Nation’s Feeder Cattle Prices
Higher In Most Areas Last Week

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. —(USDA)— Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $3 higher across much of the country last week.

A higher slaughter cattle market and soaring CME futures trade the previous week improved demand for feeders, but the slaughter market hit a snag. Boxed beef cutouts made substantial upturns to $99.25, but packers are paying $99 in the beef. That does not leave a large margin at current returns from the drop. Consumer beef demand seemed to top out after about two weeks of 700,000-head kill at current heavy slaughter weights.

The mild winter is offering cheap feed and low cost weight gains in relation to current selling prices. With an uptrending market there should be no big hurry to take feeders to town, but receipts covered by this report are up 15 percent year to date. Some experts are expecting finished supplies to taper off in a couple of months. CME futures quotes jumped the gun and got out in front of the live trade, and for a change there was room on the board for hedging.

The calf runs tapered off percentagewise, with 56 percent of the supply weighing over 600 pounds.

Some trading:

Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 475-550 lbs. $82-87, 600-650 lbs. $75-76, 700-800 lbs. $71-75, 800-850 lbs. $68.50-71.50; 650 lbs. delivered $81, 700-800 lbs. $74-79, 800 lbs. $71; 700-800 lbs. delivered for March through June $71-74, 750-800 lbs. for March and April $73.50-75; 750 lbs. delivered mostly even to $1 under the March CME board, 800 lbs. $2 under August; heifers, 575 lbs. $72, 600-750 lbs. $68-71.50; 625-725 lbs. $70.75-75.50; 650-700 lbs. for March through July delivery $69-72; 725 lbs. delivered for April $71.50; 725-750 lbs. delivered $4.50-5 under March CME board, 700 lbs. $4 under August.

Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 750-850 lbs. $70-73; 750-800 lbs. for March delivery $71-73, 750-800 lbs. for April $71.50-73.50, 750 lbs. for May $71.50, 800-825 lbs. $71-71.50; heifers, 675 lbs. $71.50, 700-725 lbs. $68-71; 675-700 lbs. for March delivery $68-70, 700 lbs. for April $70, 700 lbs. for May $68-70.50.

Colorado: steers, medium and large No. 1 couple loads 900 lbs. $69; several loads 650 lbs. delivered $78-80, few loads 700 lbs. $74.50, 800-825 lbs. $74-74.80; few loads 800 lbs. delivered for March $74.25; auction, 300-400 lbs. $98-108.50, 400-500 lbs. $92-98.75, 500-600 lbs. $81.50-93.50, mostly $83.50-88.50, 600-700 lbs. $73.50-80.75, bulk $74-78.50, 700-800 lbs. $71.25-75.75, 800-875 lbs. $68.75-73.75; heifers, string 750 lbs. $71, load 825 lbs. $68; few loads 480 lbs. delivered $83.50, couple loads 550 lbs. $76, string 650 lbs. $73.50, few loads 750 lbs. $71.75; few loads 700 lbs. for March delivery $72.25; auction, 300-400 lbs. $83-88, 400-500 lbs. $80-89, mostly $82-86.50, 500-600 lbs. $74-83.50, mostly $77-81.50, 600-700 lbs. $71.50-75.25, 700-800 lbs. $67.50-73.50.

South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 650-700 lbs. $73.50-76, 700-750 lbs. $73-73.50, 800-850 lbs. $70-73; heifers, 650 lbs. $69.50-70.

Wyoming, Western Nebraska and Western North and South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 600-630 lbs. $78-81.50, 650-700 lbs. $75-80.75, 700-800 lbs. $71-75, 875 lbs. $70; auction, 730 lbs. $75.25; heifers, 615-625 lbs. $72.50-75, 650-725 lbs. $70-73, 750-825 lbs. $66-70; auction, 565 lbs. $77.50, 675-685 lbs. $73.50-74.25, few 750-885 lbs. $67-69.25.

