Sheep, Lamb Prices Take Holiday Off
Little activity took place this week in the lamb trade. Most Texas markets were closed all week for the Thanksgiving holiday period. The lamb carcass trade on the East Coast late last week was steady across the board. Weights of 55 pounds and down were $163.50-166, 55-65 pounds $163.50-164, 65-85 pounds $167.50-168 and 85 pounds and up $162.50-163. Those prices are about $20-25 above year-ago levels.

Plains Fed Cattle Trade Quiet Early In Holiday-Short Week
Plains feedlots and packers stood several dollars apart as usual Tuesday, erstwhile sellers asking a steady to slightly stronger $71-72 and potential buyers bidding a not-to-be-taken-seriously $67-68.

PLAINS FEEDLOT SALES

RANGE SALES

Vertical Alliances Said Part Of Future For Beef Industry
"For us to succeed, we can't operate totally as individuals. We're going to have to operate together." That was a recurring theme in the keynote address given by Jim McAdams, assistant general manager of Spade Ranches Inc., Lubbock, at a recent field day on the Waggoner Ranch.

Wilson, Jamison Ranches Prevail At Working Cowboy Rodeo Finals
The reigning champions reined in another win at this year's Working Ranch Cowboy Association's World Championship Ranch Rodeo here. The Wilson Cattle Company and Jamison Ranch combined to win top honors at the WCRA national finals again this year.

Marketing And Cheap Feed Said Critical In
Preconditioning - Will it Pay? That's a question that has been debated time and time again by experts in the cattle industry. Dr. Ted McCollum, Extension livestock specialist with the Texas A&M Research & Extension Center in Amarillo, is a frequent speaker on this subject. He shared his thoughts at a recent West Texas Rancher's conference here.

Federal "No-Net-Gain" Bill To Be Introduced In Senate
Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., plans to continue the push to change a conservation bill so that the federal government does not gain more land, his spokesman said.

Nat'l Sheep Center Signs Grant Agreement; Funding Next Step
The National Sheep Industry Improvement Center and the National Livestock Producers Association signed a long-awaited grant agreement last week in a joint meeting of their respective groups. The agreement was signed by NSIIC chairman Pierce Miller and NLPA chairman Sam Philips.

Bush Touts Trade As Central To Strengthening Ag Economy
Texas Gov. George W. Bush said Friday he will make expanding trade a central theme as he seeks to appeal to farm interests in Iowa's leadoff caucuses.

Economist Reminds Producers: Keep Tax In Mind At Year End
As the end of the year approaches, it becomes important to review planned financial activities in an attempt to reduce tax liability, not only for 1999 but also for years into the future.

Cougar Sightings And Attacks On Children Prompt New Views
They are small. They move quickly. They tend to make loud, high-pitched noises. And young children may simply look like prey to the cougars roaming forests, brushlands and, increasingly, backyards of the West.

Babbitt Gets Earful Of Advice From Locals On Colorado Scheme
Residents of western Colorado on Friday urged Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt to make no significant changes in the federal Bureau of Land Management's operations on the tens of thousands of acres of public land west of Colorado National Monument.

With Wolves On Ground, Backers Planning Classic Double-Cross
Like so many things the federal government does, the scheme to reintroduce wolves in the Southwest is being played on two levels — one level above the table and another below it.

Forest Service Head Injects Self Into Nevada Controversy
U.S. Sens. Harry Reid and Richard Bryan, both Democrats, have praised Clinton administration Forest Service Chief Mike Dombeck's agreement to visit Nevada to try to help settle differences over contentious land-use issues.

Loose Lips Capable Of Sinking More Than Ships, Eco May Find
New Mexico's entire congressional delegation is demanding the firing of the executive director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation after he repeated a story about a reference to former U.S. Secretary of Interior Manuel Lujan Jr. as a ``damned chili-eater.''

Merger Moratorium Bill Fails By Wide Margin In Senate Vote
The Senate has refused to slow down the mergers of food and agriculture companies that many growers blame for the downturn in the farm economy.

Colorado Vows Lawsuit Against P-Dog Listing
Colorado will take legal action if the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decides to list the black-tailed prairie dog as a threatened species.

Ecos Appeal Rejection Of "Unranching" Bids
A radical environmental group is contesting denial of its "unranching" bids to the New Mexico State Land Office.

