Market News

Midday cash livestock markets

Cattle trading and demand is light to moderate in Kansas on Thursday. USDA Mandatory is reporting lives sales are steady with last week at 133.00. DTN reports a few higher grade cattle have traded at 133.50. The North remains generally quiet, but trade volume is expected to improve today or tomorrow. Several packers are said to be short bought and will need to complete procurement needs.

Boxed beef cutout values are lower in the morning report. Choice beef 215.04, down 1.37, select 207.22, .21 lower.

Feeder cattle receipts at the St. Joseph, Missouri Regional Stockyards totaled 2231 head on Wednesday. Compared to last week steers and heifers sold 2.00 to 5.00 lower. All weights and classes of cattle opened the day sharply lower, but managed to regain some of the morning losses by mid sale. Mostly small consignments on offer this week with lots of un-weaned calves making their way to town. Feeder steers medium and large 1 weighing 729 pounds averaged 163.72 per hundredweight. 466 pound heifer calves at 175.02.

The Sioux Falls regional Stockyards at Worthing, South Dakota had receipts of 688 sheep on Wednesday. Compared to last week slaughter lambs sold lower, there were too few offered to make a complete comparison. Feeder lambs were too lightly tested recently to make any price comparison. There was moderate demand for the light offering of slaughter lambs, moderate to good for ewes, very good demand for feeder lambs. Slaughter lambs wooled and shorn choice and prime 2-3 weighing 131 pounds averaged 128.16 per hundredweight. Feeder lambs medium and large 1-2 weighing 83 pounds brought 191.00 per hundredweight.

At the Fort Atkinson, Iowa hay auction on Wednesday prices in general were $5.00 to 10.00 a ton higher continuing the recent trend. The quality has been getting better as the sellers are working through the poorer quality outside stored hay. Utility hay brought up to $70.00 a ton, fair from 60.00 to 90.00, good 85.00 to 135.00, and premium at 210.00 a ton.

Barrows and gilts in the Iowa/Minnesota direct trade are not reported due to confidentiality, the five day rolling average 63.27. Western hogs are 1.90 lower weighted average on a carcass basis 61.20, nationally the market is down 1.56 at 60.85. Missouri direct base carcass meat price is steady from 55.00 to 57.00. Midwest hogs on a live basis steady to 2.00 higher from 38.00 to 50.00.

The pork carcass cutout value is .11 lower at 77.77 FOB plant with only the loins higher.

The hog slaughter on Wednesday was lower than both last week, and one year ago. The JBS Beardstown, IL plant was dark for a computer update and responsible for part of the lower slaughter numbers.