Cattle slaughter finished last week at 638,000 head, down 3.17 percent from a year ago and down 0.78 percent relative to the year prior. Cattle slaughter is forecast lower over the next six weeks at an average of 643,300 head, down 0.8 percent from 2019 levels and 0.7 percent from the prior six weeks. The Thanksgiving holiday week represents a big drop, falling to a projected 575,000 head. The reduced production and continued favorable pricing relative to…