FALL CALVES of various flavors offer a little something for every taste.By the time these babies are ready to leave home, the market may be strong enough to pay for their raising. Now that would give cattlemen something to be thankful for.

Lamb Kill Short, Price Even Shorter
Most Texas markets were closed this week for the observance of Thanksgiving and little price testing was available. Midwest markets were $3-4 lower on feeder lambs and $5-6 off on fats. Junction was $2 lower on feeders and $3 lower on fat lambs.

Slaughter Cattle Trade Quiet First Part Of Holiday Week
Aside from the bellowing and the mill noise, Plains feedlots were quiet through Tuesday of this holiday-shortened week. Trade had yet to develop in most areas, and buyer interest was said to be light.

PLAINS FEEDLOT SALES

RANGE SALES

Opponents Mull Hauling F&WS To Court Over Wolf Program
New Mexico and Arizona livestock organizations were debating this week whether to haul the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service back into court for violating a settlement agreed to earlier this year in a lawsuit over the release of wolves in the Apache National Forest.

Working Beyond Expectations, USPB Marks First Anniversary
The year 1998 will go down in record books as one of the beef industry's worst years, at least in recent times. It's also one for the record books for U.S. Premium Beef. December 1 marks the first anniversary for the producer-owned cooperative.

Arkansas River Shiner Listed Under "Threatened" Category
New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma ranchers along the Canadian River are breathing a little easier this week after dodging a scaly bullet.

Weeds Help Treat Feedlot Waste, Then Provide Feed For Cattle
With the total capacity of cattle feedlots in Texas inching closer to eight million head this year and environmental concerns becoming a serious threat, waste treatment and disposal has become an increasingly difficult task.

Ag Groups Take Beef, Banana Export Cases To The Public
Question: What do beef and bananas have in common? Answer: Trade disputes with Europe. The U.S. government must take action against the European Union unless the EU brings its illegal trade practices on beef and banana imports into compliance with international trade law, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association said last week at a news briefing here.

Final Push To Eradicate Bangs Draws "Sweetener" Incentives
State and federal animal health officials have added incentives to "sweeten the pot" for the final push to eradicate brucellosis in Texas.

Weather And Market Disasters Were Acid Test For Farm Bill
When Congress passed the Freedom to Farm Act during midsummer 1996, little did they or farm supporters know or realize that an acid test of that concept began that same year and that the concept would start to unravel by early fall of 1998.

BLM Using Cattle To Reclaim Abandoned Gold Mine Location
It may cause anti-grazing activists to gnash their teeth and pound the floor, but the federal Bureau of Land Management plans to use cattle to restore native range plants at an abandoned open-pit mine site.

TX Animal Health Commission Warns Of Screwworm Outbreak
Texas livestock health officials are asking ranchers to watch for and collect suspicious larvae that may be detected in animal wounds, as an investigation continues into a possible screwworm outbreak near Rocksprings in Edwards County.

GAO Warns Canadian Grain Exports To U.S. Increasing
American farmers already upset about the competition they're getting from Canada may see even more grain flowing south in coming years, congressional analysts say.

Novel Approach To Trailering Balky Horse Needed More Study
Have you ever thought about how many different ways there are to load a horse? I have. What got me to thinking about it was seeing what was left of a man and a horse just the other day.

Most Of Beef IBP Recalled Consumed
More than one quarter of the 500,000 pounds of beef recalled by IBP in Florida and 32 other states has been returned or destroyed by customers, the meatpacking company said Friday.

Stock Calves Higher Last Week, Feeders Lower In Most Places
Feeder cattle prices were mixed around the country last week, steer and heifer calves generally selling firm to $3 higher except in Wyoming where prices ran steady to $3 lower and in Kentucky, steady to $2 off. Yearling steers and heifers were weak to $2 lower.

Steer, Heifer Prices Steady In Angelo Special Sale Monday
Steers and heifers were steady here Monday in the season's ninth special feeder sale at Producers Livestock Auction. Trading and demand were termed moderate and quality average to attractive, including numerous bunches of fresh preconditioned cattle. Calves made up 70 percent of receipts, which totaled 2651 head compared to 4694 at the last special sale earlier this month and 2943 for the same day last year.

Texas Fed Cattle Prices Lower Once Again In Late-Week Trade
Slaughter steers and heifers closed $1-2 lower last week as a bearish atmosphere prevailed in the fed cattle trade.

