The feeder cattle receipts totaled 10,700 head at the test auctions compared to 15,000 last year and 20,000 heat at the last good test prior to Christmas. Prices are improving on the heels of last week’s higher fed cattle prices. The feeder cattle prices were a couple dollars higher and the calf prices improved more as stocker operators start to put calves together for later spring grazing.

Slaughter cow receipts were only 2,000 head at the test auctions which is a typical holiday week with many auctions still shut down. The bulk of the prices were steady to a couple of dollars higher, but an auction that was in an area where packers were really short numbers had many cows over 60, but mostly higher yielding type of cows.