Stocker/feeder records continue to fall

click image to zoom Despite mid-month weakness in stocker/feeder markets, monthly averages reached new record highs in Drovers/CattleNetwork’s 50-market auction summary. A spring green-up that was 10 to 14 days ahead of schedule fueled demand that pushed average prices $3 to $12 higher during March. Steer calves weighing 400 to 500 pounds saw average bids of $199.16 per hundredweight, $12.69 higher than February. Yearling steers weighing 600 to 700 pounds increased $4 per hundredweight to average $160.35. Heifer calves sold for an average of $171.05 per hundredweight, a gain of $5.04. Yearling heifers weighing more than 600 pounds saw average bids of $141.63 per hundredweight, an increase of $3.29. Prices for all classes of cattle are up 20 percent over last year.

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