Nation’s Feeder Cattle Prices
Continue Their Upward Spiral

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. —(USDA)— 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.

Rains in the Southwest improved prospects for wheat pastures, a cheap source of weight gains on calves. Grain prices are also low, and cattlemen are manufacturing large supplies of a much-desired product that consumers are eating up at current prices. All segments of the cattle industry are enjoying the windfall.

Feedlots sold cattle at $66-66.50, with cost of weight gains well below $50. Packers bid $105 in the beef and are making big kills with boxed beef cutouts at $116.50. The cattle on feed report estimated numbers at 105 percent of a year ago, placements 117 percent and marketings 103 percent.

Movement of cattle, from calves through finished animals to the slaughtering plants, continues liberal. Feeder cattle are moving earlier this year, especially calves, due to substantially higher prices and some late summer dry pastures. The receipts covered by this report since June are 65 percent above a year ago, with calves making up a larger percentage.

Only 45 percent of last week's liberal supply weighed more than 600 pounds.

Some trading:

Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 475 lbs. $90, 575 lbs. $82.50, 600 lbs. $79, 700-750 lbs. $77.50-78.50, 800 lbs. $77; 600 lbs. delivered $84, 700-750 lbs. $79-81, 825-850 76.25-79.50; 675 lbs. for October and November delivery $80-81, 725-750 lbs. $77-79; 725-750 lbs. delivered $78-81.50, 800 lbs. $78.50; 800 lbs. delivered $1.50 under October CME board; heifers, 400 lbs. $90, 450-525 lbs. $80-82, 650 lbs. $76, 725-750 lbs. $74; 650 lbs. delivered $76.50-78, 700-785 lbs. $74.50-77.50, 800-825 lbs. $76; 725-750 lbs. for October and November delivery $73.50; 725-750 lbs. delivered for October and November $74.50, 725 lbs. for December $73.50; 700-750 lbs. delivered for September and November $4 under CME board.

Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 625 lbs. $82.50, 675 lbs. $80, 750-780 lbs. $76-78, 800-825 lbs. $74-76; 800 lbs. for January delivery $77; heifers, 625 lbs. $77.50, 700 lbs. $74-76, 750 lbs. $73.

Colorado: steers, medium and large No. 1 few loads 800 lbs. $77; few loads 775 lbs. delivered $81-82, string fancy 725 lbs. $86, 800-875 lbs. $77-78.50, 900-960 lbs. $72.50-76.60; couple loads 490 lbs. delivered for October $96.15, 600-675 lbs. $85-88.50; auction, few 400-450 lbs. $95-112, 450-500 lbs. $90.50-102, 500-600 lbs. $84.50-93.50, 600-700 lbs. $84-88.50, 700-800 lbs. $77-83.50, 800-900 lbs. $73.50-77.75, 900-1000 lbs. $71.25-74.50; heifers, 775-785 lbs. $76-76.50; string 750 lbs. delivered $77, 800-825 lbs. $73-74.50; load 480 lbs. for October delivery $84; 550-600 lbs. delivered for October $80-83.50; auction, 400-500 lbs. $85-93, 500-600 lbs. $79.50-85.25, 600-700 lbs. $76.50-83, 700-800 lbs. $73.50-77.80, 800-900 lbs. $72-76.50.

South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 500-550 lbs. $90-97; 700-750 lbs. delivered $81-83.50, 815-875 lbs. $76.50-77.75, 900 lbs. $76.50, 930 lbs. $73; 550 lbs. for September to November delivery $90-93, 650 lbs. for October $87.50; heifers, 825 lbs. delivered $75.10, 895 lbs. $73.25; 500-550 lbs. for October and November delivery $84-88, 600 lbs. for October $82, few 690 lbs. $78.50, 750-794 lbs. $75.50-76, 800 lbs. $75-75.25; 875 lbs. delivered for October $71.

Wyoming, Western Nebraska and Western North and South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 500-580 lbs. for October delivery $90-95, 600-625 lbs. $85.50-90, 700-750 lbs. $80-82, 800-930 lbs. $74-78.25, 930-950 lbs. $72.25-75; auction, 300 lbs. $103.50, few 420-465 lbs. $85-86, 525-590 lbs. $84-90.25, 600-620 lbs. $87.50-88.10, 700-800 lbs. $77.50-85, 800-900 lbs. $75-81.40, 900-1000 lbs. $71.25-76.10, 1015-1150 lbs. $65.30-71.90; heifers, 480 lbs. for October delivery $90, 500-600 lbs. $85-89, 740-900 lbs. $72-77.50; auction, few 340-360 lbs. $88.50-89, 500-600 lbs. $76-84.50, 630-700 lbs. $72-82.75, 700-800 lbs. $73-80.35, 800-900 lbs. $71.60-78.10, 900-980 lbs. $70.75-74.50.

