Fat, Feeder Lambs Higher, Meat Mixed
Fat and feeder lambs moved steady to a little higher in several areas this week. Slaughter ewes were lower in Texas but higher in the Midwest.

Plains Fed Cattle Movement Active At Midweek But $1 Off
Plains feedlots began moving cattle Wednesday, but they gave up a dollar doing it. In Texas, the movement came to 40,000-plus head at $69-69.50, the bulk of the 67,910-head showlist. Given the small list, observers were hard-pressed to explain why feeders took the lower bids so readily after asking $71 earlier. A quest for empty pens was one suggestion. Captives in Texas came to an additional 30,100 head.

PLAINS FEEDLOT SALES

RANGE SALES

Cattleman In Missouri Profits From Other People's "Mistakes"
Larry Runyan has found his niche in the cattle business. That niche is in buying lightweight sale barn cattle, the kind he describes as "people's mistakes." Runyan preconditions them, backgrounds them and then carries them on through the feedyard, selling them on a formula.

Nation’s Higher Feeder Cattle Prices Reach End Of The Rope
Feeder calf prices around the country were generally steady to as much as $4 lower last week while yearlings moved at steady to $2 lower money.

Texas High Court Gives State More Time On Canadian Appeal
The Texas Supreme Court has given the state's land office another week to decide whether or not to appeal a ruling earlier this month that awarded much of the Canadian River bottoms to private landowners.

Cattle Raisers Discuss Policy On Conservation Easements
The use of conservation easements in the U.S. is growing, and though differences of opinion remain over the value of such agreements, experts say the issue is here to stay.

Studies Show Breeding, Calving Dates Have Big Impact In Texas
Environmental differences can affect livestock production and must be taken into account when planning a breeding calendar, says a beef cattle specialist and research scientist.

East Texas Cattlemen's Group Sets Up Bull Leasing Program
Some 80 percent of the cattle raised in Texas come from producers with 35 to 40-head herds. Such producers don't always have access to high quality bulls to improve the genetics of their herds — until now.

Anti-Embargo Language Fails In Ag Bill, Moving Separately
Farm state lawmakers renewed efforts to ease the Cuban trade embargo, proposing to pass legislation as a separate bill that was dropped from the $69 billion agriculture spending bill.

Prairie Soils Key To Global Warming — Assuming It Exists
For decades, the soils of the Kansas prairie have fed the world, making the state the nation's top wheat producer and number three in beef.

All Wild Horses Not Considered Equal; Some Bringing Big Price
The wild horses trotted into sight on a far ridge, silhouetted against the late-summer snow still clinging to the high flanks of Steens Mountain.

Feds List Devils River Minnow, Call It "Threatened" Species
The Devils River minnow, a two-inch fish that once thrived in creeks around Del Rio, was listed as a "threatened" species last week by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Jogger Fights Off Cougar On Popular NM Hiking Trail
In a scene that is becoming increasingly familiar, a screaming runner spent 20 minutes fending off a cougar on a heavily used hiking trail near Santa Fe last weekend, the Department of Game and Fish reported.

Veto, Vote Threaten Baca Ranch Funding
The federal government's $40 million down payment on a scenic northern New Mexico cattle ranch might be in peril because of a presidential veto threat and a "nay" vote by one of the buyout's own backers.

Hawaian Cowboys Whole World And Breed Apart
Like their counterparts in the American West, Hawaiian cowboys learned their trade from Mexican vaqueros. But the land and language made the Hawaiian paniolo a different kind of cowboy.

More Stock-Killing Wolves Moved; Plan Head Loses Job
Wildlife officials have moved a pack of Mexican gray wolves believed to be responsible for killing cattle near here. The Gavilan pack, made up of an adult male, an adult female, a yearling male and five pups, was moved several miles north of the area where the wolves killed a cow last month.

High Court Decision Rare Grazing Victory
Public lands ranchers have won a rare victory — at least for now — and their spokesmen are pinning their hopes for a return to grazing stability on the eventual outcome.

Ferret Release Costly, Risky, But Doggedly Going On Anyway
Emerald eyes flickered across the Coyote Basin Thursday night, lighting hopes of the black-footed ferrets' survival. Seventy of the ferrets, among the rarest mammals in North America, are being reintroduced near the Utah-Colorado border. It is the largest release under a national recovery program that hopes to restore the aggressive predator to a part of its original range. Twenty-five were in the first release Thursday night, with all 70 to be released within three days.

Bear Protest Draws Many Idaho Officials
Congressional aides, state legislators, the Idaho Fish and Game and local officials expressed their opposition during a recent rally to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal to reintroduce grizzly bears in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.

Clinton Signs Agriculture Aid Bill After 10-Day Delay
President Clinton signed a record $8.7 billion bailout of the agricultural economy Friday, claiming it showed Congress needs to overhaul the Republican-authored farm program that was supposed to wean growers from government subsidies.

New Study Of Spotted Owl Is Goal Of Bill
Northern spotted owls, the creatures that rallied environmental activists, led to major Northwest logging cutbacks, and drove the price of lumber sky-high and the quality of lumber into the sewer, deserve a new, detailed scientific study to determine exactly what's happening to them. So said a former top government official last week.

Administration Defends Own Handling Of Ag Merger Issue
Existing antitrust laws are adequate to protect the interests of farmers and consumers as agriculture and food processing companies go through a wave of mergers and acquisitions, the U.S. Justice Department insists.

