Direct cash cattle trade activity is quiet following two days of scattered, light business.  Live deals in the South have ranged from $173 to mostly $175, about $2 below the previous week’s business.  The North has remained quiet.  Bids and asking prices haven’t surfaced yet today.  More trade is expected to pick up before the end of the week. 

Boxed beef is lower at midday on light demand for solid offerings.  Choice is $.21 lower at $297.96 and Select is $1.74 lower at $264.61.  The Choice/Select spread is $33.35. 

At the Philip Livestock Auction in South Dakota, feeder steers 450 to 500 pounds were $10 to $12 lower.  Steers 550 to 600 pounds were $6 to $8 lower.  Steers 600 to 650 pounds were $10 to $12 lower.  Steers 700 to 750 pounds were $10 lower.  Feeder heifers 400 to 450 pounds were $9 lower, heifers 450 to 500 pounds were $8 lower, heifers 500 to 550 pounds were $6 lower, heifers 550 to 600 pounds were $8 to $10 lower, while heifers 600 to 650 pounds were $5 higher.  The USDA says demand was light for several load lots and packages of feeder steers and heifers, all of which sold on a slow to moderate market.  Receipts were down significantly from two weeks ago and on the year.  Feeder supply included 57% steers and 29% of the offering was over 600 pounds.  Medium and Large 1 feeder steers 468 to 494 pounds brought $289 to $310.50 and feeder steers 583 to 588 pounds brought $269 to $274.75.  Medium and Large 1 feeder heifers 544 to 549 pounds brought $244.50 to $254 and feeder heifers 625 to 628 pounds brought $250 to $252.

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