Cattle Market Pulse

Cattlemen's Livestock Auction Market Report

Belen, New Mexico · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, April 23, 2021

896 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $141.99/cwt +6.29 vs last sale · ≈ $738/hd at 520 lb · 32 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 steers $175.11/cwt +5.02 vs last sale · ≈ $755/hd at 431 lb · 31 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $156.06/cwt -4.57 vs last sale · ≈ $646/hd at 414 lb · 25 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 896 1,087 0
Feeder cattle 593 633 0
Slaughter cattle 184 282 0
Replacement cattle 119 172 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, steer and heifer calves mostly 1.00-2.00 higher. Feeder steer and heifers were also 1.00-2.00 higher on comparable sales. Trade was moderate demand good. Slaughter cows and bulls sold steady 4.00-5.00 higher.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
165 165 2 185.00 $185.00 $305 —
310 thin fleshed 310 3 175.00 $175.00 $542 —
300–340 323 14 161.00–162.00 $161.07 $520 -7.24
350–398 369 9 153.00–165.00 $160.16 $591 +0.17
370 thin fleshed 370 2 175.00 $175.00 $648 +6.00
413–445 431 8 153.00–161.00 $158.65 $684 -0.61
455–495 479 13 150.00–162.00 $156.08 $748 -0.06
500–535 523 23 146.00–167.00 $159.73 $835 +3.71
550–585 571 16 145.00–157.00 $151.17 $863 -1.32
600–635 622 11 137.00–152.00 $146.80 $913 +6.18
655–690 679 5 134.00–138.00 $135.61 $921 -1.10
705–745 725 2 115.00–127.00 $121.17 $878 -7.83
755 755 2 115.00 $115.00 $868 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 thin fleshed 220 2 210.00 $210.00 $462 —
215–235 228 3 187.50–190.00 $189.22 $431 -3.94
265–275 fancy 272 3 193.00–200.00 $197.72 $538 —
305–335 318 5 177.00–190.00 $181.13 $576 -2.34
360–399 374 20 176.00–183.00 $181.24 $678 +5.54
408–430 fancy 421 7 179.00–180.00 $179.58 $756 —
400–449 434 24 165.00–178.00 $173.80 $754 +3.71
450–455 fancy 452 3 178.00–180.00 $179.33 $811 —
450–485 465 20 164.00–177.00 $169.43 $788 +0.20
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
180 180 2 167.50 $167.50 $302 —
230 230 2 157.00 $157.00 $361 —
250 250 2 150.00 $150.00 $375 -2.69
340 340 1 137.00 $137.00 $466 —
370–385 378 2 136.00–144.00 $139.92 $529 +1.94
405–440 430 6 137.00–150.00 $143.37 $616 -1.62
470–485 475 3 130.00–135.00 $131.70 $626 -9.68
505–535 522 3 138.00–144.00 $140.66 $734 -4.34
565–590 580 3 140.00–144.00 $141.30 $820 +6.51
625–645 637 7 124.00–132.00 $127.13 $810 +0.34
805–840 818 3 113.00–116.00 $114.67 $938 +10.67

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–345 330 9 142.00–155.00 $150.15 $495 -2.30
355–395 376 8 140.00–154.00 $146.93 $552 -1.80
400–440 422 18 140.00–152.00 $144.94 $612 +1.17
455–490 475 9 132.00–144.00 $140.33 $667 +2.95
500–547 520 32 134.00–145.00 $141.99 $738 +6.29
555–590 569 4 135.00–142.00 $137.97 $785 +7.36
603–605 604 4 128.00–136.00 $130.00 $785 +4.40
665–675 670 2 125.00–127.00 $125.99 $844 +5.23
735 735 2 118.00 $118.00 $867 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
253–295 259 12 162.50–172.00 $165.93 $430 -1.12
300–345 321 4 155.00–163.00 $158.13 $508 -2.36
371–380 372 13 154.00–155.00 $154.92 $576 -5.26
400–432 414 25 155.00–160.00 $156.06 $646 -2.11
451–490 469 17 146.00–156.00 $150.85 $707 +3.11
555 555 2 146.00 $146.00 $810 —
605–607 607 6 143.00–152.00 $144.50 $877 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 130.00 $130.00 $448 +9.00
415–440 424 4 121.00–131.00 $126.18 $535 +3.03
450–485 468 5 122.00–130.00 $126.63 $593 +1.11
515–535 520 12 120.00–130.00 $124.73 $649 +3.65
550–595 568 17 118.00–126.00 $122.93 $698 +2.56
620 620 2 119.00–127.00 $123.00 $763 +9.14
855 855 1 107.00 $107.00 $915 —
945 945 1 108.00 $108.00 $1,021 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450 450 2 176.00 $176.00 $792 —
565 565 1 158.00 $158.00 $893 —
605 605 2 149.00 $149.00 $901 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 3 151.00 $151.00 $498 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
525–760 678 85-90% 4 56.00–74.00 $62.23 $422 —
650–1005 778 85-90% 5 26.00–32.00 $29.79 $232 —
660–1075 836 85-90% 14 34.00–42.00 $37.95 $317 -0.08
860–930 895 85-90% 2 41.00–44.00 $42.44 $380 —
665–1315 933 85-90% 33 42.00–53.00 $46.73 $436 -0.97
710–1530 959 85-90% 25 53.50–60.00 $57.34 $550 +0.99
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
955–1090 1023 80-85% 2 60.00–62.00 $60.93 $623 —
860–1265 1046 80-85% 13 63.00–67.50 $65.56 $686 —
1030–1440 1204 80-85% 22 68.00–74.25 $70.21 $845 —
945–1785 1328 80-85% 11 61.00–74.50 $68.53 $910 -4.53
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1555–1830 1712 75-80% 3 63.50–73.00 $69.58 $1,191 —
1640–1840 1740 75-80% 2 62.50–67.00 $64.62 $1,124 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
680–1455 974 4 72.50–86.00 $81.40 $793 +14.99
1095–1110 1103 2 39.00–60.00 $49.57 $547 —
955–1695 1255 13 65.00–81.50 $75.46 $947 —
1190–2225 1613 28 85.00–95.50 $89.84 $1,449 —
1720 1720 1 73.00 $73.00 $1,256 -14.99

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
865 865 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 860.00 $860.00
740–965 878 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 6 725.00–850.00 $801.67
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
835–920 878 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 2 590.00–650.00 $620.00
830–1160 942 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 3 600.00–625.00 $616.67
Small 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
585–815 682 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 5 325.00–500.00 $410.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1210 1210 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 975.00 $975.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
645–895 735 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 600.00–750.00 $666.67 —
1009 1009 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 14 490.00 $490.00 —
Small 4 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
759 759 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 7 500.00 $500.00 +150.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1060–1110 1085 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 860.00–925.00 $892.50 —
905–1420 1158 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 4 1,000.00–1,150.00 $1,063.75 +69.31
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1145 1145 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,225.00 $1,225.00 —
1180 1180 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,250.00 $1,250.00 —

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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.