Nation’s Feeder Cattle Prices
Bounced Back Upward Last Week

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. —(USDA)— Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $3 higher across the country last week under good demand. Marketings were liberal, the weather dry.

Pastures and wheat grazing are short this year due to lack of moisture in many areas, and there is more supplemental feeding than usual. Dry areas have ranged from the eastern Cornbelt to the East, Southeast, Midwest, and the Southwest.

The slaughter cattle market is back up to $70, but there are some concerns about the ability of beef demand to continue to absorb liberal supplies at current prices. Boxed beef cutouts were lower for the third consecutive week.

Feedlots are full of cattle, but right now choice offerings are in tight supply. Hog prices dropped back down into the low $30s and turkey week is just around the corner. With open fall weather, livestock are doing well. Feed costs are cheap and another big corn crop is already in the bins.

Feedlot managers and the cattle industry are facing a big challenge to stay current and make orderly marketings of those huge numbers without creating a big backlog of heavy, over-finished cattle and an excessive tonnage of fat. Costs of weight gains are in the mid $40s and the finished product is selling at $70 per cwt., tempting overfeeding.

The fall calf run is in full swing and only 27 percent of the week’s supply weighed more than 600 pounds.

Some trading:

Texas: steers, medium and large No. 1 500 lbs. $88, 600-675 lbs. $82-85, 700-800 lbs. $77.50-79.50; 500-550 lbs. delivered $85.50-93, 625-675 lbs. $82-82.50; 750 lbs. for December delivery $81.50-82.50, 750-800 lbs. for January through May $78.75-81.25; heifers, 525-600 lbs. $80-80.50, 625-710 lbs. $75-77.50; 700 lbs. for February through May delivery $76-77.

Oklahoma: steers, medium and large, 625 lbs. $78.50, 725-800 lbs. $77-80; 750 lbs. for January delivery $81, 800 lbs. for February $77.50-77.75, 775 lbs. for April $78.75, 750-775 lbs. for May $77.75-79; heifers, 725 lbs. for March delivery $73.

Colorado: steers, medium and large No. 1 part-load 445 lbs. $95, 550-580 lbs. $87-92.50, 725-750 lbs. $78-81.50; few loads 750 lbs. delivered $81.25; auction, 300-400 lbs. $103.50-112, 400-500 lbs. $93.50-101, 500-600 lbs. $85.50-91.50, 600-700 lbs. $82.50-87, 700-800 lbs. $78.50-82.50, 800-900 lbs. $74.50-81, few 900-1000 lbs. $73-77.35; heifers, few loads 500-560 lbs. $87-88; load 425 lbs. delivered $92; auction, 300-400 lbs. $90-96.50, 400-500 lbs. $83.50-88.50, 500-600 lbs. $78.50-83, 600-700 lbs. $75.50-83, 700-800 lbs. $73.25-79.85, 800-900 lbs. $71-76.50.

South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 500 head 550 lbs. $90; 1000 head 500-525 lbs. delivered to Montana $92-95, 330 head 600 lbs. $88; heifers, 500 head 550 lbs. $84; 95 head 525 lbs. delivered to Montana $85.

Wyoming, Western Nebraska and Western North and South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 445 lbs. $97.50, 550-580 lbs. $90.25-95, 600-625 lbs. $86.50-89, 745 lbs. $79; auction, 300-400 lbs. $105-115.25, fancy 350 lbs. $119.50, 400-450 lbs. $93.50-105.50, fancy $104-110.50, 450-500 lbs. $90.50-100.50, fancy $104-106, 500-550 lbs. $84.50-94, fancy $94.50-97.50, 550-600 lbs. $83.50-91.25, fancy $95-95.50, 600-650 lbs. $82.75-88.50, 650-700 lbs. $76.25-84, fancy 650 lbs. $86, 700-750 lbs. $81.50-84.85, 750-800 lbs. $76.25-85.60, 800-850 lbs. $76-84.60, 850-900 lbs. $74.50-80.90, 900-1000 lbs. $72.50-76, 1025-1085 lbs. $70.75-73.25; heifers, 410-445 lbs. $90-94, 500-600 lbs. $84.25-90.50; auction, 300-350 lbs. $90.25-100.50, 350-400 lbs. $89.25-98, 400-450 lbs. $83.50-92, fancy $92.50-100.50, 450-500 lbs. $81.75-90.25, fancy $92-92.75, 500-550 lbs. $80-87.50, fancy 500 lbs. $90.35, 550-600 lbs. $76.50-83.25, 600-700 lbs. $75.25-83.20, 700-800 lbs. $74-80.80, 800-900 lbs. $73.75-81, 900-1000 lbs. $70.25-75.40.

