Feeder Cattle Trend Took Sharp
Upward Jump To Begin New Year

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. —(USDA)— Feeder steers and heifers opened the new year around the country $1-5 higher, occasionally $6-7 up.

Buyers came back from recent holidays with an entirely different attitude than late last year and prices for both calves and yearlings enjoyed a substantial rebound.

Slaughter hog prices perhaps led the way with prices running around twice as much as just a few short weeks ago amid rumors of government help for pork producers. Fed cattle prices also made a strong showing with prices late in the week mostly around the $61 mark in the High Plains under good movement. Boxed beef prices moved upward to lend support.

A severe winter storm held much of the nation in its grip and sometimes hampered movement of livestock; these will need to move as soon as weather allows. Feeder cattle numbers were on the light side with the bad weather a major factor. Most years find the larger runs in many locations commencing during the second and third week of the year.

Yearlings weighing more than 600 pounds made up approximately 49 percent of the week's run.

Some trading:

Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 575 lbs. $73, 700-800 lbs. $69-72, few early 67.50, 800-850 lbs. $68-70.25; load 625 lbs. delivered $69 early, 700-800 lbs. $69.75-74, few early $67.25, 850-875 lbs. $68-70; 750-800 lbs. for February through May delivery $69.50-71; 750-775 lbs. delivered for March and April $71.50-74.25; 750 lbs. based at $2 under May CME board; heifers, 750 lbs. $63.50-64.50; 675-725 lbs. delivered $64-69; 725-750 lbs. for February delivery $65.50-68, 725 lbs. for March and April $64-66.

Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 775 lbs. $68, 825 lbs. $65, 970 lbs. $61; heifers, 665-675 lbs. $65.50-66.

Colorado: steers, medium and large No. 1 650 lbs. $73, 800-825 lbs. $69; 625-650 lbs. delivered $75-76, couple loads 725 lbs. $73, 850 lbs. $68.50-71.50; auction, few 300-400 lbs. $91.50-98, 400-500 lbs. $80-92.50, mostly $83.50-90, 500-600 lbs. $74.50-81, few to $84, 600-700 lbs. $68.50-77.50, 700-750 lbs. $67.75-70.85, few 800-860 lbs. $64-66.25; heifers, 615 lbs. $70, 750 lbs. $65; 685 lbs. delivered $67.50, load 775 lbs. $68.50; auction, 300-400 lbs. $78-85, 400-500 lbs. $76-82, 500-600 lbs. $69.50-76, few 650-700 lbs. $64.50-66, few 700-725 lbs. $67-67.50, few 800-850 lbs. $62.50-63.

South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 540 lbs. $83.50, 650 lbs. $73.50-75, 750 lbs. $72.50; heifers, 880 lbs. $67.

Wyoming, Western Nebraska and Western North and South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 615 lbs. $74.50, 700-785 lbs. $70-74, 800-850 lbs. $68-70; auction, 325-350 lbs. $97-101.50, 400-450 lbs. $88.50-91.50, 450-480 lbs. $85-87.75, 500-550 lbs. $81-89.25, 550-600 lbs. $76.75-84.50, 600-700 lbs. $71.75-78.60, 700-800 lbs. $68-75, 800-900 lbs. $65.60-69.75; heifers, 500 lbs. $75-77, 650-790 lbs. $67-70, 825 lbs. $65; auction, 300-400 lbs. $77.50-85, 400-500 lbs. $73-79.75, fancy 400 lbs. $83, 500-600 lbs. $70.50-77, 600-650 lbs. $67.50-73.35, 650-700 lbs. $64.25-71.85, 700-800 lbs. $67-68.25, 800-825 lbs. $67-68.50, 960 lbs. $63.

