Nation’s Feeder Cattle Prices
Back In Higher Trend Pattern

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. —(USDA)— Consumer demand for beef has been a godsend to the cattle industry this year, with all segments sharing in the wealth. Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $2 higher across the country last week, several places showing calves $3-5 higher.

Year to date beef production is 2.6 percent above a year ago but slaughter cattle prices are $10 higher. The direct feedlot cattle market was another $1-2 higher, up to $69.50. The crop of finished cattle coming to market is showing a profit with cost of weight gains well below 50 cents per pound.

CME futures quotes are also working higher, with $70 all over the board and April on top of $71. Cattle slaughter remained liberal but boxed beef cutouts were near $120. Packers are paying $107-108 in the beef for very good-plus kill margins. The CME feeder cattle index is up $10 from a year ago, suggesting improved returns on grazed-out kinds.

Grass cattle operators are inclined to pay more for calves, benefitting cow-calf operators. Higher prices and fall marketings of cattle started earlier than a year ago, especially on calves. Feedlots are current, and with cheap cost of weight gains, some are taking replacements with lighter weights than usual and the empty pens are disappearing.

The calf supply is growing short in some areas. This was another week of liberal marketings with 60 percent of receipts coming from the calf country of Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and the Southeast.

Only 41 percent of the week’s supply weighed more than 600 pounds.

Some trading:

Texas: steers, medium and large No. 1 550-600 lbs. $84-89, 600-700 lbs. $81.50-85, 700-800 lbs. $79.25-81.25, 800-850 lbs. $73.50-79; 650 lbs. delivered $83, 700-800 lbs. $80-83.50, 800-825 lbs. $78-79.50; 700-750 lbs. for October and November delivery $79.50-82.50, 750 lbs. for January $80.50, 750 lbs. for March $80-81; 800 lbs. delivered for November $82, 750 lbs. for January $80.50-83, 750 lbs. for May $81.50; 700-750 lbs. $1 under CME board for November to January delivery; 700-750 lbs. delivered 75 cents to $1 over; heifers, 500-600 lbs. $79.25-82, 600-700 lbs. $76-79, 700-725 lbs. $76-78.50; 600-700 lbs. $75-80.50, 700-750 lbs. $75.50-77; 750 lbs. delivered for October and November $79.25.

Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 600-700 lbs. $81-82.50, 635 lbs. $84, 700-775 lbs. $77-80, 800-825 lbs. $76-79, 850 lbs. $74.50-75, 925 lbs. $72; 700-750 lbs. for November delivery $82-83, 750 lbs. for March $78.25, 750-800 lbs. for January $80-82, 800 lbs. for February $77.25; heifers, 575-585 lbs. $75-78, 675 lbs. $76, 725 lbs. $74-75.50, 775 lbs. $70.50.

Colorado: steers, medium and large No. 1 525-550 lbs. $90-93, couple loads 875 lbs. $79, few loads 900 lbs. $74; few loads 550 lbs. delivered $92, 600-650 lbs. $83.50-90, 725-775 lbs. $81-84, 825 lbs. $78-80.50, few loads 900 lbs. $76; auction, 400-500 lbs. $93-98.50, 500-600 lbs. $87.50-94, few $97.50, 600-700 lbs. $84-89.50, 700-800 lbs. $78-83.75, 800-900 lbs. $74.50-79.50, 900-975 lbs. $70-76.50; heifers, string 525 lbs. $86, couple loads 785 lbs. $76.50; few loads 440 lbs. delivered $92, load 500 lbs. $86, string 625 lbs. $79.50; auction, 400-500 lbs. $85.50-90.50, 500-600 lbs. $80.50-85.50, 600-700 lbs. $74-80.50, 700-800 lbs. $74.50-79.50, 800-900 lbs. $72.50-75.50.

South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 500 lbs. delivered late October $94, 600-700 lbs. $92, 750 lbs. $81, 875 lbs. $78.75, 960 lbs. $77.30, 1025 lbs. $72.50; large No. 2 Holsteins 725 lbs. $67.50; heifers, 475 lbs. delivered late October $86.

Wyoming, Western Nebraska and Western North and South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 400 lbs. $105, 500-550 lbs. $90-95, 840-875 lbs. $74-76.50; 900 lbs. delivered $75.50; auction, 250 lbs. $127.50, 315-350 lbs. $111-120, 360-400 lbs. $112-116.50, 400-450 lbs. $102-107.50, fancy $112-115.75, 450-500 lbs. $101-105.50, fancy 450 lbs. $110.50, 500-550 lbs. $93-99.50, 550-600 lbs. $90-94, 600-660 lbs. $84-92, 700-800 lbs. $79.25-87.10, 800-900 lbs. $74.75-83.85, 900-1000 lbs. $70.25-76.80, 1000-1025 lbs. $69.75-73.50; heifers, 395 lbs. $92, 735-800 lbs. $74-77; auction, 290 lbs. $110, 345 lbs. $105, 350-400 lbs. $93-96, fancy 390 lbs. $108, 400-450 lbs. $90.50-94.25, fancy 435 lbs. $109, 450-500 lbs. $83.75-90.75, fancy 475 lbs. $92.75, 500-600 lbs. $82.50-87, 600-700 lbs. $82-87, 700-800 lbs. $75.25-82, 800-900 lbs. $72.25-78, 900-1000 lbs. $70.35-74.

