Cattle futures higher to end the holiday-shortened week

At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live and feeder cattle were higher, watching the cash market. August live cattle closed $1.60 higher at $214.05 and October live cattle closed $1.20 higher at $210.90. August feeder cattle closed $.47 higher at $309.50 and September feeder cattle closed $.50 higher at $309.37.

Direct cash cattle trade activity was relatively quiet on Thursday. Deals for the week were at $368 to $370 dressed in the North, which was steady to $2 lower than the prior week’s weighted averages. Southern live deals were marked at $222 to $224, steady to $2 lower than the previous week’s business.

At the Green City Livestock Auction in Missouri, the offering was mostly smaller-sized strings of home-raised calves, most of which were weaned. The USDA says there were several consignments in pretty thin condition. The market was active and buyers bid up. Receipts were down from lats year. Feeder supply included 58 percent steers and 45 percent of the offering weighed more than 600 pounds. Medium and Large 1 feeder steers 509 to 548 pounds brought $417.50 to $436 and feeder steers 705 to 740 pounds brought $347 to $369. Medium and Large 1 feeder heifers 561 to 597 pounds brought $363 to $383 and feeder heifers 653 to 699 pounds brought $334.50 to $354.50.

Boxed beef closed sharply lower and lower with light demand for moderate offerings. Choice was $5.11 lower at $389.75 and Select was $1.87 lower at $378.44. The Choice/Select spread is $11.31.