Montana: steers, medium and large No. 1 load 550 lbs. $75, 600-625 lbs. $72-73, 650-675 lbs. $73-74, 700-750 lbs. $68-70, 850-875 lbs. $67-69; auction, 400-450 lbs. $84.50-87.50, 450-500 lbs. $80.75-84.50, 500-550 lbs. $79-82.50, package 575 lbs. $77.50, 600-650 lbs. $70.50-72.75, 650-700 lbs. $73.50-74.50, 700-750 lbs. $67.25-69.75; heifers, load 520 lbs. $72, string 500 lbs. $75, 575-600 lbs. $68.50-70, 700-775 lbs. $66; auction, package 407 lbs. $74.75, 450-500 lbs. $71-75.25, 500-550 lbs. $69.75-75, 550-600 lbs. $67.75-70.75, 600-650 lbs. $67.25-69, 900-950 lbs. $61.50-62.65.

Washington, Oregon and Idaho: steers, medium and large No. 1 650 lbs. $67, 800 lbs. $62; 675 lbs. delivered $68; auction, 350-400 lbs. $87, 400-500 lbs. $78-87, 500-600 lbs. $72-80, 600-700 lbs. $65.50-69.50, 700-800 lbs. $62-66.50; heifers, 625 lbs. $64, 750-800 lbs. $58; auction, 300-400 lbs. $65-70, 400-500 lbs. $66-72, 500-600 lbs. $62-69, 600-700 lbs. $59-63.50, 700-800 lbs. $58.50-62, 800-850 lbs. $55.50.

Arkansas: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $95-105, 350-400 lbs. $89-98, 400-450 lbs. $83-92, 450-500 lbs. $78-86, 500-550 lbs. $74-82, 550-600 lbs. $69-76, 600-700 lbs. $65-72, 700-800 lbs. $62-68; heifers, 300-350 lbs. $75-83, 350-400 lbs. $71-78, 400-450 lbs. $67-74, 450-500 lbs. $65-72, 500-600 lbs. $63-70, 600-700 lbs. $59-65, 700-800 lbs. $58-62.

Kentucky: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $82-92, 300-400 lbs. $81-90, few $91-98, 400-500 lbs. $74-84, few $85-90, 500-600 lbs. $70-77, 600-700 lbs. $64-72.50, 700-800 lbs. $60-69.90, 800-900 lbs. $60.50-67.35; large No. 2 Holsteins 300-400 lbs. $52.50-61, 400-500 lbs. $50-53; heifers, 200-300 lbs. $70-80, 300-400 lbs. $64-74, 400-500 lbs. $61-70, 500-600 lbs. $58-66.75, 600-700 lbs. $56-65.20, 700-800 lbs. $51-59.25.

Tennessee: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-400 lbs. $80-95 few $100, 400-450 lbs. $80-87, few $91, 450-500 lbs. $75-84, 500-550 lbs. $70-80, 550-600 lbs. $65-74, 600-700 lbs. $60-67.50, 700-800 lbs. $57-64; heifers, 300-400 lbs. $68-75 few $81, 400-450 lbs. $65-77, 450-500 lbs. $64-74, 500-550 lbs. $60-67, 550-600 lbs. $59-65, 600-700 lbs. $58-64.

Southeastern complex: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-250 lbs. $100-124, 250-300 lbs. $94-116, 300-350 lbs. $90-100, some to $105, 350-400 lbs. $80-96, mostly $84-94, 400-450 lbs. $82-92, 450-500 lbs. $72-86, mostly $76-86, 500-550 lbs. $70-82, 550-600 lbs. $63-74, some to $77, 600-650 lbs. $64-72, 650-700 lbs. $56-65, 700-800 lbs. $55-64; heifers, 200-300 lbs. $76-88, 300-350 lbs. $68-78, some to $84, 350-400 lbs. $65-80, mostly $68-78, 400-450 lbs. $63-73, some to $76, 450-500 lbs. $59-69, some to $74, 500-550 lbs. $62-72, 550-600 lbs. $57-67, 600-650 lbs. $56-64, 650-700 lbs. $53-63.