Same Song, Third Week, Lamb Lower
Carcass lamb prices on the East Coast moved $3 lower across the board last week, making it the third week in a row of lower values. The month of September hasn’t been good for dressed lamb prices.

Plains Fed Cattle Trade Quiet After Late-Week Trade Session
Plains fed cattle traders on both sides of the aisle sat out last week's dance, waiting until Friday to move cattle at mostly $66, some to $66.50. As of midweek, they were on track to do the same thing again.

PLAINS FEEDLOT SALES

RANGE SALES

Researchers Address Concerns Over Texas Soremouth
Several outbreaks of soremouth were reported this past summer in West Texas. Though outbreaks are not necessarily uncommon, what was uncommon was the fact that the problems seemed to occur primarily in animals that had been vaccinated. All outbreaks reported were found in goats.

Fish, Wildlife Service Seeks "Partnership" With Landowners
Craig Giggleman is with the government. He's here to help you. That was the message Giggleman, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, brought to the High Plains Beef Conference. "We are there to assist ya'll," Giggleman said.

Cloning Project Allows Aging Steer To Produce Offspring
A calf produced by a steer — and a dead steer at that. Science fiction? No, science fact. Scientists at Texas A&M University have successfully produced what is believed to be the first calf cloned from an adult steer.

Weaning Calves Involves More Than Just Proper Vaccination
Proper vaccination and nutrition, risk management and a sharp pencil are all necessary tools for the success of a preconditioning program. That was the message delivered by a variety of speakers at a recent county-wide cattle conference here. Because of increased publicity in recent months on the use of special sales for marketing preconditioned calves, the focus of the seminar was on stocker cattle.

NM Game Dept. Balks At Chicken Listing
The New Mexico Game Commission is waiting until they have more information before declaring the lesser prairie chicken a "threatened" species in the Land of Enchantment.

Lawmakers Offer New Crop Insurance Plan
Plains-state senators launched a push last week for a crop insurance overhaul that would provide farmers with more coverage at lower prices.

E.Coli Outbreak Cause Unknown, Cattle And Beef Get Rap Anyway
Health investigators are on the phone asking nosy questions, in the laboratory performing genetic tests, at a farm gathering manure samples — all to find the source of an E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least 281 people.

Cattle On Feed Up Five Percent In Seven Main Feeding States
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter Sept. 1 in the seven leading feeding states totaled 8.18 million head, up five percent from the same date last year and four percent above Sept. 1, 1997.

N.M.'s Udall Backs Big Wilderness Plan
A New Mexico congressman has thrown his support behind an environmental activist group's efforts to double the amount of federal wilderness in the Land of Enchantment.

Dispute Over USDA Loan Terms Leads To Some Nasty Surprises
Clarice Stahl, a widow with a farm near Saco, was surprised when the federal Farm Service Agency demanded $75,000 earlier this year in connection with the 1989 renegotiation of her mortgage.

Cowboy's History Not Accurate, But Near Enough For Dude Work
Well, people, I got into a situation the other day and, if I say so myself, I thought I handled it pretty good. Since I've been in the position of "KEEPER OF THE DUDES AND DUDETTES," I've had to come up with some rather impromptu solutions to some rather impromptu situations.

Despite Some Exceptions, USDA Says NAFTA's Effects Positive
According to a report submitted to the U.S. Congress by the Secretary of Agriculture in mid-August, the North American Free Trade Agreement has generally contributed to the expansion of U.S. agricultural trade with Canada and Mexico.

Group Hires Experts To Study Land Plan
Western North Dakotans wary of a grasslands management proposal have hired a group of range scientists, fish and wildlife biologists and economists to examine how the plan will affect the area.

Grain Storage Short As Plains Crop Looms
On-farm and commercial grain bins already at or near capacity before an abundant fall harvest begins coming in from Nebraska fields have elevator officials weighing options.

Activist Groups Compile How-To Manual For Terrorists On Web
A gaggle of left-wing activists has put together a virtual tour map and operations manual showing potential terrorists where and how they can kill large numbers of Americans — and cause tremendous environmental damage in the process.

Clinton Land Scheme Self-Defeating Plan
The federal government's plan to buy private property for public use may be self-defeating, warns one Washington think tank.

Judge Refuses To Block Permit, Thwarting Anti-Grazing Gadfly
Anti-grazing zealot Jon Marvel, riding a string of victories in his campaign to wrest control of rangeland from ranchers, has finally suffered a setback in his bid to block a federal grazing permit transfer.

Jaguar's ESA Listing Still On The Table
While the New Mexico Department of Agriculture pushes to remove the jaguar from the federal endangered species list, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the jaguars reported in the state may not qualify under the Endangered Species Act as a distinct population segment.

