Record High Fall Temperatures
Boost Calf Demand And Prices

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. —(USDA)— Open weather with record high fall temperatures put some heat in the calf market across the country last week. Feeder cattle and calves sold steady to $3 higher and yearlings were unevenly steady.

Grazing is good for this season of the year and cattle are making substantial cheap daily weight gains on pasture as well as in the feedlot. Returns are still $8-10 below a year ago. Slaughter cattle are about $7 under a year ago and struggling to hold above $60.

Average slaughter weights are dropping, but still well on top of 1200 pounds. Record low slaughter hog prices are not helping matters. There is no place on the CME board to hedge in profits as no month is over $60 until August. This does not fare well with feeder steers on top of $70 and feedlot gains up near 50 cents per pound. Some feedlots are reporting cheaper weight gains and recently corn prices were on a downtrend.

Only 34 percent of receipts weighed more than 600 pounds, about normal for this season of the year.

Some trading:

Texas: steers, medium and large No. 1 750 lbs. $68.50; 400 lbs. $90, 525 lbs. $78, 650 lbs. $68, 740-775 lbs. $70-71.50, 800 lbs. $68-69.50; 700-800 lbs. delivered for January and February $69.50-72.50; string 750 lbs. even the CME board for March to May delivery; heifers, 400 lbs. delivered $80, 625 lbs. $68.50; 675-710 lbs. delivered for January and February $65.50-70.

Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 525 lbs. $79.50, 750 lbs. $70, 800-870 lbs. $66.50-68; 750 lbs. for February delivery $70.25, 750 lbs. for May 1-15 delivery $69; heifers, 525 lbs. $71.50, 700-725 lbs. $64-67.

Colorado: steers, medium and large No. 1 715-725 lbs. $72.50-72.75; 600-620 lbs. delivered $75.50-75.75, 750 lbs. $71.25, 800-825 lbs. $69.50-70.25; auction, 300-400 lbs. $92-101.50, 400-500 lbs. $82-88.50, 500-550 lbs. $75.50-83, 550-600 lbs. $71.50-78.50, 600-700 lbs. $69.50-74, 700-800 lbs. $66.50-74.50, 800-875 lbs. $63.50-68.50; heifers, few loads 525-580 lbs. delivered $69.75-71.50; auction, 300-400 lbs. $81-86.50, 400-500 lbs. $74-79, 500-600 lbs. $66.50-73.50, few to $78.50, 600-700 lbs. $63-71, 700-800 lbs. $62.50-67, 800-875 lbs. $61-62.50.

South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 550-600 lbs. $73-77.

Wyoming, Western Nebraska, and North and South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 625 lbs. delivered $75, 700 lbs. $69; string 750 lbs. for February delivery $70.50, 800 lbs. $68; auction, 350-400 lbs. $91.50-103, 400-450 lbs. $88.60-96, fancy $95.25-99.75, 450-500 lbs. $84-90, 500-550 lbs. $75-83, fancy $83.50-87, 550-600 lbs. $73-79.75, 600-700 lbs. $68.75-75, 700-800 lbs. $68.25-73, 800-850 lbs. $68-70.50, few 925-960 lbs. $62.10-65.25; heifers, 575 lbs. delivered $71, 700-750 lbs. $64-66; auction, 300-400 lbs. $80-86, 400-450 lbs. $74-79, fancy $81.50-83.50, 450-500 lbs. $71.50-76.75, fancy $78.50-79, 500-600 lbs. $67.75-74.75, fancy $77-77.75, 600-700 lbs. $65.25-69.25, 700-800 lbs. $65.10-67.60, 800-900 lbs. $62.10-67.20, 900-950 lbs. $62-63.80.