Montana: steers, medium and large No. 1 string 600 lbs. $78, 700-725 lbs. $72-74, 750-800 lbs. $71-73, 800-825 lbs. $70-72, string 1110 lbs. $60; auction, 400-450 lbs. $94.50-95.50, 450-500 lbs. $92-97.50, 500-550 lbs. $86.50-94, 550-600 lbs. $83-88.50, 600-650 lbs. $77-82, 650-700 lbs. $75.50-77.25, 700-750 lbs. $72.75-75.75, 750-800 lbs. $71.50-73.25, 800-850 lbs. $69-71.25, 850-900 lbs. $68.60-70.50; heifers, load 700 lbs. $69, 775-800 lbs. $67-68; auction, 450-500 lbs. $79.50-86, 500-550 lbs. $78.50-83.50, 550-600 lbs. $75-79, 600-650 lbs. $74.50-80, 650-700 lbs. $71-75, 700-750 lbs. $69.10-71, 750-800 lbs. $66.50-68.50, 800-850 lbs. $66-69.50, few 900-950 lbs. $60-66.25.

Washington, Oregon and Idaho: steers, medium and large No. 1 500 lbs. $90, 600-700 lbs. $74-77, 700-800 lbs. $72, 850-875 lbs. $70-71; 800-900 lbs. delivered $69-72; auction, 400-500 lbs. $85.50-87, 500-600 lbs. $79.50-85, 600-700 lbs. $76-82, 700-800 lbs. $71-76; heifers, 625 lbs. $75, 700 lbs. $68-70; 800 lbs. delivered $68-69; auction, 450-500 lbs. $73-77, 500-600 lbs. $71.50-76, 600-700 lbs. $68.50-74.50, 700-800 lbs. $68-69.

Arkansas: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $100-110, 350-400 lbs. $95-105, 400-450 lbs. $89-98, 450-500 lbs. $84-93, 500-550 lbs. $79-87, 550-600 lbs. $75-83, 600-700 lbs. $71-78, 700-800 lbs. $67-74; large No. 2 Holsteins 300-500 lbs. $52-57; heifers, 300-350 lbs. $81-90, 350-400 lbs. $78-86, 400-450 lbs. $76-84, 450-500 lbs. $73-81, 500-600 lbs. $70-77, 600-700 lbs. $65-72, 700-800 lbs. $64-69.50.

Kentucky: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $96-107, 300-350 lbs. $104-109, 350-400 lbs. $87-97, 400-450 lbs. $83-93, 450-500 lbs. $78-87, 500-600 lbs. $73-83 few $84-86, 600-700 lbs. $67-77, few to $78.50, 700-800 lbs. $64-72, fancy $73-74.30, 800-900 lbs. $62-71.80; large No. 2 Holsteins 300-400 lbs. $58-67, 400-500 lbs. $58-69.75, 500-600 lbs. $53-60.25, 600-700 lbs. $53-60.10 few 65-68.25, 700-900 lbs. $46-53.75; heifers, 200-300 lbs. $79-88, 300-400 lbs. $73-83, some $84-85.50, 400-500 lbs. $70-80, few $82-84, 500-550 lbs. $70-79, few to $82.50, 550-600 lbs. $64-73, 600-700 lbs. $62-72, 700-800 lbs. $61-69.

Tennessee: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $95-110, 300-350 lbs. $96-106 few $109, 350-400 lbs. $90-100, 400-450 lbs. $85-95, 450-500 lbs. $80-90, 500-550 lbs. $76-85, 550-600 lbs. $72-81, 600-700 lbs. $68-75, 700-800 lbs. $63-70; heifers, 300-350 lbs. $73-86 few $89, 350-400 lbs. $72-83, 400-450 lbs. $71-82, 450-500 lbs. $68-78, 500-550 lbs. $67-76, 550-600 lbs. $65-72, 600-700 lbs. $61.50-70, 700-800 lbs. $60-66.

Southeastern complex: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-250 lbs. $110-129, 250-300 lbs. $105-125, 300-350 lbs. $98-112, 350-400 lbs. $95-105, 400-450 lbs. $88-98, 450-500 lbs. $82-92, 500-550 lbs. $78-88, 550-600 lbs. $75-85, 600-650 lbs. $70-78, 650-700 lbs. $63-73, 700-800 lbs. $60-71; heifers, 200-250 lbs. $85-105, 250-300 lbs. $84-94, 300-350 lbs. $78-88, 350-400 lbs. $75-85, 400-450 lbs. $73-83, 450-500 lbs. $70-80, 500-550 lbs. $67-77, 550-600 lbs. $65-75, 600-650 lbs. $62-72, 650-700 lbs. $60-70.