Nation’s Feeder Cattle Price
Trends Highly Mixed Last Week

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. —(USDA)— Price trends for feeder cattle and calves were highly mixed across the country last week. Trends ranged from $2 higher to $2 lower, but no definite pattern was established. Advances outnumbered declines by a small margin.

A higher slaughter cattle market was a positive factor, but the $68 April CME futures did not spur demand for yearlings, except a few long yearlings. Most cattle that are going to hit that market are already well along the finished stage. Summer and fall futures at $63-65 do not lock in any big profits even though grain and feed prices are in a severe winter slump. Costs of weight gains are well below $50.

Seasonally, the best demand is for calves and grass cattle as spring and green pastures get closer. Ranchers are anxious to acquire numbers, but calf prices have made substantial advances the past few weeks and are almost back in line with a year ago. Receipts in this report have been running well above a year ago since mid-January.

Open, mild, dry weather has been the rule and livestock are doing well. Cattle are making exceptional weight gains. A high percentage calf crop is expected due to the lack of the usual severe winter storms. Numerous dry spots prevail across Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, though big snows elsewhere promise good pastures and big grain crops.

Weights in excess of 600 pounds accounted for 51 percent of the supply.

Some trading:

Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma; steers, medium and large No. 1 430 lbs. $90, 600-675 lbs. $75-83, 700-800 lbs. $70-75, mostly $72-74, 800-860 lbs. $68.50-71.50; 425 lbs. delivered $95, 700-800 lbs. $73.50-76, 825 lbs. $72; 750-775 lbs. for April delivery $70-72, 725 lbs. for June $68; 775 lbs. $2.50 under March CME board; 750 lbs. delivered $15 over April; heifers, 640-750 lbs. $67-71; 550-575 lbs. delivered $74-76, 625-750 lbs. $69-74.75; 700 lbs. for August and September delivery $73.25-73.50.

Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 650 lbs. $75.50, 700 lbs. $74, 750-780 lbs. $71.50-73 800-825 lbs. $70-72, 850-860 lbs. $68.75-70; 775 lbs. for April delivery $72, 750 lbs. for August $74, 800 lbs. for May $70; 750 lbs. even to $1 back of March CME board, 750 lbs. $1 back of May; heifers, 675 lbs. $68, 700-750 lbs. $67-70.

Colorado: steers, medium and large No. 1 few loads 750 lbs. $74.50; 700-725 lbs. delivered $76-77, bulk 800-825 lbs. $71.50-73.85; auction, few 300-400 lbs. $100-108, 400-500 lbs. $94.50-104, 500-550 lbs. $87-96, 550-600 lbs. $83.50-87.50, few to $93, 600-700 lbs. $73.50-83.50, mostly $75.50-81, 700-800 lbs. $70.50-76, 800-900 lbs. $65-70.50; heifers, couple loads 725 lbs. $71.50, few loads 800 lbs. $69; 630-650 lbs. delivered $72.50-73, string 725 lbs. $71.25, load 800 lbs. $68; auction, 300-400 lbs. $82-92.50, 400-500 lbs. $80-88.50, few to $92, 500-600 lbs. $76-83, 600-700 lbs. $72.50-77, 700-800 lbs. $68-72.75, 800-850 lbs. $67-70.

Wyoming, Western Nebraska and Western North and South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 650 lbs. $74-76, 725-880 lbs. $70-73; auction 300-360 lbs. $106-110, 400-450 lbs. $101-106, 450-500 lbs. $89.75-101, fancy $105-106, 500-550 lbs. $88.50-99.50, 550-600 lbs. $81-90.50, 550-600 lbs. $81-90.50, fancy $93.50-94.75, 600-650 lbs. $81.50-88, 650-700 lbs. $72.25-79.60, 700-800 lbs. $70.60-78.25, 800-900 lbs. $68.80-76.60, 900-1000 lbs. $66.60-68; heifers, 600-650 lbs. $70-72, 700-825 lbs. $65-68; auctions, 400-500 lbs. $82.75-88.50, 500-550 lbs. $80.50-86.90, 550-600 lbs. $77-84, 600-650 lbs. $72.50-78.50, 650-700 lbs. $67.25-75.25, replacements 650 lbs. $82.50, 700-800 lbs. $67-72.35, 800-900 lbs. $66.60-68.80, 925-1050 lbs. $64.10-66.

