Last week’s 5-Area Weighted Fed Cattle live price was $122.71, with Dressed cattle at $196. The average steer dressed weight is running874 lbs.  

Prices were up slightly from last week with USDA Choice beef trading at $182.83, up $0.56 from the week prior.  USDA Select beef traded at $180.71, up $0.64.  The Choice/Select spread was $2.12. Beef exports totaled 2.45 billion pounds in 2012, with imports totaling 2.22 billion pounds.  Exports were down 11.9% from 2011, but still reached the 4th highest export volume in history.  Imports were 7.9% higher than 2011.  The top seven countries for US Beef export were Canada, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Hong Kong, Russia, and Vietnam.  Most of the beef imported into the US came from Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.  Beef exports amounted to 9.42% of US beef production and imports were 8.53% of US production.  Value of beef exports reached a record of $4.8 billion.  Average export value per head slaughtered equaled $142.56 in retail beef value and $20.85 in byproduct value, for a total of $163.41.

Cattle traded lower last week.  Feeders sold steady to $6 lower, while stockers and calves were $5 to $15 lower.  Slaughter cows and bulls were $2 to $4 lower at $167.49. 

Feeder cattle prices at this week’s Oklahoma City auction were steady to $6 lower than last week. Their price ranges for medium and large frame #1 steers were: 450-500# $177-$185, 500-550# $173-$186, 550-600# $161-$173, 600-650# $154-$166, 650-700# $137.50-$154, 700-750# $143-$146, 750-800# $137-$143, 800-900# $133-$139.25, and 900-1000# $128-$135.50/cwt.Cattle feeding margins decreased $53 per head with average losses now at $131.14 per head.  A year ago, fed cattle sold for $129.06 with profits of $73.28 per head.   

Average Packer margin improved $6 per head last week with packers losing an average of $92.87 per head.

The USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS) in Lincoln, NE hasbeen studying microbes that exist in the manure of cattle.  Their studies found that beef cattle can have different bacteria in their manure, from the gastrointestinal tract, compared to dairy cattle.  The study also revealed that different animals can have diverse bacteria even though they consume the same diet and are the same age, sex and breed.  Another study looked at the effect of livestock diet on pathogen transport in field runoff from soils where manure had been applied. Manure was added to both conventional-till and no-till fields.   After simulated rain events, samples were collected analyzed. Results show that cattle diet and tillage practice did not affect transport of fecal bacteria. However, the diet did affect transport of bacteriophages (viruses that invade bacteria).  The research team did note that there were higher levels of total phosphorus and dissolved phosphorus in fields that had been treated with manure for 4 years vs. those that had manure applied for only 1 or 2 years.  

Chipotle Mexican Grill has dumped their “naturally raised” meat marketing claim stating that too many competitors are now making the same claims.  Restaurant executives stated that the USDA standards for “Naturally Raised” meats were inadequate.  For a number of years, Chipotle advertised that they were the largest seller of “naturally raised” meats, but that will no longer be the case.  Chipotle has 1400 units.  

The total number of US Farms and farm acreage in the US has continued to decline.  However, larger operations grew in both number and acreage.  The total number of beef cattle operations declined by 1% to 729,000.  The only size group that did not show a decline in numbers were the largest beef cattle operations, those with 5,000 head or more.  Beef cow operations with 1,000 or more cows account for just 7.7% of total beef cow inventory.  Farms with 1-49 head account for 27.7%, 50-99 cows account for 34%, 100-499 cows account for 38.4%, and 500-999 cows account for 9% of total beef cow inventory.  The size of the average farm in the US stands at 421 acres, up one acre from the year prior.  Total number of farms in the US stands at 2,170,000 with a total acreage of 914,000,000.   View the full Farms, Land in Farms and Livestock Operations report online from USDA. 

Here are some Fun Facts about beef.  First, from every 1300 pound steer, you can expect to get 642 pounds of retail beef cuts, 30 pounds of variety meats, 462 pounds of hide, hair, bones, hooves, inedible glands, and organs.  In addition, you get 165 pounds of fat, bones, and waste.  Without the monetary value of the by-products from beef, the retail price of beef cuts in the grocery store would be significantly higher.  Beef by-products are used in the manufacture of ceramics, crayons, candles, creams, lotions, deodorants, detergents, pet food, gelatin, insulation, linoleum, paper, shaving cream, soaps, textiles, wallpaper, cosmetics and a host of other items.  Additionally, antifreeze, asphalt, lubricants, outboard engine oils, some greases and brake fluids have their origins in beef fats and proteins.  Beef by-products are also very important in the medical field.  

Below are some examples of how beef by-products are used to enhance life for humans: