Nation’s Feeder Cattle Higher;
Weather, Pasture Growth Good

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. —(USDA)— 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.

The supply was mostly calves and the weather was a big factor as the slaughter trade is not providing any enthusiasm. This has been the mildest open fall on record. Pastures and cattle are doing well but a few places are getting dry. The calf country of the Southeast and nearby states accounted for nearly 70 percent of receipts.

The finished market tried to work higher early in the week but CME futures and cutouts turned lower. Packers backed down to $61 late. Bids of $98 in the beef and cutouts of $98 did not work very well for slaughter operations as drops are now below $7 per cwt. and they have to figure in unit kill costs. Not a lot of feedlot pens are empty, and few yearling sales were reported.

Only 30 percent of the supply weighed more than 600 pounds.

Some trading:

Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 550 lbs. $76, 675-800 lbs. $66-70, 825 lbs. $64; 700-800 lbs. delivered $68-71.75, 800-850 lbs. $64-67; 425 lbs. for January delivery $90.75, 725-750 lbs. for March through May $69-71; heifers, 675 lbs. $64; 675-750 lbs. delivered $62-66; 550 lbs. for May delivery $70.

Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 540 lbs. $74.50, 775-780 lbs. $68-69, 850 lbs. $64; heifers, 500 lbs. $69, 700-725 lbs. $63-64.

Colorado: steers, medium and large No. 1 load fancy 500 lbs. delivered $83.50, few loads 550 lbs. $75.85, 725-800 lbs. $70.25-71.25; auction, 300-400 lbs. $91-98, 400-500 lbs. $82-88.50, few to $90.50, 500-600 lbs. $73.50-80.50, 600-700 lbs. $69.25-75.50, 700-800 lbs. $65.50-73.50, 800-850 lbs. $62.50-67.75, few 900-950 lbs. $63-65.50; heifers, couple loads 810 lbs. $63; few loads 500 lbs. delivered $72-73; few loads 650 lbs. delivered for February $69.50; auction, 300-400 lbs. $82.50-91, 400-500 lbs. $71-78.50, 500-600 lbs. $69.50-76.50, 600-700 lbs. $65.50-70, 700-800 lbs. $63.50-68.

Wyoming, Western Nebraska, and Western North and South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 530 lbs. delivered $83, 600-650 lbs. $73-77, 700 lbs. $70; auction, 330-400 lbs. $90.50-94.25, 400-450 lbs. $87.50-96, 450-500 lbs. $83.25-87.50, fancy $88.50-96, 500-550 lbs. $75-81, fancy $82.50-86.75, 550-600 lbs. $74-80.10, 600-700 lbs. $70.75-76.80, 700-800 lbs. $69-73, 800-880 lbs. $68.50-71.10, few 940-995 lbs. $64-65.25; heifers, 500 lbs. $70-71; 675 lbs. delivered $65; auction, 300-350 lbs. $81.50-86, 350-400 lbs. $75.25-85.50, 400-450 lbs. $74-80, 450-500 lbs. $71.50-76.85, fancy $77-78.50, 500-550 lbs. $68.50-74.75, fancy replacements 520 lbs. $77.25, 550-600 lbs. $67.75-71.75, 600-650 lbs. $65.50-71.30, 740-775 lbs. $65-65.50, 850-880 lbs. $64- 67.50, lot 975 lbs. $63.10.

Montana: steers, medium and large No. 1 couple loads 500-530 lbs. $80-81, 600 lbs. $70-73, 650-700 lbs. $71-74, 700-725 lbs. $67-68.50; auction, 400-450 lbs. $86-92, 450-500 lbs. $85.50-90.50, 500-550 lbs. $75-82, 550-600 lbs. $73.75-79, 600-650 lbs. $70-75.50, 650-700 lbs. $69.25-73.75, 700-750 lbs. $68-69, 750-800 lbs. $67-68; heifers, load 500 lbs. $70, 600 lbs. $67, couple loads 750 lbs. $66; auction, 400-450 lbs. $73.50-79, 450-500 lbs. $72-78, 500-550 lbs. $69.50-72.25, 550-600 lbs. $69-72.75, 600-650 lbs. $68.25-70.75, 650-700 lbs. $65-68.25, 800-850 lbs. $64.50-66, 850-900 lbs. $65-65.50.

