Nation’s Feeder Cattle Prices
Moved Higher Again Last Week

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. —(USDA)— 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.

The cattle market has been mostly happy faces since the first of the year, improved consumer demand the primary mover. With prices at $71.50, slaughter cattle are up $14 since last Christmas. Boxed beef cutouts are $25 higher. The year to date beef production is 2.7 percent above a year ago, yet the CME feeder cattle index has advanced $13.

Concerns are mounting about the continued life of these higher trends. Consumer moods do change, especially as the economy changes.

From cattle feeders' viewpoint, feed costs will be cheap after another bountiful corn harvest this year. There is still some margin in hedging $85, 700-pound steers with 45 cent cost of weight gains and $70 slaughter futures for April.

There are not as many empty feedlot pens around, but most yards are very current. Cattle are grading less than 50 percent Choice and there is a $13 premium for Choice over Select beef. A bullish cattle on feed report showed numbers at 105 percent, placements 104 percent and marketings 107.

Weights over 600 pounds account for only 35 percent of the week's supply.

Some trading:

Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 500-525 lbs. $86-92, 600-650 lbs. $82-85, 700-800 lbs. $77.50-80, 800-825 lbs. $73.50-77; 675 lbs. delivered $86, 800-825 lbs. $77-82; 650-750 lbs. for November delivery $80-84.50, 750 lbs. for December through May $80-81.50; 750 lbs. delivered for November through January $82; heifers, 450 lbs. $85, 500-600 lbs. $78-83, 675-700 lbs. $75.50-77; 600-685 lbs. delivered $77-82.25; 700-775 lbs. for November through March delivery $76-77; 675 lbs. delivered for November through January $80.

Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 700-735 lbs. $80-82, 750 lbs. $80; 750 lbs. for January delivery $80.35-82; 800 lbs. delivered for January $77.75; heifers, 600 lbs. $78, 675 lbs. $77, 700-725 lbs. $76-77; 650 lbs. for March delivery $77.

Colorado: steers, medium and large No. 1 550-570 lbs. $84-88; 480-500 lbs. delivered $94-96, few loads 850 lbs. $80.50; few loads 750 lbs. delivered for January $83.50; auction, 300-400 lbs. $99-113, mostly $103-109, 400-450 lbs. $94.50-105, 450-500 lbs. $90-101.50, mostly $92-97.50, 500-600 lbs. $85-96, 600-700 lbs. $82.50-89.25, 700-800 lbs. $78.50-85, 800-900 lbs. $73-80.85, mostly $75.75-79.50, 900-975 lbs. $72.50-75.50; heifers, 525-560 lbs. $76-80, load 775 lbs. $76; load 400 lbs. delivered $95, load 87.50, few loads 850 lbs. $77.75; auction, 300-400 lbs. $88.50-101, mostly $91-97, 400-500 lbs. $82-89.50, 500-600 lbs. $78.50-85, 600-700 lbs. $76.50-84, 700-800 lbs. $74.50-81, mostly $76.50-79.50, 800-900 lbs. $72.50-78.

South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 650-700 lbs. $84.25-88, 800 lbs. $81-82.50; load 535 lbs. delivered $91.50; heifers, load 700 lbs. $82; 600 lbs. delivered $84.

Wyoming, Western Nebraska and Western North and South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 480 lbs. $94, 650 lbs. $87; 550-580 lbs. delivered $87-92.75, 800 lbs. $81.50; auction, 265-300 lbs. $122-127, 300-350 lbs. $112.50-123.50, 350-400 lbs. $105.50-117.50, mostly $112.50-116.50, 400-450 lbs. $93-110.50, mostly $102.50-104.75, fancy $113-114.50, 450-500 lbs. $90.50-102.50, mostly $93.50-102.50, fancy 450 lbs. $103-112, 500-550 lbs. $85.25-97, mostly $90-97, fancy 500 lbs. $99.50, 550-600 lbs. $84-94.25, mostly $89-94.25, 600-700 lbs. $82-91.70, 700-800 lbs. $75.25-88.85, mostly $82-88, 800-900 lbs. $74.75-83, 900-1000 lbs. $73-77.25, 1000-1075 lbs. $70.10-72.80. heifers, 400 lbs. $95, 460 lbs. $86, 675 lbs. $81, 800-850 lbs. $75-75.50; 490 lbs. delivered $88.75, 525-560 lbs. $79-87; auction, 265-300 lbs. $95-103, 300-350 lbs. $93.50-109, mostly $97-109, 350-400 lbs. $88-102.50, mostly $93-102.50, 400-450 lbs. $87-98.25, mostly $87-92.50, 450-500 lbs. $83.50-93.75, mostly $85-90.25, 500-550 lbs. $82.50-89.50, 550-600 lbs. $79-86, 600-700 lbs. $76-86, mostly $82.50-86, 700-800 lbs. $74.50-81.80, 800-900 lbs. $74.75-78.10, 900-1000 lbs. $71.75-74.10, 1040-1100 lbs. $69.50-75.50.

