Feeder Cattle Mostly Steady
To Off Last Week, Heavies Up

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. —(USDA)— Feeder steers and heifers sold mostly steady to $3 lower around the country last week, but several places showed weights under 600 pounds steady to $2 higher.

Grass is getting taller and greener.

A good demand for beef was the strong point in the week's cattle trade. Boxed beef cutouts jumped up to more than $108 with the second week of increased slaughter. However, feedlot operators were unable to get more cash money, mostly $65 in the direct slaughter trade.

Market ready cattle just keep showing up as packers made big purchases to meet their kill requirements. Showlists were not completely cleaned up.

USDA’s cattle on feed report showed feedlot numbers up three percent from a year ago and a 22 percent monthly increase in placements. The replacement story has been pretty much the same since the first of the year. The April and May short supply window is slow to open up and some of those early- year increased replacements will soon be finished.

A year ago this week it was hard to get $65 for slaughter cattle and the price below $60 by late July.

Feeder cattle receipts covered by this report are up nearly 22 percent since the first of the year. Many of these were calves and need to do more grazing and growing before being put on a concentrated finishing diet. The week's receipts dropped below a year ago, but only about half of the supply represented yearlings over 600 pounds.

Some trading:

Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 350-450 lbs. $88.25-99, 550-650 lbs. $75-81.25, 700-800 lbs. $68.75-73, 800-850 lbs. $65-69; 675 lbs. delivered $74, 750-800 lbs. $69-72, 800-850 lbs. $66-68.50; 650 lbs. for May delivery $75, 700-800 lbs. for June through August $70-73.50, 800 lbs. for May $66.75; heifers, 575 lbs. $71, 675-750 lbs. $63-68; 650-700 lbs. delivered $69.50-69.75; 550 lbs. for May delivery $75, 650-725 lbs. for June $67-69.25.

Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 700-750 lbs. $72-73, 750-775 lbs. $69-72, 800-825 lbs. $67-69, 900-935 lbs. $62.50-63; 750 lbs. for June delivery $71; heifers, 625 lbs. $69, 675-725 lbs. $66-68, 750 lbs. $63, 825 lbs. $61; 700 lbs. for May delivery $69.

Colorado: steers, medium and large No. 1 few loads 785 lbs. $72; 800-875 lbs. delivered $69-70.50; auction, few 350-400 lbs. $99-106, 400-500 lbs. $92-97.50, 500-550 lbs $88.50-98.50, 550-600 lbs. $85-92.50, 600-700 lbs. $75.50-84.50, 700-800 lbs. $68.75-75.75, 800-825 lbs. $67.75-70; heifers, load 700 lbs. $68.25; 750-800 lbs. delivered $66-68.50; auction, 400-500 lbs. $79.50-86.50, few to $92, 500-600 lbs. $77.50-85.50, 600-700 lbs. $68.50-78, mostly $68.50-75.50, 700-800 66.50-72.25.

South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 800-850 lbs. $67-72, those at inside price delivered; heifers, 600-700 lbs. $70.25-75, load 912 lbs. $61.75.

Wyoming, Western Nebraska and Western North and South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 740 lbs. delivered $73.75, 860 lbs. $67; auction, 500-600 lbs. $84-85, load 630 lbs. $86; heifers, 725 lbs. $68; auction, 400-500 lbs. $81-83.50, fancy replacements 550-600 lbs. $82.75-83.60, 600-660 lbs. $73-78, fancy replacements 715-725 lbs. $71.50-72.50.

Montana: steers, medium and large No. 1 string 775 lbs. $69.50, 850-900 lbs. $64-67; auction, 400-450 lbs. $93.75-99, 450-500 lbs. $89.50-90.50, 500-550 lbs. $86-90.50, 550-600 lbs. $83.75-87.75, 600-650 lbs. $80-84, 650-700 lbs. $73-81.50, 700-750 lbs. $70.25-74, 750-800 lbs. $750-800 lbs. $69.50-71.35, 800-850 lbs. $65.75-68, 850-900 lbs. $64.25-67.50, string 964 lbs. $64; heifers, several loads 800-850 lbs. $63-64; auction, 450-500 lbs. $82.50-85.75, 500-550 lbs. $77-81.50, 550-600 lbs. $75-81.25, 600-650 lbs. $72.25-77, 650-700 lbs. $70-73.85, 700-750 lbs. $68-71.75, 750-800 lbs. $66-67.75, 850-900 lbs. $64.50-64.85.

