Cash fed cattle traded $1 to $2 higher the first week of May. Trade in the North was light at $186 per cwt. live and $295 per cwt. dressed, steady money live and $1 higher dressed. Cattle in the South sold at $184 live which is $2 higher than the previous week.
Feeder cattle sold $2 lower to $5 higher and calves traded mostly $1 to $6 higher. Market cows traded $4 lower to $3 higher.
Cattle futures moved mostly higher Friday, while feeders were mixed. June live cattle skidded 12.5 cents to $176.675, which represented a $1.90 drop from last Friday. May feeder futures slid 30 cents to $243.30, marking a weekly decline of $5.40.
Wholesale beef prices traded lower for the week. Choice boxed beef closed Friday at $294.20 per cwt., down $2.94 for the week. Select boxed beef closed Friday at $287.65 per cwt., down $1.07 for the week. Traders expect a steady to higher demand with warmer weather and grilling season underway.
Weekly estimated cattle slaughter was 619,000 head, down about 2,000 head from the same week last year. The year-to-date total was estimated at 10.768 million head, down 4.5% from last year.
