Nation’s Feeder Cattle Trade
Mostly Higher Early Last Week

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. —(USDA)— Most feeder cattle prices around the country were higher last week with feeder steers and heifers steady to $2 higher. By week's end, however, some weakness was starting to show up.

Producers were met again with good demand, particularly for grass cattle, while buyers intently watched trading for fed cattle and futures contracts. Many winter wheat and oat grazing areas are in good shape now except in South Texas and the Panhandle, where moisture is desperately needed.

Fed cattle moved in huge numbers, but these numbers were bolstered, at least in part, by sales included from the previous Friday. Prices for fed cattle in the High Plains were up $1 the previous Friday but the bulk of the trading moved back down $1 to the $63 level. Showlists were pretty well cleaned up, but some feedyards carried supplies into this week. The sharp upturn in boxed beef prices stalled during the week with modestly lower prices turned in on Thursday.

Yearlings weighing more than 600 pounds accounted for approximately 54 percent of the week's run.

Some trading:

Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 350 lbs. $99.50, 400-485 lbs. $91, 625-675 lbs. $75-77, 700-800 lbs. $71-75, 800-875 lbs. $70-72; 650 lbs. delivered $75.50-80.75, 700-800 lbs. $73-76.50, 800-840 lbs. $71-72; 750-800 lbs. for April delivery $72-74; 800 lbs. $2 under March-April CME board, 750-800 lbs. delivered from 50 cents over to $1.25 under March to May; heifers, 625-750 lbs. $69-70; 550-635 lbs. delivered $75-77, 700-750 lbs. $70-72.75; 700-725 lbs. for April-June delivery $69-70, 700 lbs. for September $70.50; 650 lbs. delivered for June $71.35; 725 lbs. $4.50 under March CME board; 700 lbs. delivered $4 under March.

Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 725-785 lbs. $72-75, 800-850 lbs. $70-72; 750-825 lbs. for March delivery $71-73, 750-800 lbs. for April $71.50-74, 800 lbs. for May $71; heifers, 700-740 lbs. $68.50-71; 700-725 lbs. for March delivery $69.50-70, 650 lbs. for May $70.50.

Colorado: steers, medium and large No. 1 few loads 850-900 lbs. $68-70; couple loads 750 lbs. delivered $75, 825-875 lbs. $71-74; auction, few 300-400 lbs. $98-108, 400-500 lbs. $94-106.50, mostly $96-104.50, 500-600 lbs. $85-96.50, mostly $86.50-94, 600-700 lbs. $74-82.50, 700-800 lbs. $71.25-75.75, few 800-850 lbs. $72-74.25; heifers, few loads 750 lbs. $68, 825-850 lbs. $66-67; 700-735 lbs. delivered $71-73, 800-825 lbs. $68; auction, 300-400 lbs. $83-88.50, few to $93, 400-500 lbs. $81-89, 500-600 lbs. $76.50-84, 600-700 lbs. $70.50-75, 700-800 lbs. $69.25-73.75.

South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 600-650 lbs. $76.25-77.50, 700-800 lbs. $70.50-74, 800-900 lbs. $69-71.25; 775 lbs. delivered $75; heifers, 500-550 lbs. $80, 650-700 lbs. $69.25-72, 700-750 lbs. $68-70, 800-850 lbs. $66-67.50.

Wyoming, Western Nebraska and Western North and South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 625-675 lbs. $78-82, 700-850 lbs. $69-73; auction, 360-400 lbs. $107-116, 400-450 lbs. $97-107, 450-500 lbs. $93.75-101, 500-550 lbs. $86-97, 550-600 lbs. $83.25-92.50, 600-650 lbs. $79-86.25, 650-700 lbs. $76.25-81.75, 700-800 lbs. $72-77.75, 800-900 lbs. $69.30-74.60, 920-1020 lbs. $64.35-71.25; heifers, 575 lbs. $75, 650 lbs. $70-72, 700-750 lbs. $67-68; auction, 375-400 lbs. $87.25-89.50, 400-450 lbs. $82-91, 450-500 lbs. $80-88.10, 500-550 lbs. $79-85.75, 550-600 lbs. $73.50-83.10, 600-700 lbs. $72.50-77.85, 700-800 lbs. $68.30-73.60, 800-900 lbs. $68.75-70.75.