Montana: steers, medium and large No. 1 load 460 lbs. $99, 500 lbs. $94.50, 725 lbs. $76.50; 485 lbs. for November delivery $100, 500-550 lbs. $90-95, 600 lbs. $88-89.50; auction, few 300-350 lbs. $99-108, 350-400 lbs. $101-117, 400-450 lbs. $91-107, 450-500 lbs. $88.50-99.75, 500-550 lbs. $84.75-96.75, 550-600 lbs. $84.75-92, 600-650 lbs. $82.50-86.50, 650-700 lbs. $81.50-86, 700-750 lbs. $78-84.50, few 706-714 lbs. $75-79, 750-800 lbs. $75-80.50, couple 770-793 lbs. $74.25-78.75, 800-850 lbs. $76.75-80, lot 846 lbs. $81.25 fancy, 850-900 lbs. $74.75-79, 900-950 lbs. $74.25-77.50, 950-1000 lbs. $70.25-73.75; heifers, 530 lbs. $85; 460 lbs. for November delivery $93, load 550 lbs. $84.50; auction, 400-450 lbs. $84-95, 450-500 lbs. $83-93, 500-550 lbs. $83.50-87.25, 550-600 lbs. $76.50-87, 600-650 lbs. $77.50-84.50, 650-700 lbs. $77-83.75, 700-750 lbs. $72-79.25, 750-800 lbs. $73.50-79, 800-850 lbs. $68.50-76.75, 850-900 lbs. $73.50-74.50, string 934 lbs. $71, 950-1000 lbs. $71-72.25.

Washington, Oregon and Idaho: steers, medium and large No. 1 500-525 lbs. $89, 600-625 lbs. $85-89, 750 lbs. $76, 875 lbs. $72; auction, 400-500 lbs. $88-95, 500-600 lbs. $81-87, 600-700 lbs. $77-87, 700-800 lbs. $73-82, 800-900 lbs. $67-74; heifers, 575 lbs. $80-81, 725-750 lbs. $74-75, 850 lbs. $70; auction, 300-400 lbs. $79.50-82, 400-500 lbs. $76.50-85, 500-600 lbs. $77-85, 600-700 lbs. $73-84.

Arkansas: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $100-111 few to $115, 350-400 lbs. $94-104, 400-450 lbs. $88-97, 450-500 lbs. $84-93, 500-550 lbs. $81-90, 550-600 lbs. $77-85, 600-700 lbs. $73-81, 700-800 lbs. $71-78; heifers, 300-350 lbs. $84-93 few to $95, 350-400 lbs. $80-88, 400-450 lbs. $77-85, 450-500 lbs. $74-82, 500-600 lbs. $72-80, 600-700 lbs. $68-75, 700-800 lbs. $68-74.

Kentucky: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $102-112, 300-350 lbs. $97-107, 350-400 90-100, 400-500 lbs. $84-94, few $95-100, 500-550 lbs. $82-92, 550-600 lbs. $77-87, 600-700 lbs. $74-84, few $85-87, 700-800 lbs. $74-81, 800-900 lbs. $73-79.70; large No. 2 Holsteins 300-400 lbs. $60-69, 400-500 lbs. $57-67, 500-600 lbs. $55-65, 600-700 lbs. $54-59, 700-800 lbs. $55-64.10, 800-900 lbs. $53-62.10; heifers, 200-300 lbs. $79-89, 300-400 lbs. $76-86, few $87-90, 400-500 lbs. $75-85, 500-600 lbs. $72-82, few $83-83.80, 600-700 lbs. $68-78, 700-800 lbs. $65-74.60.

Tennessee: steers: medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $100-125, 300-350 lbs. $96-113, 350-400 lbs. $91-108, 400-450 lbs. $85-97 few $101, 450-500 lbs. $83-93, 500-550 lbs. $78-87, 550-600 lbs. $75-85, 600-700 lbs. $72-83, 700-800 lbs. $72-76; heifers, 200-300 lbs. $82-99, 300-350 lbs. $80-95, 350-400 lbs. $76-90, 400-450 lbs. $74-83, 450-500 lbs. $73-82, 500-550 lbs. $71-80, 550-600 lbs. $69-78, 600-700 lbs. $67.50-76, 700-800 lbs. $65-69.50.

Southeastern complex: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-250 lbs. $110-132, 250-300 lbs. $105-125, 300-350 lbs. $100-117, 350-400 lbs. $93-103, 400-450 lbs. $90-100, 450-500 lbs. $80-90, 500-550 lbs. $75-85, 550-600 lbs. $73-83, 600-650 lbs. $70-80, 650-700 lbs. $69-77, 700-750 lbs. $67-75, 750-800 lbs. $65-71; heifers, 200-250 lbs. $90-110, 250-300 lbs. $85-95, 300-350 lbs. $83-93, 350-400 lbs. $80-90, 400-450 lbs. $75-85, 450-500 lbs. $72-82, 500-550 lbs. $70-80, 550-600 lbs. $67-77, 600-650 lbs. $64-74, 650-700 lbs. $62-72.