Montana: steers, medium and large No. 1 auction, 300-400 lbs. $94.25-113, 400-450 lbs. $90.50-106, fancy $102.50-106, 450-500 lbs. $88-100, fancy $105-107, 500-600 lbs. $82.50-94, fancy $92.50-95.50, 600-700 lbs. $79.50-87.75, 700-750 lbs. $77.25-79.75, 800-900 lbs. $73-76; heifers, auction, 300-350 lbs. $92-97, 350-400 lbs. $83-95.50, 400-450 lbs. $81-91, 450-500 lbs. $80-89.50, 500-600 lbs. $79-89.50, 600-700 lbs. $78.75-82, lot 756 lbs. $75, 800-850 lbs. $74.50-75, 850-900 lbs. $70.25-74, 900-950 lbs. $73.35-73.85.

Washington, Oregon and Idaho: steers, medium and large No. 1 450-475 lbs. $88-94, 500-550 lbs. $83-90.50, 600-625 lbs. $83-85; 750 lbs. delivered $77, 800-825 lbs. $75; auction, 400-500 lbs. $85-90, 500-600 lbs. $83-88, 600-700 lbs. $76-84, 700-800 lbs. $73.50-77, 800-900 lbs. $70-73; heifers, 450-500 lbs. $80-84, 550 lbs. $79, 800-850 lbs. $71-72.50; auction, 350-400 lbs. $77-80, 400-500 lbs. $74.50-80.50, 500-600 lbs. $74-78, 650-700 lbs. $70.50-72, 700-750 lbs. $71.50-72, 900-950 lbs. $66.50-68.

Arkansas: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $100-110 few to $115, 350-400 lbs. $93-103, 400-450 lbs. $86-95, 450-500 lbs. $83-92, 500-550 lbs. $81-90, 550-600 lbs. $76-84, 600-700 lbs. $73-81, 700-800 lbs. $70-77; large No. 2 Holsteins, 300-500 lbs. $58-64; heifers, 300-350 lbs. $83-92 few to $95, 350-400 lbs. $79-87, 400-450 lbs. $76-84, 450-500 lbs. $74-82, 500-600 lbs. $72-80, 600-700 lbs. $69-76, 700-800 lbs. $68-74.

Kentucky: steers, medium and large No. 1 400-500 lbs. $84-86, 500-600 lbs. $81.50-84, 600-700 lbs. $76-82, 700-800 lbs. $76-78.60, 800-900 lbs. $74-77, 900-950 lbs. $73-74.50; large No. 2 Holsteins, 600-700 lbs. $62-63.50, 800-900 lbs. $60-61; auction, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $106-112, 300-350 lbs. $92-102, 350-400 lbs. $83-93, 400-450 lbs. $87-96, 450-500 lbs. $81-91, 500-550 lbs. $80-88.50, 550-600 lbs. $76-85, 600-700 lbs. $74-82.50, 700-800 lbs. $71-79.80, 800-900 lbs. $74-77.95, 900-1000 lbs. $62-72; large No. 2 Holsteins, 300-400 lbs. $60-70, 400-500 lbs. $58-70, 500-600 lbs. $56-70, 600-700 lbs. $62-67, 700-800 lbs. $54-64.90, 800-900 lbs. $49.75; heifers, medium and large No. 1 400-500 lbs. $80-82, 550 lbs. $79.50, 600-700 lbs. $72.50-76, 700-800 lbs. $70-74; auction, 200-300 lbs. $81-89, 300-350 lbs. $79-88, 350-400 lbs. $74-84, 400-500 lbs. $74-84, 500-600 lbs. $70-80, 600-700 lbs. $66-76, 700-800 lbs. $62-72.

Tennessee: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $100-127, 300-350 lbs. $95-107, 350-400 lbs. $87-105, 400-450 lbs. $84-95, 450-500 lbs. $80-91 few $94, 500-550 lbs. $77-87, 550-600 lbs. $75-83.50, 600-700 lbs. $71.50-79.50, 700-800 lbs. $68-72.50; heifers, 200-300 lbs. $76-92, 300-350 lbs. $77-90, 350-400 lbs. $75-87, 400-450 lbs. $73-83, 450-500 lbs. $72-82, 500-550 lbs. $71-78, 550-600 lbs. $69-77, 600-700 lbs. $68-75, 700-800 lbs. $64-70.

Southeastern complex: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-250 lbs. $112-130, 250-300 lbs. $110-128, 300-350 lbs. $100-114, 350-400 lbs. $92-104, 400-450 lbs. $87-97, 450-500 lbs. $82-92, 500-550 lbs. $76-86, 550-600 lbs. $75-85, 600-650 lbs. $68-78, 650-700 lbs. $65-75, 700-800 lbs. $63-72; heifers, 200-250 lbs. $85-100, 250-300 lbs. $84-96, 300-350 lbs. $80-92, 350-400 lbs. $77-87, 400-450 lbs. $73-83, 450-500 lbs. $71-81, 500-550 lbs. $67-77, 550-600 lbs. $65-75, 600-650 lbs. $64-74, 650-700 lbs. $62-71.