> the courts threw out a consent decree going back to the 1920s that blocked packers from engaging in a variety of anti-competitive practices, such as owning their own feed lots.<p>Interesting. I've spoken to the owner of a small slaughterhouse (last year), and they were looking for others to run <i>more</i> feedlot for them then; being firmly of the opinion they couldn't legally do it themselves. I wonder if the rules apply more to smaller places.