Arkansas weekly cattle auction summary

The Arkansas weekly livestock auction summary indicated receipts of 8,432 head of cattle selling the week of Feb. 28 to March 5, compared to 4,449 head the previous reporting period, according to the USDA-Arkansas Department of Agriculture Market News, Little Rock, Arkansas.

The total for the most recent reporting period indicated receipts of 7,222 head of feeder cattle, 782 head of slaughter cattle and 428 head of replacement cattle, compared to the previous week’s total of 3,512 head of feeder cattle, 544 head of slaughter cattle and 393 head of replacement cattle. Compared to the previous close, the stocker cattle weighing under 600 pounds were mostly selling $5 to $8 higher with instances of $10 higher. The feeder cattle weighing over 600 pounds were lightly tested the previous week so comparisons were not applicable. The demand was moderate to good this past week on increased receipts with improved buyers interest. The slaughter cows and bulls were mostly steady. The supply included 86% feeder cattle with 46% steers, 41% were heifers and 13% were bulls; 9% was slaughter cattle with 81% cows and 19% were bulls; and 5% was replacement cattle with 13% stock cows, 50% were bred cows, 1% were bred heifers, 36% were cow-calf pairs and 1% were bulls. The feeder cattle supply weighing over 600 pounds was 30%.