WINDMILL GOATS is how one rancher has described the indigenous breed of cabrito that has roamed West Texas outfits for years. Raised with little or no inputs, Spanish goats long served as a cash crop to be rounded up and culled down whenever the need arose — to buy parts for an ailing windmill, for instance.

Lamb Prices Turn Rosy; Imports Up
Fat and feeder lamb prices turned higher by $2-3 in most trading areas this week despite the arrival of one of the largest weekly volumes of imported lamb meat this year.

Plains Feedlots See Prices Melt Away Like Day-Old Snow
Winter has been slow to come to the Plains this year, but the fed cattle market caught a good chill as it finally approached. Texas Panhandle prices, struggling for the last couple of weeks, slipped a dollar to $61 in heavy trading Tuesday, then gave up another dollar in scattered Wednesday sales. Total movement through midweek was roughly 90,000 head, including 24,500 captives. The showlist was just over 80,000.

PLAINS FEEDLOT SALES

RANGE SALES

Argentine Producer Working To Produce A "Beef" Dairy
Beef is king in Argentina, and at Los Manuelitos the story is no different. Here, as elsewhere in the country, traditions run deep and grass-fed beef is one such tradition. David Hughes prides himself in producing high quality grass-fed beef good enough for consumption anywhere in the world with minimum inputs.

Battle Over Canadian River Boundary Goes To High Court
A battle over a Texas Panhandle riverbed returns to the courts in February. The Texas Supreme Court has agreed to hear a decade-long argument over who owns the bottomlands along a 35-mile stretch of the Canadian River since the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation built a dam that cut the water flow.

Brutons Worried Eco-Radicals Will End Century Of Ranching
Wesley Neil Bruton had to miss his daughter's 12th birthday. He was clear across the country, testifying on Capitol Hill in hopes of saving a family ranch that has survived for more than a century.

Grizzly Bears' Neighbors Say Feds Brush Off Their Concerns
Dusty Crary told the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee here last week that federal officials responsible for grizzly bear recovery apparently aren't interested in concerns of Rocky Mountain Front residents who have to live with the animals.

Feds Retreat From Conspiracy Talk In Wake Of Gun Evidence
Only days ago, federal officials were denouncing what they portrayed as a possible "conspiracy" to derail wolf reintroduction in the Southwest. Their statements clearly appeared to blame opponents — particularly ranchers — for the shooting deaths of four transplanted wolves.

Forest Service Finds Elk Threat To Streams
Burgeoning elk herds in the Gila National Forest might rival livestock when it comes to grazing in environmentally sensitive areas, the U.S. Forest Service says.

Diverse Group Seeks Better Way To Settle Environmental Issues
Cattle ranchers, conservationists, government regulators and others met for hours over two days, talking about how environmental issues could be resolved faster, cheaper and with less rancor.

Texas Farm Bureau Set Policy, Goals During Annual Convention
Texas Farm Bureau voting delegates approved a path for the state’s largest general farm organization to follow into the new millennium here at their 65th annual meeting.

Coyote Kill Proposed For Antelope Refuge
The newest plan for managing the 275,000-acre Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge includes what managers say is a key component for boosting antelope herds: killing coyotes.

Jury Clears Espy Of Charges For Accepting Illegal Gifts
After brief deliberations, a jury here last week cleared former Clinton administration agriculture secretary Mike Espy of 30 charges related to accepting illegal gifts from companies his agency regulated.

Cowboy Finds Reason To Give Thanks, Even In Rotten Month
Well, folks, on a scale of one to 10, the month of November started out at a minus 25 and didn't even get to a plus three 'til around Thanksgiving.

Suit Contests Basis Of Wyoming Leases
A preferential system for renewing grazing rights on state land should end because it prevents the state from charging as much as it could otherwise, according to a lawsuit headed to the Wyoming Supreme Court.

Anti-Import "Gang" Ambushes Hog Truck
A roadside gang ambushed two Spanish trucks carrying 505 imported pigs, driving the vehicles into a shallow ravine where they tipped over, killing and injuring many of the animals.

Study Seeks Fire Ant Effects On Wildlife
While others worry about the damage fire ants do to livestock, some Texas Tech researchers are studying whether the pests are reducing the state's wildlife population.

Judge Dumps Limits On Aquifer Pumping
A judge has opened the floodgates on the Edwards Aquifer.

Illegal Alien Sweep Concerns Cattlemen
A Nebraska Cattlemen official worries that a crackdown on undocumented workers at Nebraska meatpacking plants launched last week could hurt livestock producers.

Ag Trade Compact With Canada Pleases Most U.S. Observers
Grainbelt state governors, including some who had slowed border crossings of Canadian grain shipments, hailed a new trade pact between the United States and Canada.

Nation’s Feeder Cattle Higher; Weather, Pasture Growth Good
Feeder steer and heifer calves sold $2 to $5 higher around the country last week, but in some areas that was compared to two weeks ago because of the intervening holiday. Limited sales of yearlings were steady to $2 higher.

