Plains Fed Cattle Lose Ground Once Again In Sluggish Trading
Plains feedlots faced sluggish going after giving up ground last week in late rounds. By midweek, Texas Panhandle yards were as much as $1 lower at mostly $69. Wednesday receipts came to 11,000 head, bringing the cash total to 20,000 head including Friday trades; captives added another 33,100.

PLAINS FEEDLOT SALES

RANGE SALES

Barrett-Crofoot Partnership Reaches End, But Only In Name
Ed Barrett has been in the cattle feeding industry full-time since 1959. He sold the first set of cattle he fed to E.C. Crofoot for 23 cents a pound fat and delivered them just like they were making $100 a head when in fact they were losing him what little money he had at the time.

Clean Water Action Plan Suit Seeks To Thwart Gore Land Grab
A Cheyenne, Wyo., attorney plans this week to file a response to a government motion in U.S. District Court in Colorado. The case, she says, involves virtually all the land in the country — public and private alike — and Vice President Al Gore's clandestine scheme to regulate it.

Goat Version Of Bangs Found In South Texas' Starr County
A story unfolding in Starr County in South Texas has all the elements of a mystery, including intricate laboratory analyses of blood and tissue samples, and expert detectives trained to track down a dangerous suspect. This, however, isn't a case of murder or mayhem, but of Brucella melitensis, a bacterial disease that can affect human and livestock health, but which hasn't been diagnosed in Texas for a quarter century.

Editorial
Specter Of Conflict Of Interest Raised Its Ugly Head Last Week
The San Angelo City Council decided last week to delay a tax-funded economic incentive to American Halal Meat Processors Inc. of Minnesota.

Training The Untrainable Part Of Job For Ambitious Cowboy
You know, working at a feedyard can be highly entertaining and at times pretty aggravating. I hired out the other day to a yard in the Panhandle of Texas. They feed out (when they are full of cattle) about 25,000 head. And this time of year, they are loading up with cattle and down on cowboys.

"Battle In Seattle" Obscured Purpose Of World Trade Talks
The highly publicized World Trade Organization negotiations which began on November 30 and ended on December 3 in Seattle, Washington, failed to accomplish much more than a lot of adverse publicity.

Dispute Over Beef Plant Safety Revolves Around Test Practices
The government says its new food-safety program is at risk unless a judge allows the shutdown of a Texas meatpacking plant that failed a series of salmonella tests.

Nation’s Feeder Cattle Prices Rise In Scramble For Numbers
Possession seemed paramount to prices in the feeder cattle market again last week. Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $3 higher, several instances $4 higher. Buyers are looking at big summer and fall marketings and do not want to be left out.

Texas Fed Cattle Prices Steady In One-Day, One-Buyer Trading
Slaughter steers and heifers sold steady in Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma feedlot trading last week. Trade took place Thursday afternoon but was only moderate and only one packer bought the majority of the cattle.

Feeder Steers And Heifers Firm In Angelo Special Sale Monday
Steers and heifers were firm here Monday in the season's ninth and final special feeder sale at Producers Livestock Auction. Trading was termed active and demand good, the quality attractive, including several large bunches of fresh native cattle. Calves made up 70 percent of receipts, which totaled 1544 head compared to 1919 at the previous special sale last month and 1596 for the same day last year.

Angelo Feeder Lambs Lower, Cattle Steady
Feeder lambs sold $2-3 lower this week, slaughter lambs weak to $3 lower and slaughter ewes weak. Two day receipts totaled 13,348 head. Feeder steers and heifers sold steady last week, slaughter cows and bulls weak and stock cows and pairs steady. Two day receipts totaled 3516 head.

Domestic Wool Slow, Aussie Wools
Wool trading remains nearly at a standstill in most areas. Demand was light to very light in all areas. Producers have shown more interest in selling wool this month, but lower realizations have limited willingness to sell.

Kansas Direct Feeder Steers Termed Higher
Feeder steers sold steady to $3 higher in Kansas direct trade last week, heifers too few for a market test. The weather has been cool with little moisture in the western half of Kansas. Feedlots are in good shape in western Kansas. Sales were confirmed on 8968 head.

Camp Cooley Heifers Averaged $2629 Each
The Camp Cooley Ranch production sale here averaged $2629 on 113 Brangus heifers and $2608 on 142 Brangus spring bulls. Buyers were from 15 states and Mexico.

U.S. Meat Production 3.8% Below A Year
Total red meat production under federal inspection last week was estimated at 876.4 million pounds, 2.1 percent less than a week earlier and 3.8 percent less than a year ago. Cumulative meat production for the year to date was up two percent at 43.07 billion pounds.

Most Graham Feeder Cattle Prices Steady
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady, some steers weighing more than 600 pounds $1 higher, slaughter cows $1-2 higher, bulls steady, bred stock cows $10-20 higher, pairs steady. Receipts totaled 1471 head.

Hill Country Brangus Bulls Average $2018
A total of 72 registered Brangus bulls at the Hill Country Brangus sale averaged $2018 per head.

Lampasas Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold $1-2 higher, slaughter cows steady, bulls $1-2 lower. Receipts totaled 1847 head.

San Saba, Brownwood, Mason Feeders Higher
Feeder steers sold steady to $1 higher last week in Mason, Brownwood and San Saba, heifers steady to $4 higher, slaughter cows and bulls steady, pairs and bred stock cows steady. Receipts totaled 3992 head at the three sales.

Most Abilene Cattle Prices Termed
Feeder steers sold $1-3 higher, heifers steady to $1 higher, slaughter cows $1 higher, bulls steady, stock cows $40-50 higher, pairs strong. Receipts totaled 1684 head.

Goldthwaite Market Has Firm Undertone
No trend comparisons were available, however a firm market undertone was noted. Receipts totaled 5500 head.

Most Llano Cattle Prices Sell Higher
On the final sale of the year, feeder steers and heifers sold $2-5 higher, slaughter cows $4-6 higher and bulls steady. Receipts totaled 345 head.

Milano Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $1 higher, instances $2 higher, slaughter cows and bulls steady. Receipts totaled 804 head.

Colorado City Feeder Cattle Prices Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold mostly steady to $1 higher, slaughter cows $1-3 higher, bulls steady. Receipts totaled 858 head.

Junction Feeder Lambs Steady, Fats Higher
Feeder lambs sold steady, slaughter lambs mostly $2 higher, slaughter ewes and bucks steady; Spanish slaughter kids steady, slaughter muttons and stock nannies $1 higher; Angora goats steady. Receipts totaled 4512 head.

Fredericksburg Feeder Cattle Prices Strong
Feeder steers and heifers sold strong, slaughter cows and bulls $1 higher. Receipts totaled 2476 head.

Most Cuero Cattle Prices Called Strong
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to strong, stock cows strong. Receipts totaled 2481 head.

Letters To The Editor

Loose Ends

Coming Up...
December 16 — The Last Issue of Livestock Weekly For 1999. December 17 — Superior Livestock Auction’s Video Sale, Fort Worth, Texas. December 18 — Horse Sale, Rhodes Horse Sale, Lampasas, Texas.