Montana: steers, medium and large No. 1 650-700 lbs. $78-80, 750-800 lbs. $72-74, 825 lbs. $71-71.50; auction, 358 lbs. $100, 450-500 lbs. $91.50-97, 500-550 lbs. $88-92, 550-600 lbs. $81.25-90, 600-650 lbs. $78.75-83.50, 650-700 lbs. $76-80.50, 700-750 lbs. $72-76.60, 750-800 lbs. $70.50-73.75, 800-850 lbs. $69.50-72.75, 850-900 lbs. $67.25-71; heifers, string 575 lbs. $77, 700 lbs. $68.50-70.75, load 775 lbs. $68; auction, 368 lbs. $87.50, 400-450 lbs. $80.50-86.50, 450-500 lbs. $82-85.25, 500-550 lbs. $79-84, 550-600 lbs. $76-80.50, 600-650 lbs. $74-78, 650-700 lbs. $68.50-75, 700-750 lbs. $68.50-70, 800-850 lbs. $67.25-68.75.

Washington, Oregon and Idaho: steers, medium and large No. 1 575 lbs. $86, 600-625 lbs. $78-82, 750-800 lbs. $72-73.50, 800-825 lbs. $72, 875 lbs. $71-71.50; 800-850 lbs. delivered $70-74; auction, 700-800 lbs. $70.50-73.50, 850-900 lbs. $69-70.50; heifers, 550 lbs. $74, 775 lbs. $70, 800-825 lbs. $67-69; 775-800 lbs. delivered $67-69; auction, 500-600 lbs. $72-76.50.

Arkansas: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $102-112, 350-400 lbs. $96-106, 400-450 lbs. $90-100, 450-500 lbs. $84-93, 500-550 lbs. $81-90, 550-600 lbs. $76-84, 600-700 lbs. $72-80, 700-800 lbs. $69-76; heifers, 300-350 lbs. $81-90, 350-400 lbs. $78-86, 400-450 lbs. $77-85, 450-500 lbs. $73-81, 500-600 lbs. $72-80, 600-700 lbs. $65-72, 700-800 lbs. $64-70.

Kentucky: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $98-110, 300-350 lbs. $95-105, few to $112, 350-400 lbs. $88-98, 400-450 lbs. $85-95, 450-500 lbs. $80-90, 500-600 lbs. $75-85, fancy $86-89, 600-700 lbs. $67-76, few to $78, 700-800 lbs. $64-72, fancy $72.25-75.90, 800-900 lbs. $63-72, fancy to $73.35; large No. 2 Holsteins 300-400 lbs. $63-74, 400-500 lbs. $60-70, 500-600 lbs. $55-65.75, 600-700 lbs. $50-62, 700-900 lbs. $48.50-57; heifers, 200-300 lbs. $80-89, 300-400 lbs. $75-85, few to $89, 400-500 lbs. $72-82, few $82.50-85.50, 500-550 lbs. $70-79.50, 550-600 lbs. $65-75, 600-700 lbs. $63.50-72.75, 700-800 lbs. $61.50-70.

Tennessee: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $97-110, 350-400 lbs. $91-104, 400-450 lbs. $86-96, few $99, 450-500 lbs. $82-92, 500-550 lbs. $78-87, 550-600 lbs. $73-83, 600-700 lbs. $70-77, 700-800 lbs. $65-72; heifers, 300-350 lbs. $80-90, 350-400 lbs. $75-85, few $89, 400-450 lbs. $75-84, 450-500 lbs. $70-82, 500-550 lbs. $70-80, 550-600 lbs. $65-76, 600-700 lbs. $64-74.50, 700-800 lbs. $59-64.

Southeastern complex: steers, medium and large No. 1 200-250 lbs. $110-126, 250-300 lbs. $110-115, 300-350 lbs. $96-113, 350-400 lbs. $90-103, some to $109, 400-450 lbs. $88-99, some to $104, 450-500 lbs. $82-92, 500-550 lbs. $79-89, 550-600 lbs. $77-87, 600-650 lbs. $72-82, 650-700 lbs. $65-75, 700-800 lbs. $64-72; heifers, 200-250 lbs. $90-100, 250-300 lbs. $85-95, 300-350 lbs. $80-91, 350-400 lbs. $76-86, 400-450 lbs. $74-84, 450-500 lbs. $70-81, 500-550 lbs. $68-78, 550-600 lbs. $65-76, 600-650 lbs. $62-72, 650-700 lbs. $60-69.