Washington, Oregon and Idaho: steers, medium and large No. 1 575 lbs. $85, 750-800 lbs. $67-68, 850 lbs. $68-70, 800-875 lbs. $68-70; auction, 400-500 lbs. $81.50-89.50, 500-600 lbs. $77-83, 600-700 lbs. $71.50-78.50, 700-800 lbs. $66.50-69.50, 800-900 lbs. $66.50-68; heifers, 500 lbs. $78, 800 lbs. $65, 800 lbs. $65-67; auction, 400-500 lbs. $70-75, 500-600 lbs. $68.50-75, 600-700 lbs. $67-72.50, 700-800 lbs 62-66.50.

Arkansas: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $97-107, 350-400 lbs. $91-101, 400-450 lbs. $86-95, 450-500 lbs. $83-92, 500-550 lbs. $80-88, 550-600 lbs. $76-84, 600-700 lbs 72-80, 700-800 lbs. $66-73; heifers, 300-350 lbs. $82-91, 350-400 lbs. $79-87, 400-450 lbs. $76-84, 450-500 lbs. $74-82, 500-600 lbs. $71-78, 600-700 lbs. $64-71, 700-800 lbs 61-67.

Kentucky: steers, medium and large No. 1 500-600 lbs. $81-85, 600-650 lbs. $73-76, 700-800 lbs. $67-70, 800-900 lbs. $65-67.50; auction, 200-300 lbs. $100-109, 300-350 lbs. $96-106, 350-400 lbs. $86-96, 400-450 lbs. $83-93, few $94-97, 450-500 lbs. $80-90, 500-600 lbs. $74-84, fancy $85-85.50, 600-700 lbs. $68-76, thin $77-81, 700-800 lbs. $65-73.50, 800-900 lbs 60-68; large No. 2 Holsteins, 300-400 lbs. $59-68, 400-500 lbs. $55-66, 500-600 lbs. $54-61.50, few $62-67.50, 600-700 lbs. $52-59.95, 700- 900 lbs. $51-57.80; heifers, 500-600 lbs 73-75.75, 600-700 lbs. $66-71, fancy $72.50-73.25; auction, 200-300 lbs. $80-90, 300-400 lbs. $76-86, few $87-93, 400-500 lbs. $71-81, 500-600 lbs. $65-75, 600-650 lbs. $65-73, 650-700 lbs. $62-69, 700-800 lbs. $60-68.50.

Tennessee: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $95-115, 300-350 lbs. $91-106, 350-400 lbs. $90-103, 400-450 lbs. $85-95, 450-500 lbs. $80-92, 500-550 lbs. $77-86.50, 550-600 lbs. $75-85, 600-700 lbs. $70-77, 700-800 lbs. $65-70.50; heifers, 200-300 lbs 80-93, 300-350 lbs. $79-90, 350-400 lbs. $78-87, 400-450 lbs. $75-85, 450-500 lbs. $74-82, 500-550 lbs. $70-78.50, 550-600 lbs. $68-77, 600-700 lbs. $62-69, 700-800 lbs. $59-63.50.

Southeastern complex: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-250 lbs. $105-120, 250-300 lbs. $98-112, 300-350 lbs. $95-105, 350-400 lbs. $88-98, 400-450 lbs. $85-95, 450-500 lbs. $76-86, 500-550 lbs. $75-85, 550-600 lbs. $70-80, 600-650 lbs. $66-76, 650-700 lbs. $67-73, 700-800 lbs. $60-67; heifers, 200-250 lbs. $90-105, 250-300 lbs. $80-90, 300-350 lbs. $80-90, 350-400 lbs. $77-87, 400-450 lbs. $74-84, 450-500 lbs. $68-78, 500-550 lbs. $65-75, 550-600 lbs. $64-74, 600-650 lbs. $60-69, 650-700 lbs. $58-66.