Montana: steers, medium and large No. 1 several loads 500-525 lbs. $80, 600-625 lbs. $72-74; auction, 360-400 lbs. $91-99.50, 400-450 lbs. $91-93.50, 450-500 lbs. $81.50-86.50, 500-550 lbs. $77-81, 550-600 lbs. $73.50-79.50, 600-650 lbs. $72.75-77.50, 650-700 lbs. $70.50-76.25, 700-770 lbs. $70.50-73.50; heifers, 490 lbs. $72, 550-575 lbs. $68-70; auction, 350-400 lbs. $75.75-83.50, 400-450 lbs. $73.25-79.25, 450-500 lbs. $72.50-78, 500-550 lbs. $70-75.50, 550-600 lbs. $67.50-73, 600-650 lbs. $66-69.50, fancy to $72, 650-700 lbs. $65.50-68.75.

Washington, Oregon and Idaho: steers, medium and large No. 1 750 lbs. $68; 850 lbs. delivered $65; auction, 400-500 lbs. $82.50-87, 500-600 lbs. $69-78.50, 600-700 lbs. $63-69, 700-800 lbs. $66-67; heifers, 550-600 lbs. $67; auction, 300-400 lbs. $70-74, 400-500 lbs. $69-74.50, 500-600 lbs. $64.50-68, 600-700 lbs. $62.50-66.

Arkansas: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $92-102, 350-400 lbs. $87-96, 400-450 lbs. $83-92, 450-500 lbs. $78-86, 500-550 lbs. $73-81, 550-600 lbs. $68-75, 600-700 lbs. $64-71, 700-800 lbs. $60-66; Holsteins, large No. 2 300-400 lbs. $48-53, 400-600 lbs. $46-50; heifers, 300-350 lbs. $74-82, 350-400 lbs. $70-77, 400-450 lbs. $66-73, 450-500 lbs. $64-71, 500-600 lbs. $63-70, 600-700 lbs. $58-64, 700-800 lbs. $58-63.

Kentucky: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $91-101, 300-350 lbs. $94-104, 350-400 lbs. $84-94, 400-500 lbs. $75-85, several $86-90.50, 500-600 lbs. $67-77, few $78-80, 600-700 lbs. $62-71, 700-800 lbs. $61-68.50, 800-900 lbs. $61-67.20; Holsteins, large No. 2 300-400 lbs. $51-60.75, 400-500 lbs. $50-59, 500-600 600 lbs. $48-55, few $56-58.75, 600-700 lbs. $46-52, 700-900 lbs. $45-51; heifers, 200-300 lbs. $65-73, 300-400 lbs. $66-75, few $76-79, 400-500 lbs. $63-72, few $73-74, 500-600 lbs. $58-66, 600-700 lbs. $57-64.95, 700-800 lbs. $55-63.50.

Tennessee: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $87-100, 350-400 lbs. $85-95, 400-450 lbs. $75-85 few $90, 450-500 lbs. $72-84, 500-550 lbs. $63-76 few $78, 550-600 lbs. $61-72, 600-700 lbs. $58.50-66, 700-800 lbs. $58-64; heifers, 300-350 lbs. $64-75, 350-400 lbs. $61-74, 400-450 lbs. $60-73, 450-500 lbs. $60-67, 500-550 lbs. $57-65, 550-600 lbs. $55-64, 600-700 lbs. $55-64, 700-800 lbs. $52-59.

Southeastern complex: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-250 lbs. $100-120, 250-300 lbs. $95-116, 300-350 lbs. $90-100, 350-400 lbs. $88-98, 400-450 lbs. $80-90, 450-500 lbs. $72-84, 500-550 lbs. $70-80, 550-600 lbs. $66-76, 600-650 lbs. $59-69, 650-700 lbs. $55-65, 700-800 lbs. $53-63; heifers, 200-250 lbs. $75-85, 250-300 lbs. $70-89, 300-350 lbs. $70-80, some to $82, 350-400 lbs. $68-78, 400-450 lbs. $65-75, 450-500 lbs. $62-72, 500-550 lbs. $58-68, 550-600 lbs. $55-65, 600-650 lbs. $53-63, 650-700 lbs. $52-58.