ground because of anticipated storage shortages at his Farmers Union Mercantile and Shipping Association.

Cargill Buyout Of Continental Grain Business Raises Concerns
A proposed merger between the nation's two top grain exporters is raising concerns among two farm-state senators, who fear farmers already hit by a bad year will be hurt further.

Aide Says Espy Wanted List Of Ag Companies To
Former Clinton administration Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy wanted to ask key figures in the agriculture industry to help pay off his brother's debts from a failed run for Congress, a former aide testified late last week.

Russia Getting Free Grain, Selling Own
Russia will continue to export grain grown domestically even though it has just arranged to receive more than a million tons of wheat in food aid from the United States, a news report said Saturday.

Ecos Sold California Trap Ban; Now They Regret It
When it comes to traps, it shouldn't surprise anyone that animal-rights activists speak out of both sides of theirs.

Bareback Rider Gains NFR Slot With 18th To 8th Place Jump
The PRCA's 1998 regular season has come to a close. The $193,355 Grand National Rodeo in San Francisco, Calif., and the McCrossan Boys Ranch Rodeo in Sioux Falls, S.D., were the final rodeos of the regular season, which ended Nov. 8. And the two rodeos were the deciding factor for several National Finals Rodeo hopefuls.

Idaho's Ag Director Warns "Green" Products Cost More
Idaho Agriculture Director Pat Takasugi has put consumers on notice that if they want a cleaner environment they must buy American and be prepared to pay for it.

Nation’s Feeder Cattle Mostly Lower Except In Southern Areas
Price trends on feeder cattle varied for different parts of the country last week, but were mostly steady to $3 lower. The decline was more pronounced on yearlings than on calves. The calf areas of Springfield, Mo., Arkansas, Tennessee and the Southeast which provided a large part of the receipts, were steady to $5 higher.

Texas Fed Cattle Slip 50 Cents Last Week In Thursday Trading
Slaughter steers and heifers closed steady to 50 lower in Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma feedlot trading last week.

Cattle On Feed Down 2 Percent In Seven Main Feeding States
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter Nov. 1 in the seven leading feeding states totaled 9.2 million head, down two percent from a year ago but eight percent above Nov. 1, 1996.

Angelo Feeder Lambs Higher, Cattle Firm
Feeder lambs sold firm to $2 higher this week, slaughter lambs weak to $2 lower and slaughter ewes weak. Receipts totaled 12,313 head and included about 30 percent ewes and 25 percent goats.

Lampasas Lightweight Feeder Steers Higher
Feeder steers weighing under 600 pounds sold $2-4 higher, heavier weights $2-3 lower, heifers under 600 pounds steady, heavier weights $2-3 lower, slaughter cows $2-3 higher, bulls $1 higher. Receipts totaled 1300 head.

U.S. Imports 36,000 Cattle In Past Week
Approximately 36,000 feeder steers were imported last week from Mexico, most of the trading taking place at Presidio, Texas. Prices were weak to $2 lower. The bulk of the supply was previously contracted.

U.S. Meat Production 4.5% Above A Year Ago
Total red meat production under federal inspection last week was estimated at 879.3 million pounds, 3.2 percent less than a week earlier and 4.5 percent more than a year ago. Cumulative meat production for the year to date was up 3.1 percent at 38.5 billion pounds.

Kansas Feeder Steers Higher, Heifers Weak
Feeder steers sold firm to $1 higher last week in Kansas direct trading, heifers weak. The weather was mild with highs in the 60s and no moisture, making good drying conditions for feedlots. Sales were confirmed on 8686 head.

Giddings Cattle Mostly Steady
Most cattle sold about steady, some a little higher, others down just a hair. Weather-hampered receipts totaled 544 head.

Milano Feeder Steers Move Slightly Higher
Feeder steers sold firm to $1 higher, heifers steady, slaughter cows and bulls steady. Receipts totaled 1386 head. Feeder steers: medium and large No. 1 300-400 lbs. $89-100, few $102.50, 400-500 lbs. $80-90, few $91-93, 500-600 lbs. $74-81, 600-700 lbs. $67.50-70.

Most Abilene Feeder Cattle Prices Lower
Feeder steers sold steady to $4 lower, the decline on weights over 600 pounds, heifers $1-3 lower, slaughter cows steady, bulls $1-2 higher, stock cows $50-60 higher, pairs $25-35 higher. Receipts totaled 2273 head.

Most Cuero Cattle Prices Termed Higher
All classes of cattle sold higher under strong demand. Receipts totaled 923 head. Feeder steers: 250-300 lbs. $98-113, 300-350 lbs. $91-105, 350-400 lbs. $83-91, few $91-102, 400-450 lbs. $75-85, 450-500 lbs. $73-83, 500-600 lbs. $67-72, 600-700 lbs. $60-66, over 700 lbs. $54-63.

Colorado City Steer, Heifer Prices Steady
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady, slaughter cows $1-2 higher, bulls steady, bred cows $50 higher, pairs steady. Receipts totaled 1199 head.

Junction Feeder Lambs Trade Sharply Higher
Feeder lambs sold $5-8 higher, slaughter lambs mostly steady, slaughter ewes and bucks fully steady; stock Angora nannies $8-10 higher, slaughter Angoras steady; slaughter Spanish goats steady to $2 higher, stock nannies $3-5 higher. Receipts totaled 4600 head.

Fredericksburg Heavy Steers, Heifers Lower
Feeder steers weighing less than 575 pounds sold strong, heavier steers $1-3 lower, heifers $1-2 lower, slaughter cows and bulls $2-3 higher. Receipts totaled 1965 head.

Goldthwaite Feeder Lamb Prices Higher
Feeder lambs sold $3 higher, slaughter lambs steady, slaughter ewes and bucks mostly steady; slaughter Angora goats $2 lower; slaughter Spanish kids $3-6 higher, other slaughter goats $2 higher, stock nannies $3 higher. Receipts totaled 3000 head.

Graham Light Pasture Cattle Prices Higher
Lightweight feeder steers and heifers sold $1-3 higher, most moving into wheat grazing fields, weights over 550 pounds $2-3 lower, slaughter cows and bulls $1-1.50 higher, bred stock cows $10 higher, pairs $10-20 higher. Receipts totaled 2315 head.

San Saba, Brownwood, Mason Feeders Steady
Most feeder steers and heifers sold steady in Mason, Brownwood and San Saba last week with the exception of steers under 500 pounds, which were as much as $4 higher; replacement heifers were $2-5 higher, slaughter cows steady, bulls $1-3 higher, stock cows steady. Receipts totaled 3366 head at the three sales.

Coming Up...
November 19 — Special Calf and Yearling Sale, Jordan Cattle Auction, San Saba, Texas. November 20-21 — Camp Cooley Ranch’s "Genetic Lead Time" Registered Bull and Female Sales, at the ranch, Franklin, Texas. November 21 — Hill Country Brangus Breeder’s 23rd Annual Brangus Bull Sale and Commercial Females, Producers Livestock Auction, San Angelo, Texas. November 21 — Bobby Edmond Horse Sale’s Special Fall Riding Horse Sale, Amarillo Livestock Auction, Amarillo, Texas.