Grain and soybean futures prices were mixed in volatile early trading today on the Chicago Board of Trade. All the markets opened lower, but then soybeans moved sharply lower while wheat turned higher. ``It's a bloodbath here this morning'' in the soybean pit, said Victor Lespinasse, a trader with Dean Witter Reynolds Inc. in Chicago. Soybeans for delivery in November fell 10 cents a bushel in the first half-hour of trading. ``The market opened weaker than expected, then sold off sharply,'' Lespinasse said. ``There's just a bearish mentality that started after the bulls were unable to rally the market.'' Some blamed the early soybean sell-off on disappointment over the slow pace of grain sales for export. The Soviet Union bought a large amount of U.S. soybeans and soybean meal last week, but the Agriculture Department has not confirmed rumors of further large Soviet purchases. In early trading, wheat was \ cent to 1{ cents higher with the contract for delivery in December at $4.16{ a bushel; corn was 1\ cents to 2\ cents lower with December at $2.75} a bushel; oats were 2{ cents lower to 2\ cents higher with December at $2.14{ a bushel; soybeans were 2} cents to 11 cents lower with November at $7.82 a bushel. Livestock and meat futures were mixed in early trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Live cattle were .23 cent lower to .08 cent higher with December at 73.52 cents a pound; feeder cattle were unchanged to .10 cent higher with November at 81.60 cents a pound; live hogs were .10 cent lower to .40 cent higher with December at 41.67 cents a pound; frozen pork bellies were .05 cent to .45 cent higher with February at 46.60 cents a pound. Livestock and meat futures settled higher on Friday.