Washington, Oregon and Idaho: steers, medium and large No. 1 600-650 lbs. $70-73, 700-750 lbs. $65-70, 800 lbs. $63.50; auction, 300-400 lbs. $84.50-87, 400-500 lbs. $83-91, 500-600 lbs. $75-81, 600-700 lbs. $67-73, 700-800 lbs. $62.50-68; heifers, 550-600 lbs. $67, 600 lbs. $70, 750 lbs. $61.50-62; auction, 300-400 lbs. $66.50-72, 400-500 lbs. $67-75, 500-600 lbs. $64.50-72, 600-700 lbs. $62.50-67.50, 800 lbs. $57.

Arkansas: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $90-100, 350-400 lbs. $86-95, 400-450 lbs. $83-92, 450-500 lbs. $77-85, 500-550 lbs. $72-80, 550-600 lbs. $68-75, 600-700 lbs. $63-70, 700-800 lbs. $60-66; large No. 2 Holsteins, 300-500 lbs. $47-52, 500-600 lbs. $45-50, 600-900 lbs. $44-45; heifers, 300-350 lbs. $73-81, 350-400 lbs. $70-77, 400-450 lbs. $68-75, 450-500 lbs. $64-71, 500-600 lbs. $62-68, 600-700 lbs. $58-64, 700-800 lbs. $58-63.

Kentucky: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $88-98, few $99-104, 300-350 lbs. $90-100, 350-400 lbs. $82-92, 400-500 lbs. $74-84, several $85-89.50, 500-600 lbs. $66-76, few $77-78.25, 600-700 lbs. $61-70, 700-800 lbs. $60-68.50, some $69-70.95, 800-900 lbs. $60-66.95; Holsteins, large No. 2 300-400 lbs. $50-57, few $60-62, 400-500 lbs. $50-56, 500-600 lbs. $48.50-54.25, 600-700 lbs. $45-55, 700-900 lbs. $43.50-52.60; heifers, 200-300 lbs. $65-73.50, 300-400 lbs. $64-74, few $75-79, 400-500 lbs. $62-72, 500-600 lbs. $58-67, few $68-69, 600-700 lbs. $55-64, few $64.25-64.90, 700-800 lbs. $54-61, few $62-64.90.

Tennessee: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $83-95, 350-400 lbs. $79-88, 400-450 lbs. $74-85 few $90, 450-500 lbs. $71-80 few $88, 500-550 lbs. $66-75, 550-600 lbs. $64-72, 600-700 lbs. $58-65, 700-800 lbs. $58-64; heifers, 300-400 lbs. $66-75 few $78, 400-450 lbs. $63-73, 450-500 lbs. $59-68, 500-550 lbs. $58-66, 550-600 lbs. $56-64, 600-700 lbs. $55-62.

Southeastern complex: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-250 lbs. $100-120, 250-300 lbs. $95-110, 300-350 lbs. $90-100, 350-400 lbs. $85-95, 400-450 lbs. $80-89,450-500 lbs. $78-85, 500-550 lbs. $70-78, 550-600 lbs. $62-72, 600-650 lbs. $62-70, 650-700 lbs. $59-65, 700-750 lbs. $60-67, 750-800 lbs. $52-62; heifers, 200-250 lbs. $80-99, 250-300 lbs. $75-86, 300-350 lbs. $72-81, 350-400 lbs. $70-78, 400-450 lbs. $67-76, 450-500 lbs. $60-70, 500-550 lbs. $59-65, 550-600 lbs. $54-63, 600-650 lbs. $52-62, 650-700 lbs. $50-56.