Montana: steers, medium and large No. 1 load 760 lbs. $78.50, 850-875 lbs. $77-79; load 525 lbs. for October delivery $92.75, 550 lbs. $90-92.50, 600-650 lbs. $86-88, string 550 lbs. for November $89; auction, few 335-350 lbs. $114-119, 350-400 lbs. $106-118, 400-450 lbs. $99-106, 450-500 lbs. $91.50-97.50, 500-550 lbs. $85.75-95, 550-600 lbs. $81.75-90.75, 600-650 lbs. $81-84.50, 650-700 lbs. $80.50-83.50, 700-750 lbs. $76-81, 750-800 lbs. $75.25-80, 800-850 lbs. $75.75-78.75, 850-900 lbs. $75-78, 900-950 lbs. $73-76; heifers, load 725 lbs. $76.50, load 850 lbs. $74; 500-550 lbs. for October delivery $82-85, 600 lbs. $80-84.50, load 500 lbs. for November $83; auction, few $300-350 lbs. $100-105, 350-400 lbs. $87-92, 400-450 lbs. $85-95, 450-500 lbs. $83-90.50, 500-550 lbs. $79-87, 550-600 lbs. $79.50-83.50, 608 lbs. $79.75, 650-700 lbs. $77-79.50, 700-750 lbs. $72-76, 750-800 lbs. $71.75-76.20, 800-850 lbs. $71-75.50, 850-900 lbs. $71-75, 900-950 lbs. $70-73, 950-1000 lbs. $70.75-72.50.

Washington, Oregon and Idaho: steers, medium and large No. 1 500-525 lbs. $90, 550-575 lbs. $86, 750-800 lbs. $74-76, 850-900 lbs. $73-75; auction, 350-400 lbs. $94.50-99, 400-500 lbs. $86.50-95.50, 500-600 lbs. $80-86.50, 600-700 lbs. $78-83.50, 700-800 lbs. $73-77, 800-900 lbs. $73.50-74; heifers, 500 lbs. $84, 550 lbs. $80, 800-850 lbs. $73; auction, 300-400 lbs. $80-83, 400-500 lbs. $75-84.50, 500-600 lbs. $75-84.50, 600-700 lbs. $71.50-77, 700-800 lbs. $67-73, 800-850 lbs. $67.50-72, 900-1000 lbs. $63-65.

Arkansas: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $100-112 few to $115, 350-400 lbs. $93-103, 400-450 lbs. $87-96, 450-500 lbs. $84-93, 500-550 lbs. $80-88, 550-600 lbs. $76-84, 600-700 lbs. $73-81, 700-800 lbs. $69-76; large No. 2 Holsteins 500-800 lbs. $55-61.50; heifers, 300-350 lbs. $84-93 few to $95, 350-400 lbs. $80-88, 400-450 lbs. $76-84, 450-500 lbs. $73-81, 500-600 lbs. $71-78, 600-700 lbs. $68-75, 700-800 lbs. $68-74.

Kentucky: steers, medium and large No. 1 600-700 lbs. $77-80, fancy $80-82, 700-800 lbs. $74-78, couple loads black $79, 800-900 lbs. $71-76, black $77-78; large No. 2 Holsteins, 700-800 lbs. $56.50-61.50, 800-900 lbs. $59-60; auction, 200-300 lbs. $102-112, 300-350 lbs. $99-109.50, 350-400 90-100, 400-500 lbs. $83-93, few $94-99, 500-550 lbs. $82-91.50, 550-600 lbs. $75-85, 600-700 lbs. $74-83, some $84-86, 700-800 lbs. $74-82, 800-900 lbs. $69-78.60; large No. 2 Holsteins 300-400 lbs. $60-69, 400-500 lbs. $58-67, 500-600 lbs. $56-66, 600-700 lbs. $53-60.50, 700-800 lbs. $53-61.25, 800-900 lbs. $52-55.75; heifers, 600-700 lbs. $72.50-76, 700-800 lbs. $70-73, fancy $73.50-75; auction, 200-300 lbs. $79-89, 300-400 lbs. $75-85, few $86-89, 400-500 lbs. $74-84, 500-600 lbs. $70-80, few $81-84, 600-700 lbs. $72-80.75, 700-800 lbs. $66-73.50.

Tennessee: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $100-120, 300-350 lbs. $96-112, 350-400 lbs. $90-105, 400-450 lbs. $85-96 few $101, 450-500 lbs. $80-91, 500-550 lbs. $77-88.50, 550-600 lbs. $74-85, few $89, 600-700 lbs. $72-84, 700-800 lbs. $72-77; heifers, 200-300 lbs. $84-99, 300-350 lbs. $80-93, 350-400 lbs. $76-89, 400-450 lbs. $73-83, 450-500 lbs. $72-82, 500-550 lbs. $70-79, 550-600 lbs. $68-76, 600-700 lbs. $66-76, 700-800 lbs. $63-70.

Southeastern complex: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-250 lbs. $110-131, 250-300 lbs. $106-116, 300-350 lbs. $97-112, 350-400 lbs. $93-103, 400-450 lbs. $85-95, 450-500 lbs. $80-90, 500-550 lbs. $75-85, 550-600 lbs. $72-82, 600-650 lbs. $70-80, 650-700 lbs. $65-75, 700-800 lbs. $64-72; heifers, 200-250 lbs. $85-100, 250-300 lbs. $83-93, 300-350 lbs. $80-90, 350-400 lbs. $78-88, 400-450 lbs. $72-82, 450-500 lbs. $70-80, 500-550 lbs. $67-77, 550-600 lbs. $67-76, 600-650 lbs. $64-74, 650-700 lbs. $61-69.