Lamb Meat Prices Off Once Again
Dressed lamb suffered another loss last week. This was the seventh loss in as many weeks. The mostly $2 lower market is now more than 12 percent below early September.

Plains Fed Cattle Trade Slow, Few Thousand Lower Wednesday
Plains fed cattle trade through midweek was a slow affair with only a few thousand head moving. These were mostly Select offerings and sold slightly lower than last week's peak of $71 and change. Observers believed the real market was still to come.

PLAINS FEEDLOT SALES

RANGE SALES

Ranch To Rail North Program Moves, But Otherwise The Same
Swisher County Feedyard is probably the only feedyard in the Texas Panhandle this month to have a processing crew made up of Ph.Ds.

A.V. Jones Recalls Memories Of Good Quail Hunting Days
More than 200 quail enthusiasts gathered at a recent symposium, "Preserving Texas' Quail Heritage into the 21st Century," to hear the latest statistics and quail research and to find ways to somehow perpetuate the quail population into the future.

Northeast Texas Sale Operator Likes Preconditioned Specials
There was a time when a rancher would unload his cattle at the sale barn, they would run the bovines through the ring, and by the next day, the cattle would be on their way to a feedyard somewhere.

When Federals Make A Mistake, Someone Else Must Be Blamed
Mr. Stanley K. Mann claims title to a geothermal lease issued by the Bureau of Land Management of the U.S. Department of the Interior on October 20, 1981. Over the years, Mr. Mann and others spent more than $1 million making the lease capable of producing geothermal resources — a clean, efficient, renewable energy source — in commercial quantities.

Senate, White House Reps Both Say Ag Critical To Trade Talks
The U.S. chief trade negotiator is telling Congress that she will take an aggressive stance on agricultural issues on upcoming international trade talks.

Clinton's Forest Lockup Plan Not Selling Well With Locals
The U.S. Forest Service can spend years to complete studies it doesn't want to conduct, but the agency says it will put an environmental impact statement on the fast track to carry out President Clinton's proposal to lock away 40 million acres of roadless areas.

Ag Aid Bill Passes Senate; Clinton Expected To Sign It
President Clinton is expected to sign a record $8.7 billion bailout of the farm economy, despite concerns about the way the money will be distributed and the lack of aid for producers washed out by Hurricane Floyd.

Russia Seeking More Food Aid, But Wants Chicken, Not Beef
The Russians want more credit to purchase food and commodities, but they are opting for increased supplies of chicken rather than beef.

Converted Tractors Find Place In Efforts To Remove Mines
Don't try this at home... Two experimental tractors used powerful rotating cutters to slowly slash their way through a thicket. In January, the same machines will clear vegetation from Cambodian minefields.

California Water Officials Join Tiff Over Tahoe Grazing
California state water officials have joined the fight over a plan to allow continued livestock grazing on 12,000 acres in the Tahoe Basin.

Poll Finds Majority Of Public Rejects Clinton Forest Policy
A new national public opinion poll released by the Paragon Foundation, a public education, non-profit organization in Alamogordo, New Mexico, indicates that the majority of Americans do not favor "roadless public lands" as recently proposed by President Clinton.

Labor Department Under Fire For Harassing Chili Growers
The Clinton administration's Department of Labor, under pressure from a pair of Texas and New Mexico congressmen, has denied allegations that it's harassing 50 New Mexico and West Texas chili growers during harvest time. The agency claims it is merely enforcing the law.

Huge Navajo Farm Project Still Losing Money After Two Decades
When it is complete — if it is ever completed — the Navajo Indian Irrigation Project, which brought green vegetable farms to an arid swath of San Juan County, will have cost about $1 billion.

Animal Rights Group Gets Good As It Gives
The radical animal rights movement's nasty little theatrical stunts have come back to haunt them.

Big Ag Firm Mergers May Face Moratorium
Farm-state Democrats, upset with their own administration's handling of recent mergers in the agribusiness industry, proposed an 18-month moratorium Friday.

Feds Forced To Kill Stock-Preying Wolves
Federal wildlife agents have killed three wolves from the Sheep Mountain pack. The wolves were shot earlier this month after officials confirmed members of the pack were responsible for killing a calf 35 miles south of Livingston, said Ed Bangs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's wolf recovery coordinator.

Packer Ownership Bill Is Bipartisan Effort
U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., is cosponsoring legislation aimed at helping independent livestock producers recover from record low prices.

Commerce Ruling Finds Canada Cattle
The U.S. Commerce Department last week ruled in favor of the U.S. group R-CALF in a case alleging "dumping" of Canadian cattle.

Anti-Grazing Group Bidding On NM Land
An anti-grazing activist group has submitted bids to lease nearly 2000 acres of New Mexico state lands in the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River Corridor near Taos.

Fall Kid Inches Up; Recent Sale $7.75
Sonora Wool & Mohair Co. offered a total of 184,100 pounds of mohair last week. All moved with the exception of one lot, 15,500 pounds of fall yearling hair. A 3600 pound lot of fall kid hair topped the sale at $7.75.

