Cattle Market Pulse

Cattlemen's Livestock Auction Market Report

Belen, New Mexico · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, December 4, 2020

1,436 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Cattlemen's Livestock Auction report →

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $150.73/cwt +6.88 vs last sale · ≈ $775/hd at 514 lb · 59 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers $151.30/cwt +2.42 vs last sale · ≈ $645/hd at 426 lb · 43 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $139.69/cwt +15.05 vs last sale · ≈ $806/hd at 577 lb · 37 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,436 2,176 0
Feeder cattle 1,007 1,707 0
Slaughter cattle 255 302 0
Replacement cattle 174 167 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Steer and heifer calves and feeders mostly 2.00 lower on comparable quotes. Slaughter cows 1.00-2.00 higher, bulls steady. Trade moderate to active, demand moderate to good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
298 298 2 157.00 $157.00 $468 -13.00
383 383 2 135.00 $135.00 $517 —
465 value added 465 3 160.00 $160.00 $744 —
513 value added 513 54 153.00 $153.00 $785 +2.50
528–530 529 5 125.00–127.00 $126.20 $668 -15.83
563 563 2 117.00 $117.00 $659 -13.97
569 value added 569 10 140.00 $140.00 $797 —
610–619 617 5 130.50–138.00 $131.98 $814 —
608–637 625 5 120.00 $120.00 $750 —
660 660 2 136.00 $136.00 $898 +21.00
658–698 682 18 120.50–124.50 $122.17 $833 -1.83
712 712 5 114.00 $114.00 $812 +4.00
715–740 732 7 121.00–126.00 $124.10 $908 +14.10
755–790 773 2 121.00–127.00 $124.07 $959 +10.96
813 813 4 123.25 $123.25 $1,002 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
347 347 6 140.00 $140.00 $486 —
352 value added 352 7 165.00 $165.00 $581 —
368 368 2 141.00 $141.00 $519 —
404 404 10 149.00 $149.00 $602 +0.12
433 value added 433 33 152.00 $152.00 $658 —
492 492 12 144.00 $144.00 $708 +5.50
558–579 577 37 136.00–140.00 $139.69 $806 +14.29
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500–548 524 4 125.00–135.00 $129.77 $680 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 255 1 151.00 $151.00 $385 +2.00
349 349 7 138.00 $138.00 $482 -11.00
369–385 372 13 134.00–146.50 $141.78 $527 -0.22
395 value added 395 23 140.50 $140.50 $555 —
400–415 413 6 130.00–143.00 $140.90 $582 -1.28
450 value added 450 1 141.00 $141.00 $634 -5.70
453–484 472 27 129.00–136.00 $132.79 $627 -1.27
473 473 2 120.00 $120.00 $568 -14.06
557 value added 557 22 130.50 $130.50 $727 —
568–589 583 7 115.00–126.00 $118.06 $688 -3.94
654–693 687 32 115.00–125.00 $116.49 $800 —
723 723 2 119.00 $119.00 $860 +9.13
774 774 5 112.50 $112.50 $871 —
804–838 834 32 106.50–112.00 $108.80 $907 —
860 860 1 113.00 $113.00 $972 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
433 433 2 118.00 $118.00 $511 —
468–471 471 35 130.00–138.00 $137.32 $647 —
533 533 2 122.00 $122.00 $650 -1.43
610–647 631 9 120.00–127.50 $124.98 $789 +20.98
728 728 6 116.50 $116.50 $848 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
328 328 2 132.00 $132.00 $433 +2.00
410 410 2 105.00 $105.00 $430 -1.00
479 479 4 117.50 $117.50 $563 +7.50
798 798 2 105.00 $105.00 $838 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
558 558 2 126.50 $126.50 $706 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
720–1015 961 85-90% 11 35.00–44.00 $41.41 $398 -1.42
860–1260 1047 85-90% 20 32.00–43.00 $39.89 $418 —
1055 1055 85-90% 1 20.00 $20.00 $211 —
875–1267 1086 85-90% 51 43.00–50.00 $46.50 $505 —
865–1415 1117 85-90% 3 45.00–50.00 $48.39 $541 +3.02
865–1405 1160 85-90% 3 52.50–55.00 $53.12 $616 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
820 820 80-85% 1 43.50 $43.50 $357 —
908–1431 1204 80-85% 39 46.75–53.50 $50.37 $606 +0.90
1250 1250 80-85% 1 52.00 $52.00 $650 —
1460 1460 80-85% 1 54.50 $54.50 $796 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1330–1665 1533 75-80% 3 50.50–54.00 $52.38 $803 —
1560–1620 1608 75-80% 5 55.00–55.25 $55.20 $888 +0.70

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1275–1390 1333 2 60.00–69.00 $64.31 $857 +1.57
1315–1690 1503 7 64.00–70.00 $67.83 $1,019 —
1395–2075 1713 11 71.00–80.00 $74.70 $1,280 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
910 910 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 55.00 $55.00 $500
815–1200 1029 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 4 51.00–66.00 $55.25 $569
1000–1200 1100 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 43.00–52.50 $47.75 $525
1050–1250 1119 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 13 47.50–57.00 $49.12 $550
950–1300 1133 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 12 47.00–59.00 $52.79 $598
1150–1200 1175 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 56.00–58.00 $57.00 $670
1350 1350 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 7 60.00 $60.00 $810
1300–1550 1370 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 5 49.50–52.50 $51.00 $699
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
950 950 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 900.00 $900.00
950 950 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 4 735.00 $735.00
910–1150 1030 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 6 750.00–810.00 $779.17
900–1400 1117 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 12 675.00–900.00 $773.75

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
700 700 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 43.00 $43.00 $301
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
700–850 775 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 600.00–675.00 $637.50

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
700 700 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 660.00 $660.00 —
1000 1000 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 730.00 $730.00 —
1000 1000 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 875.00–910.00 $892.50 —
1000–1150 1075 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 770.00–875.00 $822.50 —

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Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.