ST. JOSEPH, Mo. —(USDA)— Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $3 lower across the country last week. Nearly all areas suffered the decline, the first substantial downturn in three months.

Slaughter cattle prices also suffered their first decline since early July. Boxed beef cutouts held near steady around $116, but feedlot sales of slaughter steers and heifers were mostly at $65.

Dry pastures in many areas are moving calves to market early this year. Receipts covered by this report since the first of August are 30 percent larger than for the same period a year ago. During this period, except for one week, weights over 600 pounds have been running 40-45 percent of offerings, while during the same period a year ago the percentages were 49-54.

The Southeast and Kentucky have been moving a large volume of calves the past three months.

Cattle weighing more than 600 pounds made up 35 percent of this week's supply.

Some trading:

Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 675-800 lbs. $76.50-78.50, 875 lbs. $75; 660-800 lbs. delivered $80.75-83, 825-850 lbs. $75-76.75; 600-700 lbs. for October and November delivery $81-82, 750 lbs. for October $79; 625-650 lbs. delivered for November $88-89; 740 lbs. delivered $1 over October CME board; heifers, 400 lbs. $89.50, 675-700 lbs. $74-77.50, 775 lbs. $69; 700-725 lbs. delivered $75.75-79; 625 lbs. for December delivery $76.50; 600 lbs. delivered for October $83, 750-775 lbs. for October through February $77-77.50; 700 lbs. delivered $3.25 under October CME board.

Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 540 lbs. $85, 600 lbs. $83-86, 725-750 lbs. $78-80, 800-825 lbs. $75-76; heifers, 525-540 lbs. $78-81, 600-675 lbs, 75-77, 725 lbs. $74.50-75, 750 lbs. $74.

Colorado: steers, medium and large No. 1 800-840 lbs. $77.50-80.50, 850-875 lbs. $76-78; 800-900 lbs. delivered $76-78.85; 500-550 lbs. delivered for November $93-95; auction, 400-450 lbs. $92.50-101.50, few to $105, 450-500 lbs. $90.50-98.75, 500-600 lbs. $82-90, 600-700 lbs. $80.25-86.50, 700-800 lbs. $76-81, 800-900 lbs. $73.50-78.50; heifers, direct trade for October and November delivery 480-525 lbs. $87.50-90, few loads 650 lbs. $79; auction, 400-500 lbs. $80-89, mostly $82.50-87.50, 500-600 lbs. $79-85.50, 600-700 lbs. $76-80, 700-800 lbs. $72.50-76.75, 800-900 lbs. $71.50-74.75.

South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 525-550 lbs. for October and November delivery $90-93.50, 735 lbs. $82.10, 789 lbs. $80.60, 840 lbs. $78.60, 870-875 lbs. $77-77.60; large No. 2 Holsteins 775 lbs. $66; heifers medium and large No. 1, 500 lbs. for November delivery $87.50, 875 lbs. for October $71.

Wyoming, Western Nebraska and Western North and South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 470 lbs. $93, 530-590 lbs. $90-92.50, 825 lbs. $81.60; 900-925 lbs. delivered $76.50-77; auction, 360-390 lbs. $109-111.50, 400-500 lbs. $95-106, 500-600 lbs. $85-93.50, 600-650 lbs. $85.50-94, 650-700 lbs. $78.50-89.50 mostly $85-89, 700-800 lbs. $75-85.50, 800-900 lbs. $73.25-81.50, 900-1000 lbs. $68.50-77, 1000-1115 lbs. $65.50-72.10; heifers, 460-470 lbs. $87-88; 535-550 lbs. delivered $82-87.50, 675 lbs. $80, 825 lbs. $75.50; auction, 340-345 lbs. $96-97, 400-450 lbs. $87-92, 450-500 lbs. $80.50-87.50, 500-600 lbs. $81.50-86.50, 600-700 lbs. $75.25-82, 700-800 lbs. $74.75-78.75, 800-900 lbs. $71.60-79.50, 900-1000 lbs. $69.60-74, 1000-1100 lbs. $69-71.50.

Montana: steers, medium and large No. 1 string 850 lbs. $78, 900-925 lbs. $74-75; 500-550 lbs. for October delivery $90-93, 550-600 lbs. $86-92, 600-650 lbs. $85, 500-550 lbs. $90-93.50, 550-575 lbs. for November, $86-91.50, 625-650 lbs. $84-85; auction, 385-400 lbs. $104-104.50, few 400-450 lbs. $96-101, part load 460 lbs. $98, 500-550 lbs. $87-94, 550-600 lbs. $85.50-89, 750-800 lbs. $76.50-78.75, 800-850 lbs. $74.25-77.35, 850-900 lbs. $72-77.25, 900-950 lbs. $71-75, 950-1000 lbs. $71.75-74.25, 1000-1050 lbs. $70.50-72.25. heifers, auction package 375 lbs. $90, 400-450 lbs. $87-94.50, 450-500 lbs. $85-91, 500-550 lbs. $82-87.50, 700-750 lbs. $700-750 lbs. $73-76.75, 750-800 lbs. $71-76, 800-850 lbs. $70.50-76, 850-900 lbs. $71.50-75.25, 900-950 lbs. $71.50-74.50. several loads 800-825 lbs. $73-74; 470-500 lbs. for October delivery $87-88, 500-550 lbs. $80-86, 500 lb. replacements $90, 550-600 lbs. $79-83; load 480 lbs. for November $87.50, 500-525 lbs. $82-85.50, 550-575 lbs. $79-81.

