**Live Cattle and Feeder Cattle Market Summary**
Live cattle futures rose sharply on Friday, with gains between 77 cents and $1.72; April contracts increased by $3.15 over the week, closing at $234.050. Cash trade findings showed sales settling at $235-236 in the North and $235 in the South. The Fed Cattle Exchange saw 38 head sell at $370 dressed, with other bids ranging from $233-235. Feeder cattle futures also rallied, closing at $357.750, up $2.475, with March futures gaining $8.27 for the week.
Cattle on Feed data for February indicated a year-over-year increase, with 1.611 million head placed in lots over 1,000 head, a 3.67% rise. Marketings totaled 1.522 million head, down 7.8% compared to last year, resulting in a March 1 on-feed inventory of 11.549 million head—a slight 0.24% decrease year-over-year. The USDA reported federally inspected cattle slaughter at 508,000 for the week, down 17,000 from the previous week and 49,527 head below the same week last year.