Montana: steers, medium and large No. 1 string 750 lbs. $72, 800 lbs. $70-71, 850-900 lbs. $69-70; auction, 500-550 lbs. $88-95, 550-600 lbs. $85-90.50, 600-650 lbs. $80-85, 650-700 lbs. $75-79.25, few 700-750 lbs. $72-74.50,750-800 lbs. $69.75-71.75, 800-850 lbs. $69.10-70.25, 850-900 lbs. $68.50-70.50, string 922 lbs. $68.85; heifers, couple loads 700-750 lbs. $67-68; auction, few 450-500 lbs. $80.50-81, 500-550 lbs. $77-82, 550-600 lbs. $76.50-79.50, 600-650 lbs. $72.75-76.50, 650-700 lbs. $70.25-71.75, 700-750 lbs. $68.85-70.50, 750-800 lbs. $68-68.25, 800-850 lbs. $65-68.75

Washington, Oregon and Idaho: steers, medium and large No. 1 575 lbs. $83, 600-650 lbs. $82, 750-800 lbs. $72-73, 800-850 lbs. $71; 800-850 lbs. delivered $70-71; 800 lbs. for May delivery $72; auction, 250-300 lbs. $103.50, 300-350 lbs. $95-102, 400-500 lbs. $93-96.50, 500-600 lbs. $82-90, 600-700 lbs. $78.50-84, 700-800 lbs. $72-77.50, 800-900 lbs. $67-73; heifers, 575 lbs. $75, 600-700 lbs. $71-72, 800 lbs. $68.50; 800-825 lbs. delivered $67; auction-350-400 lbs. $83-87.50, 400-500 lbs. $82-90, 500-550 lbs. $76-82, 600-700 lbs. $71.50-76, 700-800 lbs. $67-74.

Arkansas: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $97-107, 350-400 lbs. $93-103, 400-450 lbs. $89-98, 450-500 lbs. $84-93, 500-550 lbs. $82-91, 550-600 lbs. $77-85, 600-700 lbs. $72-80, 700-800 lbs. $67-74; heifers, 300-350 lbs. $81-90, 350-400 lbs. $78-86, 400-450 lbs. $76-84, 450-500 lbs. $73-81, 500-600 lbs. $71-78, 600-700 lbs. $65-72, 700-800 lbs. $63-70.

Kentucky: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $100-110, 300-400 lbs. $98-106, few $112, 400-450 lbs. $89-99, 450-500 lbs. $82-92, 500-600 lbs. $75-85.50, fancy $87-91, 600-700 lbs. $67-76, fancy $77-82.50, 700-800 lbs. $65-74, 800-900 lbs. $63-70.80; large No. 2 Holsteins 300-400 lbs. $61-71, few to $77, 400-500 lbs. $55-65, few $66-72, 500-600 lbs. $55-63, few $64-67.50, 600-700 lbs. $53.50-62.50, 700-900 lbs. $50-58; heifers, 200-300 lbs. $82-92, 300-400 lbs. $77-86, thin $86.50-93.50, 400-500 lbs. $74-82, some $83-86.50, 500-600 lbs. $67.50-76, few to $79, 600-700 lbs. $64-73.50, 700-800 lbs. $58-68, few to $71.75.

Tennessee: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $96-109, 350-400 lbs. $95-106, 400-450 lbs. $86-97 few $101, 450-500 lbs. $83-94, 500-550 lbs. $79-87.50, 550-600 lbs. $74-85 few $88.50, 600-700 lbs. $67-77 few $79, 700-800 lbs. $65-72, 800-900 lbs. $60-69.25; heifers, 300-350 lbs. $78-90, 350-400 lbs. $76-87 few $89, 400-450 lbs. $74-84, 450-500 lbs. $72-81.50, 500-550 lbs. $68-78, 550-600 lbs. $65-75, 600-700 lbs. $64-72, 700-800 lbs. $60-66.

Southeastern complex: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-250 lbs. $115-122, 250-300 lbs. $105-121, 300-350 lbs. $100-113, 350-400 lbs. $92-102, 400-450 lbs. $85-95, 450-500 lbs. $80-90, 500-550 lbs. $76-86, 550-600 lbs. $75-85, 600-650 lbs. $70-80, 650-700 lbs. $65-75, 700-750 lbs. $62-72, 750-800 lbs. $60-68; heifers, 200-250 lbs. $86-96, 250-300 lbs. $84-94, 300-350 lbs. $80-90, 350-400 lbs. $76-86, 400-450 lbs. $74-84, 450-500 lbs. $72-80, 500-550 lbs. $68-78, 550-600 lbs. $65-75, 600-650 lbs. $62-71, 650-700 lbs. $60-70.