Live cattle futures are up 60 cents to $1.72 at midday. Early cash trade has been reported at $348-355 dressed in the North, with $222-223 live sales. The Friday Fed Cattle Exchange online auction showed no sales on the 1,696 head offered with bids reported at $220. Feeder cattle futures are trading with $3.55 to $4.35 gains so far on the session. The CME Feeder Cattle Index was up 9 cents on September 23 to $337.07.
Wholesale Boxed Beef prices were lower in the Friday AM report, with the Chc/Sel at $22.84. Choice boxes were up $1.97 at $378.09, with Select $3.15 higher to $355.25. USDA estimated Federally inspected cattle slaughter for Thursday at 90,000 head and taking the week to date total at 389,000 head. That is 31,000 head below last week and 77,607 head below the same week last year.