Cattle Market Pulse

Cattlemen's Livestock Auction Market Report

Belen, New Mexico · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, April 30, 2021

858 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $132.83/cwt -13.97 vs last sale · ≈ $832/hd at 626 lb · 23 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $149.57/cwt -10.16 vs last sale · ≈ $787/hd at 526 lb · 20 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 steers $162.57/cwt -12.54 vs last sale · ≈ $691/hd at 425 lb · 16 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 858 896 0
Feeder cattle 502 593 0
Slaughter cattle 216 184 0
Replacement cattle 140 119 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, steer and heifer calves sold sharply lower on a very limited test. Feeder steer and heifers were not well tested. Trade slow to moderate, demand low to moderated. Quality plain to average. Slaughter cows and bulls traded steady.

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
195 195 2 180.00 $180.00 $351 -5.00
241–245 242 4 140.00–153.00 $149.71 $362 —
275–280 278 3 135.00–143.00 $140.37 $390 —
335–346 344 10 145.00–158.00 $155.81 $536 -5.26
365–370 368 2 156.00–157.00 $156.50 $576 -3.66
400–440 414 16 148.00–159.00 $154.46 $639 -4.19
460–493 480 15 146.00–157.00 $152.41 $732 -3.67
500–545 526 20 141.00–154.00 $149.57 $787 -10.16
560–585 568 4 141.00–148.00 $145.51 $826 -5.66
600–640 626 23 124.00–138.00 $132.83 $832 -13.97
662 662 5 129.00 $129.00 $854 -6.61
700–715 708 2 129.00–133.00 $131.02 $928 +9.85
785 785 1 116.00 $116.00 $911 +1.00
845 845 1 119.00 $119.00 $1,006 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265–295 283 4 165.00–170.00 $168.19 $476 —
300–345 323 6 160.00–170.00 $166.56 $538 -14.57
350–388 380 7 164.00–169.00 $167.20 $635 -14.04
415–445 425 16 160.00–166.00 $162.57 $691 -11.23
450–490 474 5 159.00–161.00 $159.76 $757 -9.67
515–525 518 5 156.00–158.00 $157.00 $813 —
557 557 6 152.00 $152.00 $847 —
605–630 625 15 141.50–144.00 $141.76 $886 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–344 327 2 133.00–145.00 $139.31 $456 +2.31
360–385 368 3 129.00–140.00 $135.76 $500 -4.16
425–440 428 6 135.00–140.00 $137.16 $587 -6.21
455–475 465 2 130.00–140.00 $135.11 $628 +3.41
540–545 543 2 126.00–135.00 $130.52 $709 -10.14
575–595 589 6 130.00–138.00 $132.68 $781 -8.62
600–620 612 4 115.00–120.00 $117.00 $716 -10.13
660–695 678 2 118.00–130.00 $123.85 $840 —
700–715 706 4 115.00–119.00 $117.50 $830 —
825–845 835 2 113.00–114.00 $113.49 $948 -1.18
Small 4 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
318–325 320 4 150.00–250.00 $175.41 —
410 410 1 310.00 $310.00 —
475 475 1 330.00 $330.00 —
525–540 533 2 250.00–320.00 $285.49 —
555 555 1 275.00 $275.00 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 2 157.50 $157.50 $315 —
325–330 328 3 136.00–142.50 $138.81 $455 -11.34
350–390 380 6 139.00–148.00 $143.68 $546 -3.25
403–448 427 12 135.00–145.00 $141.61 $605 -3.33
450–490 478 9 134.00–145.00 $140.53 $672 +0.20
513–535 529 7 132.00–141.00 $136.89 $724 -5.10
550–590 574 4 129.00–140.00 $133.84 $768 -4.13
635–648 647 12 126.00–134.00 $126.65 $819 —
720 720 1 129.00 $129.00 $929 +11.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 2 125.00 $125.00 $275 —
350–375 365 4 120.00–130.00 $126.37 $461 —
415–445 425 4 125.00–135.00 $128.87 $548 +2.69
515–530 524 5 120.00–130.00 $122.95 $644 -1.78
560–598 578 10 120.00–127.00 $123.27 $713 +0.34
600–645 624 11 106.00–120.00 $109.08 $681 -13.92
655–698 691 6 118.00–119.00 $118.16 $816 —
700–722 717 5 104.00–110.00 $107.41 $770 —
760–785 777 3 108.00–112.00 $109.30 $849 —
830 830 2 103.00 $103.00 $855 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280–290 285 2 160.00–161.00 $160.51 $457 -5.42
300 300 2 162.00 $162.00 $486 +3.87
488 488 10 148.00 $148.00 $722 -2.85
502–510 504 12 146.00–148.00 $147.49 $743 —
Small 4 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
183 183 2 160.00 $160.00 —
350 350 2 200.00 $200.00 —
418–430 422 3 250.00–310.00 $289.62 —
553 553 1 330.00 $330.00 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 255 2 142.50 $142.50 $363 —
330 330 1 136.00 $136.00 $449 -15.00
395 395 1 120.00 $120.00 $474 —
430 430 1 130.00 $130.00 $559 —
510–540 525 2 123.00–130.00 $126.40 $664 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
645–990 819 85-90% 7 20.00–32.00 $26.82 $220 -11.13
710–1160 864 85-90% 10 34.00–41.00 $37.82 $327 -4.62
750–1435 962 85-90% 32 44.00–53.00 $48.85 $470 -8.49
840–1440 1016 85-90% 36 53.50–60.00 $55.85 $567 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
760 760 80-85% 1 69.00 $69.00 $524 —
920–1175 995 80-85% 5 60.50–61.50 $61.16 $609 —
785–1335 1130 80-85% 21 62.50–68.00 $65.65 $742 —
1095–1305 1190 80-85% 7 68.50–71.00 $69.08 $822 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
643–930 764 6 45.00–80.00 $60.17 $460 —
895–1245 1034 4 83.00–98.00 $90.32 $934 —
1050–1125 1088 4 54.00–60.00 $57.71 $628 —
1000–1625 1259 31 69.00–82.00 $75.43 $950 -0.03
1080–2060 1651 15 84.00–92.00 $86.26 $1,424 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
785–910 846 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 12 700.00–870.00 $790.00
925–1160 1004 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 15 700.00–890.00 $827.33
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
590–700 655 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 4 600.00–660.00 $627.50
740 740 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 1 500.00 $500.00
935 935 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 675.00 $675.00
Small 4 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
635 635 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 400.00 $400.00

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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
730–1200 998 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 8 810.00–1,150.00 $955.63 —
1003 1003 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 8 1,050.00 $1,050.00 —
1008 1008 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 8 635.00 $635.00 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
605–855 704 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 4 535.00–800.00 $723.75 +57.08
835 835 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 500.00 $500.00 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1030–1180 1098 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 4 1,200.00–1,290.00 $1,260.00 —

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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.