September Lamb Meat Imports Decline 7%
The U.S. Commerce Department's Foreign Agriculture Service reports a total of 2041 metric tons of lamb meat imported into the U.S. during September, down seven percent from a year ago.

Utah County Planning Fenced Livestock Trail
Cattle and sheep growers want to create a fenced trail system through major corridors of the county that will protect the annual spring and fall movement of livestock from development.

GOP Congressmen Seek Price Report Funding
Several Republican Congressmen are asking the head of the agriculture department to include a price reporting program in this year's Agriculture Appropriations Bill.

Cattle On Feed Up Six Percent In Seven Main Feeding States
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter Nov. 1 in the seven leading feeding states totaled 9.77 million head, up six percent from the same date last year and four percent from Oct. 1, 1997.

New Studies Show Modified Corn No Threat To Monarchs
Remember the brouhaha of a few months back when researchers announced that genetically modified corn was a threat to monarch butterflies? Well, never mind.

Feeder Prices Continued Upward Spiral Across Country Last Week
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $2 higher around the country last week, some calves $3-4 up.

Texas Fed Cattle Prices $1 Up Last Week, Mostly On Thursday
Slaughter steers and heifers sold mostly $1 higher in Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma feedlots last week. Once again, movement and trade was at a complete standstill until late in the week. Most buyers finally raised bids to the $70-71 level around noon on Thursday and feedlots became willing sellers.

Feeder Steers, Heifers Higher In Angelo Special Sale Monday
Steers and heifers were $1-2 higher here Monday in the season's eighth special feeder sale at Producers Livestock Auction.

Angelo Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Higher
Feeder steers and heifers were firm to $2 higher last week, slaughter cows and bulls firm, stock cows and pairs steady. Two day receipts totaled 4755 head.

October Red Meat Off, Lamb-Mutton Record Low
Commercial red meat production for the United States in October totaled four billion pounds, down one percent from 4.03 billion pounds produced in October 1998.

October Meat Storage 4% Below A Year Ago
Total frozen meat supplies in U.S. freezers on October 31 were four percent below a year ago at 762.75 million pounds, but up two percent from September 30 this year.

U.S. Meat Production 2.6% Below A Year Ago
Total red meat production under federal inspection last week was estimated at 891.8 million pounds, .3 percent less than a week earlier and 2.6 percent below a year ago. Cumulative meat production for the year to date was up 2.3 percent at 40.5 billion pounds.

Kansas Direct Feeder Steers Trend Higher
Feeder steers sold firm to $2 higher in Kansas direct trade last week, no recent comparison on heifers but a firmer undertone prevailed. Dry and mild weather continues in western Kansas. Sales were confirmed on 8688 head.

Most Cuero Feeder Cattle Prices Steady
Feeder calves and yearlings sold mostly steady, a few individuals higher, slaughter cows mixed, better kids steady to 50 cents higher, lower grades $1-2 higher. Receipts totaled 2495 head.

Graham Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Strong
Feeder steers sold fully steady to strong, heifers fully steady to $2 higher, slaughter cows steady to $1 higher, bred stock cows and pairs steady. Receipts totaled 1714 head.

Fredericksburg Feeder Steers, Heifers Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold $2-4 higher, slaughter cows and bulls steady. Receipts totaled 2160 head.

Domestic Wool Slow, Aussie Wools Lower
Wool trading across the nation remains at a standstill in most areas. Buyer demand is light, as is seller interest, many producers opting to store wool on-site rather than sell at current price levels.

Colorado City Feeder Cattle Prices Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold firm to $3 higher, slaughter cows steady to $2 higher, bulls steady, bred stock cows steady. Receipts totaled 883 head.

Most Lampasas Cattle Prices Termed Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold $1-2 higher, slaughter cows and bulls $1-1.50 higher. Receipts totaled 1718 head.

Loose Ends

Coming Up...
November 25-26 — The Offices of Livestock Weekly Will Be Closed In Observance of Thanksgiving. November 26 — 1st Annual Special Female Replacement and Ranch Gelding Sale, Waco Stockyards, Waco, Texas. November 27 — Thanksgiving Stocker Cow Sale, Cattleman’s Livestock Market, Albuqerque, New Mexico.