Live cattle futures are trading with Thursday midday losses of 42 cents to $1.15. Cash trade has been limited so far, with last week at $260 to $265 across the country. The Wednesday Fed Cattle Exchange online auction showed no sales on the 1,008 head offered, with bids of $253-255. Feeder cattle futures are 12 to 40 cents lower on the day. The CME Feeder Cattle Index was down $4.23 on May 25 to $367.26.
Wholesale Boxed Beef prices were lower in the Thursday AM report, with the Chc/Sel spread at $5.16. Choice boxes were down $2.23 to $392.49, while Select was $1.96 lower at $387.33. USDA estimated federally inspected cattle slaughter for Wednesday at 110,000 head, with the weekly total at 222,000 head. That was down 20,284 head from the same post-Memorial Day week last year.