Washington, Oregon and Idaho: steers, medium and large No. 1 450 lbs. $100, 550 lbs. $85-86, 600-625 lbs. $82-84, 850 lbs. $72, 900-925 lbs. $73.50; 525 lbs. for November delivery $90-92; auction, 500-600 lbs. $82-86, 600-700 lbs. $77-81, 700-800 lbs. $72-75, 800-900 lbs. $67.50-71; heifers, 400 lbs. $90, 525 lbs. $79-80, 550-575 lbs. $75-80, 800-825 lbs. $70-70.50; auction, 400-450 lbs. $76.50, 500-600 lbs. $76-77, 600-650 lbs. $73-77, 700-800 lbs. $68-69.50, 850-900 lbs. $71.

Arkansas: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $100-112 few to $118, 350-400 lbs. $94-104, 400-450 lbs. $89-100, 450-500 lbs. $84-93, 500-550 lbs. $79-87, 550-600 lbs. $76-84, 600-700 lbs. $73-81, 700-800 lbs. $68-75; heifers, 300-350 lbs. $82-91, 350-400 lbs. $79-87, 400-450 lbs. $76-84, 450-500 lbs. $74-82, 500-600 lbs. $72-80, 600-700 lbs. $68-75, 700-800 lbs. $67-73.

Kentucky: steers, medium and large No. 1 direct 500-600 lbs. $82-85.75, 600-700 lbs. $77.50-82, 700-800 lbs. $73.50-77, 800-900 lbs. $71-75, 900-950 lbs. $65.50-69; auction, 200-300 lbs. $103-114, 300-350 lbs. $98-106, 350-400 90-100, 400-500 lbs. $82-92, some $93-94.50, 500-600 lbs. $76-86.50, some $88.50-88.75, 600-700 lbs. $73-83, 700-800 lbs. $71-80.70, 800-900 lbs. $68-78.50, 900-1000 lbs. $65-71; large No. 2 Holsteins 300-400 lbs. $52.50-64.50, 400-500 lbs. $50-63, 500-600 lbs. $50-66, 600-700 lbs. $53.50-58, 700-800 lbs. $51.50-61, 800-900 lbs. $45-60.50; heifers, direct, 600-700 lbs. $72-77, 700-800 lbs. $69-72, 800-850 lbs. $66-69; auction, 200-300 lbs. $84-92.50, 300-350 lbs. $80-90, 350-400 lbs. $78-85, 400-500 lbs. $75-85.25, 500-600 lbs. $70-80, some $80.50-84.50, 600-700 lbs. $66-76, 700-800 lbs. $64-71, few $74-75.10.

Tennessee: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $100-125, 300-350 lbs. $95-111, 350-400 lbs. $85-103 few $107, 400-450 lbs. $82-93, 450-500 lbs. $80-89, 500-550 lbs. $75-85, 550-600 lbs. $74-83, 600-700 lbs. $73-81 few $83, 700-800 lbs. $69-75.50, load 857 lbs. $72.40; heifers, 200-300 lbs. $80-98, 300-350 lbs. $78-90, 350-400 lbs. $74-85, 400-450 lbs. $72-81, 450-500 lbs. $69-79, 500-600 lbs. $68-77, 600-700 lbs. $65-73 few $75.

Southeastern complex: steers, medium and large No. 1 200-250 lbs. $114-140, 250-300 lbs. $105-120, 300-350 lbs. $100-110 some to $113, 350-400 lbs. $92-102, 400-450 lbs. $85-95, 450-500 lbs. $80-90, 500-550 lbs. $74-84, 550-600 lbs. $70-80, 600-650 lbs. $69-79, 650-700 lbs. $66-76, 700-800 lbs. $63-73; heifers, 200-250 lbs. $85-100, 250-300 lbs. $85-95, 300-350 lbs. $82-92, 350-400 lbs. $74-84, 400-450 lbs. $71-81, 450-500 lbs. $70-80, 500-550 lbs. $68-78, 550-600 lbs. $67-76, 600-650 lbs. $65-75, 650-700 lbs. $61-70.