was down -0.54 to 73.42. I see the ZZZs are trading discount to the component by 8.99 being closed about a point from where it settled on Friday from a combination of higher ZZZs and a lower component.

The six-day moving average carcass weight was really strong this morning scooting up to 212.88# for a gain of nearly a pound. It is now only -2.10# below the same date last year. I don't think the high carcass weights suggest producers are behind in their shipments; rather I'm suspecting hogs are finishing very rapidly and that is what we expect this time of the year.

Packers seem to have adopted a strategy of killing a lot of hogs on Saturdays and that put the kill last week close to projected kill.

As I watch my screen this morning, I'm about to adopt a new trading strategy and it is really quite easy to implement - just do what Dewey does.

There does not seem to be much action in the spreads so far today. Volume WILL pick up one of these days.

Best wishes,

dhm