NATIONAL FEEDER

AND STOCKER CATTLE

(Federal-State Market News)

St. Joseph, Mo.

Dec. 26

RECEIPTS

This Week Last Week Last Year

140,700 274,500 N/A

NOTE: The next report will be Jan. 8.

Compared to last week, a light test of steers and heifers sold 4.00 to 10.00 higher. A much lighter offering as many auction markets did not host a sale because of the Christmas holiday and this coming week will be much in the same.

Good to very good demand for calves and limited number of yearlings. Order buyers take this coming week off and enjoy life a little without having to worry about getting their loads squared up.

Some cattle have been running out in cornstalks or large trap pastures in the Northern Plains and are light to medium fleshed with others in background lots getting pushed and with the warm weather put on extra pounds of fat and sold with a discount. Buyers continued to look for cattle that had been preconditioned in the fall and most look for cattle vaccinated with a modified live vaccine.

The calendar has now turned to winter and it has come in with a bang. Weather across the North Plains this past weekend left a considerable amount of snow in its wake along with temps that will chill you to the bone.

On light trading, negotiated cash fed cattle trade, live sales in the Southern Plains were reported steady to 1.00 higher at 170.00 to 171.00. In Nebraska, live sales sold 2.00 higher at 170.00 to 172.00, while the dressed sales sold 3.00 higher at 270.00 to 271.00.

Choice boxed beef closed the week 1.29 higher at 292.93 while Select was 0.33 higher at 261.15 for the same period. Weekly cattle slaughter under federal inspection estimated at 621K, 28K less than last week and 69K more than a year ago.

The auction receipts on this report are nearly 500K less than the previous five-year average, alluding that the smaller cow herd has not been rebuilding yet at this point in time.

Auction volume this week included 50 percent weighing over 600 lbs and 42 percent heifers.

Northwest Weighted Average Direct Feeder Cattle

Weekly Summary WA-OR-ID-UT

Dec. 22

This Week Last Week Last Year

315 1135 1810

NOTE: The next report will be on Jan. 5.

Compared to last week: No comparable trades to test trends. Demand good for feeder cattle but numbers limited going into the holidays. Supply included 100% Feeder Cattle (41.3% Steers, 58.7% Heifers). Feeder cattle supply over 600 lbs was 100%. Unless otherwise noted, Feeder Cattle prices FOB based on net weights after a 2-3% shrink or equivalent, with a 4-8 cent slide >600 lbs. Livestock reported this week originated from ID, OR.

Steers — Medium and Large 1

65 head: 820 lbs, 205.00 Current DEL

65 head: 850 lbs, 200.00 Current DEL

Heifers — Medium and Large 1

65 head: 760 lbs, 198.00 Current DEL

120 head: 925 lbs, 188.00 Current DEL