Meat Demand Claimed To Be Driven By Fads
First it was "millenium madness," then the notion that would-be millenium revelers were buying up choice cuts to assure a supply for their party needs. The latest explanation for the healthy demand in red meat circles is a diet fad.

McLanahan All But Assured Position In National Finals
Bareback bronc rider Denny McLanahan is looking for eight. McLanahan, of Canadian, Texas, strengthened his bid for an eighth National Finals Rodeo qualification with a $2834 bareback riding win at the recent Heart O' Texas Fair & Rodeo in Waco. He is currently ranked seventh in the bareback world standings with $57,752.

Texas Fed Cattle Moved Lower Last Week, Mostly On Thursday
Slaughter steers and heifers sold steady to 50 cents lower in Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma feedlot trading last week. Trade was slow until Thursday afternoon, when most cattle sold.

Angelo Feeder Lambs Firm, Cattle Softer
Feeder lambs sold firm this week, slaughter lambs steady and slaughter ewes $2-4 lower. Receipts totaled 14,206 head, around 55 percent slaughter ewes, 10 percent feeder lambs, five percent slaughter lambs and 30 percent goats.

Co-Op Hair Sale Sees $7.77 Top On Fall
Producers Marketing Cooperative sold 45,164 pounds of mohair with fall kid hair topping at $7.77 on 2300 pounds. Another 11,100 pounds brought $7.60-7.70.

Cuero Feeder Cattle Prices Termed Higher
Feeder steer and heifer calves sold $1-2 higher, yearlings steady to higher, slaughter cows and bulls $1.50-2 higher. Receipts totaled 2552 head.

Colorado City Feeder Steers, Heifers Lower
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $2 lower, slaughter cows and bulls steady, bred stock cows steady. Receipts totaled 1121 head.

U.S. Meat Production 1.6% Above A Year Ago
Total red meat production under federal inspection last week was estimated at 918.6 million pounds, was .8 percent less than a week earlier and 1.6 percent more than a year ago. Cumulative meat production for the year to date was up 2.4 percent at 36.9 billion pounds.

Graham Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Higher
Feeder steers weighing more than 500 pounds sold steady, lighter weights steady to $2 higher, heifers steady to $2 higher, slaughter cows and bulls $1 lower, bred stock cows and pairs steady. Receipts totaled 2394 head.

San Saba, Brownwood, Mason Feeders Strong
Lightweight feeder steers and heifers sold $1-3 higher in Mason, Brownwood and San Saba last week, heavyweights steady, slaughter cows and bulls steady, bred stock cows $25-50 higher, pairs in fair demand. Receipts totaled 3606 head at the three sales.

Kansas Direct Feeder Cattle Prices Steady
A light test of feeder steers and heifers sold mostly steady in Kansas direct trade last week. The weather was mild with most of the state going through Indian summer. Sales were confirmed on 3996 head.

Beef, Pork, Red Meat Reach Record Highs
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 3.93 billion pounds in September, up three percent from September's previous.

Most Lampasas Cattle Prices Termed Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold $1-3 higher, slaughter cows and bulls $1-2 higher. Receipts totaled 1648 head.

Most Abilene Cattle Prices Called Lower
Feeder steers and heifers sold $1-3 lower, slaughter cows steady to $2 lower, bulls mostly steady, stock cows $20 lower. Receipts totaled 2531 head.

January-August Lamb Meat Imports Up 18%
The Commerce Department's Foreign Agriculture Service reports 2029 metric tons of fresh lamb imported into the U.S. in August, bringing the yearly total to 24,012 MT.

Fredericksburg Cattle Prices Move Higher
Feeder steers sold $2-3 higher, heifers $2-3 higher, slaughter cows and bulls $1-2 higher. Receipts totaled 1676 head.

Milano Feeder Steers, Heifers Trade Steady
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady, slaughter cows steady to $1 lower, bulls steady. Receipts totaled 2090 head. Feeder steers: medium and large No. 1 300-400 lbs. $105-117.50, 400-500 lbs. $88-96, 500-600 lbs. $82-88, few $89-90, 600-700 lbs. $75-81, 700-800 lbs. $73-76.

R.A. Brown Ranch Bulls Average $1953 Per Head
The R.A. Brown Ranch 25th annual bull and female sale at the ranch averaged $1953 on 397 bulls and $1267 on 50 females. The 140 buyers were from 15 states and Mexico.

Producers Video Auction Sale Offering Totals 4600 Cattle
Producers Video Auction sold 4600 feeder cattle at their regularly scheduled sale. Representative sales: 7HL Cattle, Okeechobee, Fla., sold 100 mixed calves for current delivery, steers 475 pounds $82.65, heifers 465 pounds.

Domestic Wool Slow, Aussie Wools Higher
Wool trading was at a complete standstill last week, demand and seller interest both light. Limited fall shearing was noted in Idaho and a few Midwestern areas.

Llano Lightweight Feeder Steers Lower
Drouth-limited wheat field grazing pushed lightweight feeder steers $2-3 lower, heavyweight steers and heifers steady to weak, lightweight heifers steady to $2 higher, slaughter cows and bulls $2 lower. Receipts totaled 980 head.

Letters To The Editor

Loose Ends

Coming Up...
October 28 — West Texas Rehabilitation Center’s Round-Up For Rehab, Ranger Auction, Ranger, Texas. October 29 — Angelo State University’s Angus Bull Sale, Angelo State University Management, Instruction and Research Center, San Angelo, Texas. October 30 — Second Fall Calf and Yearling Sale Special Sale, Southwest Livestock Auction, Los Lunas, New Mexico.