High Court Accepts Range Rights Case
Ranchers in Nevada and throughout the West have won a hearing before the U.S. Supreme Court for their challenge to the Clinton administration's regulation of livestock grazing on millions of acres of federal land.

Guvs' Group Plans Prairie Chick Meet
The Western Governor's Association will host a meeting on the lesser prairie chicken Thursday, Oct. 28, at the Portales Chamber of Commerce.

Scott Johnston Claims $4782 In Showdown Title At Phoenix
Scott Johnston, DeLeon, Texas, broke his back last year in a plane crash. Less than a year later he's back in the saddle and recently claimed a $4782 prize when he won the saddle bronc riding title at the recent Original Coors Rodeo Showdown in Phoenix.

Cattle On Feed Up Five Percent In Seven Main Feeding States
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter Oct. 1 in the seven leading feeding states totaled 8.78 million head, up five percent from the same date last year and three percent from Oct. 1, 1997.

Nation’s Feeder Cattle Prices Moved Higher Again Last Week
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $2 higher around the country again last week, though, places in Texas and Oklahoma were steady to $2 lower.

Texas Fed Cattle Prices Move Upward To Three-Year High
Slaughter steers and heifers sold mostly $2 higher in Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma feedlot trading last week, pushing cash prices to over $70 for the first time since late 1996.

Angelo Feeder Lambs, Cattle Trade Steady
Slaughter lambs sold steady this week, slaughter ewes firm to $2 higher and feeder lambs steady. Two day receipts totaled 12,475 head, around 55 percent slaughter ewes, 15 percent feeder lambs, five percent slaughter lambs and 25 percent goats.

Domestic Wool Slow, Aussie Wools Mixed
Wool trading was at a complete standstill last week. Demand and seller interest were both very light. Limited fall shearing was noted in Idaho and a few Midwest areas.

Kansas Direct Feeder Steers Trade Steady
Feeder steers sold mostly steady in Kansas direct trade last week, heifers too few for an adequate market test. Weather was mild with temperatures in the low 80s. Sales were confirmed on 4899 head.

Cattle Off, Sheep Up In Exports To Mexico
U.S. slaughter cattle export numbers to Mexico through the week ending October 9 are off 33 percent from the same period a year ago at 89,824 head.

Most Milano Cattle Prices Move Higher
Feeder steers sold steady to $3 higher, the greates advance on 500-600 pounders, heifers steady to $1 higher, advance on weights over 500 pounds, slaughter cows and bulls $2-4 higher. Receipts totaled 1341 head.

San Saba, Brownwood, Mason Feeders Higher
Feeder steers weighing 440-600 pounds sold $1-2 higher in Mason, Brownwood and San Saba last week, other weights steady, heifers 600-750 pounds $1-3 higher, lightweights steady, slaughter cows $1-2 higher, bulls steady, bred stock cows and pairs steady. Receipts totaled 5293 head at the three sales.

Most Abilene Cattle Prices Termed Higher
Feeder steers sold steady to $2 higher, heifers $1-2 higher, slaughter cows steady to $2 higher, bulls $1 higher, stock cows steady to weak, pairs strong. Receipts totaled 1906 head.

Fredericksburg Feeder Steers, Heifers Rise
Feeder steers sold $1-2 higher, heifers $2 higher, slaughter cows and bulls $1-2 lower. Receipts totaled 2146 head.

Colorado City Feeder Steers, Heifers Lower
Feeder steers and heifers sold mostly steady to $1 lower, heifers over 700 pounds $1 higher, slaughter cows steady to $1 lower, bulls steady, stock cows lower, pairs steady. Receipts totaled 1003 head.

Llano Feeder Steers Higher, Heifers Hold
Feeder steers sold $2-4 higher, heifers steady, slaughter cows $1-2 higher, bulls steady. Receipts totaled 880 head.

Cuero Feeder Steers Higher, Heifers Off
Feeder steers sold steady to $2 higher, heifer calves $1-2 lower, yearlings steady to higher, slaughter cows and bulls $1-2 lower. Receipts totaled 2359 head.

Graham Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Higher
Feeder steers sold steady to $2 higher, heifers mostly steady, some 400-500 pounds $1 higher, slaughter cows steady, bulls steady, bred stock cows $10-20 higher, pairs steady. Receipts totaled 2332 head.

Lampasas Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Steady
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady, slaughter cows steady, bulls $1-2 lower. Receipts totaled 1650 head.

U.S. Meat Production 3.8% Above A Year Ago
Total red meat production under federal inspection last week was estimated at 930.5 million pounds, .6 percent more than a week earlier and 3.8 percent above a year ago. Cumulative meat production for the year to date was up 2.5 percent at 35.97 billion pounds.

Letters To The Editor

Loose Ends

Top Trappers

Coming Up...
October 21 — Dudley Brothers’ 38th Annual Cowman’s Kind Hereford Bull Sale, at the ranch, Comanche, Texas. October 22 — Granite Hills Ranch Production Sale, at the ranch, Llano, Texas. October 22-23 — Dale Gas Prod Rodeo’s "Reelin’-n-Rockin’" Tour Finale, Del Rio, Texas.