Texas Fed Cattle Closed $1 Off After Most Cattle Sold Steady
Slaughter steers and heifers closed $1 lower in a limited late test last week in Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma feedlot trading. Most cattle sold earlier at steady prices.

Superior Livestock Video Sale Offering Totals 32,000 Cattle
Superior Livestock Auction offered more than 32,000 cattle, mostly feeders, at their regularly scheduled video sale. Consignments were from 22 states and Mexico.

Angelo Lambs Firm, Feeder Cattle Higher
Feeder lambs sold firm this week, slaughter lambs were firm and slaughter ewes $2-3 higher. Trading was fairly active and demand good. Receipts totaled 10,296 head.

Most Graham Cattle Prices Turn Higher
Feeder steers sold $1-2 higher, heifers $1-2 higher with weights under 450 pounds steady, slaughter cows and bulls $1 higher, stock cows $10 higher, pairs $20-30 higher. Receipts totaled 1770 head.

Most Abilene Cattle Prices Move Higher
Feeder steers sold $1-4 higher, the full advance on weights under 600 pounds, heifers $1 higher, slaughter cows and bulls steady, stock cows $20 higher, pairs higher. Receipts totaled 1645 head.

Cuero Cattle Price Trends Termed Mixed
Trading was termed active with prices mostly mixed, good heifer calves higher. Receipts totaled 3238 head.

Colorado City Steer, Heifer Prices Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold $3-5 higher. Receipts totaled 1015 head. Feeder steers: medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $95-106, 300-400 lbs. $88-98, few $100-103, 400-500 lbs. $83-94, package $98, 500-600 lbs. $73-80, few $83-85, 600-700 lbs. $64-69.

San Saba Replacement Sale Offers 3229 Head
Demand was good and prices strong at the special replacement female sale with open heifers mixed, with some $50 higher, others steady. Receipts totaled 3229 head.

U.S. Meat Production 6% Above A Year Ago
Total red meat production under federal inspection last week was estimated at 904 million pounds, 11.9 percent more than a week earlier and six percent more than a year ago. Cumulative meat production for the year to date was up 3.3 percent at 23.5 billion pounds.

Camp Cooley Bull Sale Avg $2034 On 381 Head
The Camp Cooley Ranch sale here averaged $2034 on 381 bulls. The 245 Brangus bulls averaged $2239, 58 Charolais bulls averaged $2013, 20 commercial Brangus bulls $1503, and 48 Angus averaged $1277.

Milano Feeder Steer, Heifer Trade Steady
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady, slaughter cows $1 lower, bulls scarce. Receipts totaled 1002 head.

Llano Feeder Steers, Heifers Sell Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold $1-2 higher, slaughter cows and bulls steady. Receipts totaled 1042 head.

Goldthwaite Feeder Lambs Move Higher
Feeder lambs sold $2-3 higher, slaughter lambs steady, ewes and bucks steady; slaughter Angora goats $1-3 higher; slaughter Spanish goats steady to $2 higher, stock nannies steady to $2 lower. Receipts totaled 4000 head.

Junction Feeder Lambs Steady, Angoras Mixed
Slaughter lambs sold $1 higher, slaughter ewes and bucks $4-5 higher; stock Angora kids fully steady, kids and nannies $3 lower, slaughter Angoras fully steady; slaughter Spanish nannies steady, billies $7 higher, stock nannies steady.

San Saba, Brownwood, Mason Feeders Higher
Better grading feeder steers and heifers sold $2-6 higher last week in Mason, Brownwood and San Saba, some under 475 pounds as much as $10 higher, plainer and fleshy kinds in narrow demand, slaughter cows and bulls steady to $2 higher, pairs and bred cows in good demand.

Kansas Direct Feeder Cattle Trade Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold firm to $1 higher in Kansas direct trade last week. The weather was mild and dry with high temperatures in the low 70s. Sales were confirmed on 3950 head.

Lampasas Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Higher
Feeder steers and heifers weighing under 600 pounds sold $1-2 higher, heavier weights steady to $1 higher, slaughter cows and bulls steady. Receipts totaled 1350 head.

Fredericksburg Steers Strong, Heifers Higher
Lightweight feeder steers sold higher, other steers strong, heifers $1-2 higher, and slaughter cows and bulls steady. Receipts totaled 3103 head.

Most Giddings Feeder Cattle Sharply Higher
eeder steers and heifers sold $3-5 higher on weights under 600 pounds, heavier weights $2.50 higher. Receipts totaled 883 head.

Loose Ends

Coming Up...
December 9-12 — Agri-Concepts Low Cost Cow/Calf Production School, Ogallala, Nebraska. December 14 — Special Feeder Sale, Producers Livestock Auction, San Angelo, Texas. December 19 — Special Replacement Cow Sale, Muenster Livestock Commission, Muenster, Texas. December 19-20 — Hats Plus Sales 2-Day, All Breed Horse Sale, San Antonio Rose Palace, San Antonio, Texas.