Negotiated cash fed cattle trade was slow on light demand in all major cattle feeding regions through Thursday afternoon, according to the Agricultural Marketing Service. There were a few live trades in Nebraska, but too few to trend.
For the week so far, live trade in the Southern Plains is steady at $114/cwt. Dressed trade is steady to $2 higher at $180 in Nebraska and the western Corn Belt. Live trade in the latter two regions last week was at $112-$114.
Cattle futures closed narrowly mixed on Thursday.
Live Cattle futures closed an average of 52¢ higher, except for 80¢ lower in spot Feb.
Feeder Cattle futures closed an average of 20¢ lower, except for unchanged to an average of 9¢ higher in three contracts.
Choice boxed beef cutout value was 6¢ lower through Thursday afternoon at $232.96/cwt. Select was 67¢ lower at $220.29.
The average dressed steer weight the week ending Jan. 30 was 920 lbs., which was 6 lbs. lighter than the previous week but 23 lbs. heavier than the same week a year earlier, according to USDA’s Actual Slaughter Under Federal Inspection report. The average dressed heifer weight of 853 lbs. was 2 lbs. heavier than the prior week and 20 lbs. heavier than the previous year.
Grain futures recovered some gains from the previous session’s steep decline as markets continue carving out a trading range.
Corn futures closed 6¢ to 7¢ higher through the front three contracts, and then 1¢ to 4¢ higher.
Soybean futures closed 10¢ to 15¢ higher through Nov ‘21, and then mostly 3¢ to 5¢ higher.
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