LIVESTOCK-Cattle futures end mostly lower, pausing after contract highs

CHICAGO, April 7 (Reuters) - Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) live cattle futures closed mostly lower on Tuesday in a light technical correction a day after the most-active June LCM26 and August LCQ26 contracts set life-of-contract highs.

Still, expectations for continued strength in U.S. cash cattle markets this week underpinned futures, following sharply higher cash trades last week. Meat packers were aggressive buyers of slaughter-ready cattle last week as they prepared to ramp up beef production ahead of the Mother's Day and Memorial Day holidays, analysts said.

Benchmark CME June live cattle LCM26 settled down 1.225 cents on Tuesday at 245.800 cents per pound, a day after recording a contract high at 248.460 cents. The thinly traded April contract LCJ26 closed higher, reaching 249.0 cents before settling at 248.200 cents, up 0.175 cent on the day.

CME May feeder cattle futures FCK26 tumbled 3.725 cents to finish at 366.625 cents per pound.

Commodity funds hold sizable net long positions in CME live and feeder cattle futures, leaving those markets vulnerable to bouts of long liquidation.

Wholesale beef prices declined. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported choice beef cuts at $382.74 per hundredweight on Tuesday afternoon, down $5.30 from Monday.

CME lean hog futures ended mostly weaker. The benchmark June contract LHM26 settled down 0.650 cent at 107.050 cents per pound, hovering below chart resistance at its 50-day moving average near 107.800 cents.

The USDA quoted the wholesale pork carcass cutout at $97.82 per cwt late on Tuesday, down by $1.22 from Monday.