Following the holiday weekend, hide trading was minimal with the exception of a $1 drop on packer Branded Steer and an increase of $3.50 on Heavy Texas Steer hides, but for small volume. Sellers reported downward price pressure on Branded Steers and Colorado Branded Steers due to the slowdown in footwear tanning and the approaching Lunar New Year holidays. Many buyers are quiet as they do not have urgency to buy and are waiting on previously purchased material that has been delayed in shipment.

For the week ending January 22^nd, 2022, cattle slaughter is forecast at 630,000 head, a 4.9 percent decline from 2021, a 1.9 percent gain from the previous week and a 2.2 percent drop from 2020. According to the USDA Actual Slaughter Under Federal Inspection for January 1^st, average live weights are currently at 1,404 pounds, 11 pounds up from the start of December and 7 pounds higher than the respective period for 2021.

Over the next six weeks, cattle…