Reigning Champs Edging Closer To Repeating Past Performance
Repeat world championships in 1999 are closer than ever for two reigning world champions. Five-time world saddle bronc riding champion Dan Mortensen of Manhattan, Mont., took a step closer to the number one position in the Crown Royal world standings with $4444 earned for winning every round at the recent $93,734 Lewiston (Idaho) Roundup.

Nation’s Feeder Cattle Prices Continue Their Upward Spiral
Cattle continue to be one of the few bright spots in today’s agriculture industry. Feeder cattle prices were steady to $3 higher across the country last week; in several places calves were $3-4 higher.

Texas Fed Cattle At Standstill; Buyers, Sellers Did Not Budge
Slaughter steer and heifer price trends were not established in Texas Panhandle feedlot trading last week. Trade and movement was at a standstill the entire week.

Superior Livestock Video Sale Offering Totals 33,000 Cattle
Superior Livestock Auction offered nearly 33,000 feeder cattle and breeding stock at its regularly scheduled video sale. Consignments were from 23 states, delivery current through mid-December.

Most Angelo Heifers, Steers, Lambs Higher
Feeder lambs weighing less than 60 pounds sold firm to $1 higher this week, heavier weights steady, slaughter lambs not well tested, slaughter ewes $1-4 lower. Two day receipts totaled 17,733 head, around 55 percent slaughter ewes, 10 percent feeder lambs and 35 percent goats.

Texas Kid Mohair Rings Bell At $8
A sealed bid sale at the Rocksprings Wool and Mohair warehouse moved around 27,000 pounds of kid and yearling mohair last week. The top sale was around 5000 pounds of No. 1 graded kid hair at $8 per pound, offered by John Davis. Yearling hair moved for $4-4.50.

U.S. Meat Production 1.2% Above A Year Ago
Total red meat production under federal inspection last week was estimated at 911.5 million pounds, 16 percent more than a week earlier and 1.2 percent more than a year ago. Cumulative meat production for the year to date was up 2.2 percent at 32.3 billion pounds.

Lampasas Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold $1-2 higher, slaughter cows $1-1.50 lower, bulls steady. Receipts totaled 1829 head.

Kansas Direct Feeder Steers, Heifers Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold firm to $2 higher in Kansas direct trade last week. Weather was cool and damp over most of the southern parts of the state. Sales were confirmed on 8587 head.

San Saba, Brownwood, Mason Feeders Higher
Feeder steers sold steady to $3 higher last week in Mason, Brownwood and San Saba, with weights under 300 pounds $3-8 higher, heifers mostly steady with weights under 500 pounds $1-3 higher, slaughter cows steady to $1 lower, bulls lower, pairs and bred stock cows strong. Receipts totaled 4934 at the three sales.

Graham Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Lower
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $2 lower, slaughter cows and bulls steady, bred stock cows and pairs steady to $10 higher. Receipts totaled 2028 head.

August U.S. Red Meat 3% Above A Year Ago
Total U.S. red meat supplies in freezers on August 31 were three percent above a year ago at 752.5 million pounds, but down eight percent from July. Pork stocks were up 11 percent from last year at a record August volume of 435.9 million pounds.

Llano Feeder Steers Higher, Heifers Off
Feeder steers sold steady to $2 higher, heifers steady to $2 lower, slaughter cows and bulls steady. Receipts totaled 783 head.

Fredericksburg Feeder Steers, Heifers Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold $1-2 higher, slaughter cows and bulls $1 lower. Receipts totaled 2157 head.

Most Cuero Cattle Prices Termed Lower
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $3 lower, slaughter cows and bulls lower. Receipts totaled 2670 head.

Milano Feeder Steers Higher, Heifers Lower
Feeder steers sold firm to $1 higher with weights 500-600 pounds $2-3 higher, heifers $1-2 lower, slaughter cows $1-2 lower, bulls steady to $1 lower. Receipts totaled 1579 head.

Most Abilene Cattle Prices Trade Higher
Feeder steers sold steady to $2 higher, the advance on weights under 500 pounds, heifers steady to $1 higher, slaughter cows and bulls $1-2 higher, stock cows and pairs steady. Receipts totaled 2448 head.

Most Colorado City Cattle Prices Steady
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady, slaughter cows and bulls steady, bred stock cows and pairs steady. Receipts totaled 887 head.

Domestic Wool Slow, Aussie Wools Higher
Domestic wool trading remained slow last week, nearly at a standstill under light demand and seller interest. In territory trading, Nevada sold 60,000 pounds of graded wool, staple 62s at 30 cents net the producer.

Loose Ends

Coming Up...
September 24-25 — Spring Horse Sale, Roswell Livestock Auction, Roswell, New Mexico. September 28 — West Texas Rehabilitation Center’s Round-Up For Rehab, Abilene Cattle Auction, Abilene, Texas. October 1 — Superior Livestock Auction’s Video Sale, Fort Worth, Texas.