Plains Fed Cattle Lists Short,
Yards Holding For Better Money

Plains feedlots, holding a strong hand with short showlists, rebuffed packers' bids through midweek.

Texas Panhandle lots were asking $71-72 against bids of $68, even as little as $67. They backed their demands up with a scant 53,890-head showlist, many of them green cattle under no pressure to go anywhere. Fewer than 3000 head had sold through Wednesday, and those were Friday deals. Captives amounted to something short of 29,000 head.

Kansas counted movement of 30,400 head, virtually all captives; bids ranged from a desultory $65 to a handful at $68.50, asking prices $70-71. Nebraska sold 19,300 head through midweek, including 8500 Wednesday at $69 live and mostly $109 dressed.

Midwest direct areas were lightly tested by midweek at $68-69 live and $108.50-109 dressed. Terminals paid $65.90-69.90.

The Southwest was quiet, the Northwest steady under moderate demand at $108-109 dressed.

Stocker and feeder cattle trended generally steady to slightly higher in a few areas.

St. Joseph, Mo. offered 3000 head and found prices unevenly steady to $2 higher except for fleshy calves and short yearlings, which sold as much as $2 lower. Steady rates prevailed on a roundup of four Florida auctions moving 8044 head between them. La Junta, Colo. sold 3095 head and called a light test on calves steady, yearling heifers steady and yearling steers steady to $1 higher.

In Texas, Crockett was steady to $2 higher on 1900 head. San Antonio was steady to weak Monday on 1427 head. With receipts of 2043 head, Amarillo called weights under 600 pounds steady to $2 lower, heavier steers untested but heavier heifers $1-2 higher.

Oklahoma City offerings totaled just over 14,000 head, the trend steady on feeder weights and steady to $2 higher on calves. Best 300-400 pound steer calves earned $104.50-112; 400-450 pounds $97.75-106.75; 450-500 pounds $93.50-100.50; 500-550 pounds $86.75-94.25; 550-600 pounds $83-91.75; 600-650 pounds $78.25-88.50; 650-700 pounds $77-84; 700-720 pounds $77-80.50; yearlings 600-700 pounds $81-87.50; 700-750 pounds $82.50-85.50; 750-800 pounds $79.75-83; 800-850 pounds $76-79.50; and 850-900 pounds $73-77.25.