Montana: steers, medium and large No. 1 725 lbs. $82.50, 750-775 lbs. $79-81, 950-960 lbs. $72-73; string 490 lbs. for October delivery $95, 500-550 lbs. $89-95, 550-600 lbs. $87.50-90, 600 lbs. $85.50-86, 650-700 lbs. $82.50-86, string 600 lbs. for November $84; heifers, 900 lbs. $71; 500 lbs. for October delivery $84-86, 550 lbs. $80-81.50, 600-650 lbs. $77.50-79, string 550 lbs. for November $79.

Washington, Oregon and Idaho: steers, medium and large No. 1 550 lbs. $81, 700-725 lbs. $76-77, 850-875 lbs. $73-74, 900-925 lbs. $71.50-72.50; 575 lbs. for October delivery $84-85, 600-650 lbs. for October and November $84-88; auction, 400-450 lbs. $85.50-92.50, 500-600 lbs. $78-86, 600-700 lbs. $76-84, 700-800 lbs. $69.50-76.50, 800-900 lbs. $69-74, 900-1000 lbs. $67.50-72; heifers, 500 lbs. $74, 650 lbs. $78, 750-775 lbs. $73, 800-850 lbs. $70-71.50, 900 lbs. $67.50; 550 lbs. for November delivery $78-82, 600 lbs. for October $80; auction, 450-500 lbs. $81, 500-600 lbs. $75-79, 600-700 lbs. $72-76, 700-800 lbs. $69.50-73, 800-900 lbs. $68-71.50.

Arkansas: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $100-114 few to $124, 350-400 lbs. $95-105, 400-450 lbs. $91-103, 450-500 lbs. $86-95, 500-550 lbs. $81-90, 550-600 lbs. $78-86, 600-700 lbs. $75-83, 700-800 lbs. $69-76; large No. 2 Holsteins 300-500 lbs. $51-58, few 600-750 lbs. $59-61.50; heifers, 300-350 lbs. $85-94, 350-400 lbs. $81-89, 400-450 lbs. $77-85, 450-500 lbs. $75-83, 500-600 lbs. $73-81, 600-700 lbs. $70-77, 700-800 lbs. $67-73.

Kentucky: steers, medium and large No. 1 direct, 600-700 lbs. $78-83, 700-800 lbs. $73.50-77, 800-900 lbs. $69-73.50, 900-950 lbs. $65.50-69; large No. 2 Holsteins 300-400 lbs. $57-64, 400-500 55-64, 500-600 lbs. $54-64, 600-700 lbs. $51-62.25, 700-800 lbs. $56.50-62, 800-900 lbs. $53-62; auction, 200-300 lbs. $105-115, 300-350 lbs. $100-110, few to $114, 350-400 lbs. $92-102, 400-500 lbs. $83-93, few to $96, 500-550 lbs. $79-88.25, 550-600 lbs. $76-86, 600-700 lbs. $76-85, 700-800 lbs. $73-82.50, 800-900 lbs. $70-78.90; heifers, direct, 600-700 lbs. $72-77, 700-800 lbs. $69-72, 800-850 lbs. $66.50-69; auction, 200-300 lbs. $84-94, 300-350 lbs. $83-92.25, 350-400 lbs. $80-89, 400-500 lbs. $76-85.50, 500-600 lbs. $74-82, 600-700 lbs. $70-78.10, 700-800 lbs. $67-76.

Tennessee: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $105-128, 300-350 lbs. $97-110, 350-400 lbs. $88-103, 400-450 lbs. $83-94, 450-500 lbs. $80-90, 500-550 lbs. $76-85, 550-600 lbs. $75-84, 600-700 lbs. $74-83.50, 700-800 lbs. $66.50-75; heifers, 200-300 lbs. $84-96, few $101, 300-350 lbs. $81-91, 350-400 lbs. $76-87, 400-450 lbs. $73-82, 450-500 lbs. $72-82, 500-550 lbs. $70-78.50, 550-600 lbs. $69-77.50, 600-700 lbs. $66-75.50.

Southeastern complex: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-250 lbs. $110-133, 250-300 lbs. $105-120, 300-350 lbs. $96-110, 350-400 lbs. $92-103, 400-450 lbs. $84-94, 450-500 lbs. $82-89, 500-550 lbs. $74-84, 550-600 lbs. $72-82, 600-650 lbs. $70-80, 650-700 lbs. $67-77, 700-750 lbs. $67-75, 750-800 lbs. $66-73; heifers, 200-250 lbs. $90-110, 250-300 lbs. $83-93, 300-350 lbs. $80-90, 350-400 lbs. $76-86, 400-450 lbs. $72-82, 450-500 lbs. $70-80, 500-550 lbs. $69-79, 550-600 lbs. $68-78, 600-650 lbs. $65-75, 650-700 lbs. $63-73.