Cattle sales volume high, prices uneven

Prices for cattle and calves was called “unevenly steady” throughout all regions this first full marketing week of the year, but sale volume was reported as the second largest in the last five years. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) reported a total of 499,700 stocker and feeder cattle sold through either auctions, video/internet or direct sales, second only to the 554,900 sold the week of July 17, 2015 over the past five years. AMS reported calves under 600 pounds sold from “steady to $4 per cwt higher to $4 per cwt lower, with some auctions reporting $6 to $10 higher.” Yearlings traded steady to $3 per cwt lower, with some at $6 lower. Direct trade was called steady to $4 higher. Read more at Drovers CattleNetwork…