Superior Livestock Video Sale Offering Totals 21,000 Cattle
Superior Livestock Auction offered more than 21,000 feeder cattle and breeding stock in their regular video sale. Consignments were from 20 states and Mexico.

Angelo Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Lower
Feeder steers and heifers sold $1-3 lower last week, slaughter cows and bulls weak, stock cows and pairs weak. Receipts totaled 5502 head. There was no sheep sale this week in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Most Graham Cattle Prices Termed Lower
Feeder steers under 450 pounds sold $3-4 lower, heavier weights $1 lower, heifers $1 lower, slaughter cows $1-1.50 lower, stock cows steady. Receipts totaled 2044 head.

San Saba, Brownwood, Mason Feeders Higher
Lightweight feeder steers sold $6-9 higher in Mason, Brownwood and San Saba last week, weights over 400 pounds steady to strong, heifers steady to $1 higher, slaughter cows and bulls steady to $3 higher, stock cows steady. Receipts totaled 4399 head at the three sales.

Fredericksburg Feeder Steers Strong, Higher
Feeder steers sold strong to $3 higher, the advance on weights over 575 pounds, heifers steady, slaughter cows and bulls steady. Receipts totaled 2531 head.

October Red Meat, Pork Record High
Both overall red meat and pork set record October highs for U.S. production, while veal and lamb and mutton productions were at record lows.

Goldthwaite Sheep, Goats Mostly Lower
Feeder lambs sold $3-4 lower, slaughter lambs $5-6 lower, slaughter ewes and bucks $2 lower; Angora goats $2 lower, stock Spanish nannies $2 lower, slaughter goats $2-4 lower. Receipts totaled 5200 head.

Junction Lambs Lower, Stock Angoras Steady
Feeder lambs sold $2 lower, slaughter lambs $3 lower, slaughter ewes and bucks mostly steady; stock Angora nannies steady, slaughter Angoras steady to $2 higher; stock Spanish nannies $5 lower, slaughter goats steady to $2 higher.

Most Cuero Cattle Prices Said Steady
All classes cattle sold steady under strong demand. Receipts totaled 3175 head. Feeder steers: weights under 250 lbs. $91-105, 250-300 lbs. $90-100, 300-350 lbs. $90-108, 350-400 lbs. $79-93, few $94-101, 400-450 lbs. $75-88, 450-500 lbs. $74-85, 500-600 lbs. $65-72, 600-700 lbs. $60-65, over 700 lbs. $60-62.

U.S. Meat Production 5.1% Above A Year Ago
Total red meat production under federal inspection last week was estimated at 914.7 million pounds, four percent more than a week earlier and 5.1 percent above a year ago. Cumulative meat production for the year to date was up 3.1 percent at 39.5 billion pounds.

Producers Video Sale Offers 4000 Cattle
Producers Video Auction offered 4000 feeder steers and heifers. Delivery is mostly current through the end of the year.

WCTAA Angus Bulls Avg. $2076 Per Head
A total of 64 bulls averaged $2076 per head in the West Central Texas Angus Association sale at Producers Livestock Auction.

Lampasas Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Mixed
Feeder steers and heifers weighing under 600 pounds sold $2 lower, over 600 pounds $1-3 higher, slaughter cows and bulls steady to $1 lower. Receipts totaled 1300 head.

Colorado City Feeder Cattle Prices Steady
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady, slaughter cows steady, bulls steady. Receipts totaled 1276 head.

RR Ranch Bulls Average $2110 Each
The RR Ranch bull sale included 52 bulls for an average of $2110 per head.

Kansas Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Lower
Feeder steers sold weak to $3 lower in Kansas direct trade last week, heifers weak to $1 lower on light offerings. Weather in western Kansas was mild and dry with highs in the 60's and lows in the 30's. Sales were confirmed on 11,066 head.

Domestic Wool Slow, Aussie Wools Higher
Domestic wool trading remains at a standstill, with seller interest and demand both light. California sold 210,000 pounds of lamb wool sold with whiteface 20.6-23.5 micron bringing 37 cents grease, crossbred 23.5-26 micron 30 cents.

Letter To The Editor

Loose Ends

Coming Up...
November 28 — Complete Dispersal of Mountain Pass Beefmasters, Live Oak County Fairgrounds, Three Rivers, Texas. November 28 — Special Stock Cow Sale, Licking Livestock Auction, Licking, Missouri. November 30 — Special Stocker and Feeder Sale, Tulia Livestock Auction, Tulia, Texas. November 30 — Vermilion Ranch Annual Fall Production Sale, Public Auction Yards, Billings, Montana.