Cattle Market Pulse

Cattlemen's Livestock Auction Market Report

Belen, New Mexico · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, May 28, 2021

820 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 4-weight M&L 1 steers $166.10/cwt -6.58 vs last sale · ≈ $698/hd at 420 lb · 18 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $133.71/cwt -4.12 vs last sale · ≈ $690/hd at 516 lb · 15 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $148.64/cwt -0.15 vs last sale · ≈ $779/hd at 524 lb · 15 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 820 906 0
Feeder cattle 456 509 0
Slaughter cattle 240 262 0
Replacement cattle 124 135 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, steer and heifer calves 3.00-4.00 higher. Feeder steer and heifers mostly steady. Trade active demand good. Slaughter cows 2.00-3.00 higher, bulls 1.00-2.00 higher. Trade and demand 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
260 thin fleshed 260 2 190.00 $190.00 $494 —
265–280 275 4 160.00–186.00 $173.78 $478 +6.25
310–315 313 3 170.00–185.00 $175.70 $550 +8.62
355–395 375 14 162.00–176.00 $168.85 $633 +0.39
415 fancy 415 2 181.00 $181.00 $751 ±0.00
400–435 420 14 160.00–171.00 $166.27 $698 -0.01
425 425 2 150.00 $150.00 $638 -16.28
465–490 477 10 157.00–170.00 $162.66 $776 +2.01
500–545 525 4 162.00–165.00 $163.52 $858 +8.07
552–595 564 12 151.00–159.00 $158.09 $892 -11.34
650–675 667 3 142.50–149.00 $146.89 $980 -8.62
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 2 150.00 $150.00 $510 -3.57
375 375 2 156.00–160.00 $158.00 $592 ±0.00
400–445 424 5 156.00–162.00 $158.75 $673 +10.05
465–498 474 12 146.00–161.00 $151.77 $719 -0.17
505–540 524 15 141.00–155.00 $148.64 $779 -0.15
550–590 573 4 140.00–151.00 $145.72 $835 -0.95
610–635 627 9 134.00–141.00 $138.60 $869 -0.59
665–698 683 8 127.00–138.00 $132.10 $902 +2.10
710–740 722 3 125.00–130.00 $128.29 $926 —
755–758 758 9 135.00–136.00 $135.89 $1,030 +12.89
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 1 121.00 $121.00 $266 —
325 325 1 115.00 $115.00 $374 —
375 375 1 140.00 $140.00 $525 —
430–440 435 2 110.00–140.00 $125.17 $544 +15.17
450–490 470 2 137.00–142.00 $139.61 $656 +14.01
525–535 530 2 123.00–130.00 $126.47 $670 -8.53
560–565 563 2 120.00–134.00 $126.97 $715 +2.94
625–645 637 3 120.00–125.00 $123.31 $785 -4.08
700–740 728 4 106.00–116.00 $111.19 $809 —
770–795 783 2 100.00–107.00 $103.56 $811 —
930–940 935 2 108.00 $108.00 $1,010 —
Small 4 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
350–360 355 4 270.00–300.00 $284.79 —
500–513 510 6 130.00–250.00 $213.68 +28.68
590 590 1 230.00 $230.00 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 2 169.00 $169.00 $397 +2.00
315 thin fleshed 315 2 160.00 $160.00 $504 —
305–345 327 6 150.00–158.00 $155.77 $509 +5.09
375–390 384 5 153.00–154.00 $153.60 $590 +4.91
385 385 2 151.00 $151.00 $581 +2.31
412–420 fancy 413 6 157.00–159.00 $158.66 $655 —
403–448 422 8 150.00–155.00 $152.93 $645 +6.96
450–495 465 13 140.00–157.00 $150.19 $698 +1.72
505–523 521 9 145.00–146.00 $145.89 $760 -1.22
550–590 569 4 141.00–147.00 $143.04 $814 -3.74
648 648 6 126.50 $126.50 $820 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390–397 395 4 137.00–143.00 $138.48 $547 -3.05
410–445 425 3 130.00–144.00 $138.18 $587 +2.01
465 465 2 125.00 $125.00 $581 -8.45
450–497 484 12 132.00–145.00 $136.70 $662 +3.25
500–535 516 15 130.00–138.00 $133.71 $690 -4.12
550–595 570 9 125.00–138.00 $132.63 $756 -1.21
600–635 615 7 124.00–135.00 $128.31 $789 -9.89
690 690 2 132.00 $132.00 $911 +2.02
735–740 738 2 112.00–124.00 $117.98 $871 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 1 123.00 $123.00 $504 —
505–525 512 3 120.00 $120.00 $614 -9.57
570–585 580 3 123.00–128.00 $124.64 $723 +1.05
615–648 637 3 113.00–115.00 $113.64 $724 -0.37
655–690 674 4 110.00–124.00 $115.50 $778 +1.82
785 785 1 110.00 $110.00 $864 —
800 800 1 114.00 $114.00 $912 +9.00
850 850 2 105.00 $105.00 $892 —
Small 4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
542 542 11 40.00 $40.00 $217 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
90 90 1 210.00 $210.00 —
140 140 2 240.00 $240.00 —
170 170 3 210.00 $210.00 —
Small 4 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
412 412 3 250.00 $250.00 +10.00
475 475 1 260.00 $260.00 —
515 515 2 290.00 $290.00 +59.80
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
205 205 2 160.00 $160.00 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
145 145 1 200.00 $200.00 $290 —
160 160 2 250.00 $250.00 $400 —
500 500 1 154.00 $154.00 $770 +2.00
550 550 2 153.00 $153.00 $842 —
620–635 628 2 127.50–140.00 $133.82 $840 —
710–730 720 2 109.00–120.00 $114.58 $825 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 1 167.00 $167.00 $584 +3.00
489 489 4 162.00 $162.00 $792 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
115 115 1 175.00 $175.00 —
170–180 175 2 200.00–260.00 $230.86 —
220 220 1 200.00 $200.00 —
250 250 1 180.00 $180.00 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 1 116.00 $116.00 $551 —
700 700 1 110.00 $110.00 $770 —
925 925 1 94.00 $94.00 $870 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
695–1230 968 80-85% 8 61.00–62.00 $61.31 $593 —
535–1565 1039 80-85% 40 62.50–71.00 $67.14 $698 —
1045–1215 1125 80-85% 3 69.00–72.00 $70.71 $795 +1.44
975–1510 1268 80-85% 41 71.00–75.00 $74.52 $945 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
640 640 85-90% 1 57.00 $57.00 $365 —
565–780 673 85-90% 2 20.00–25.50 $22.31 $150 —
605–765 676 85-90% 4 30.00–40.50 $37.51 $254 —
695–1115 886 85-90% 34 41.00–52.50 $47.55 $421 —
685–1350 973 85-90% 39 53.00–60.00 $55.59 $541 +0.15
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1290 1290 75-80% 1 62.50 $62.50 $806 —
1445 1445 75-80% 1 71.00 $71.00 $1,026 ±0.00

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020 1020 1 63.00 $63.00 $643 —
945–1615 1349 13 65.00–80.00 $74.55 $1,006 —
1000–1865 1512 18 83.00–94.00 $88.83 $1,343 —
1575–1890 1762 7 94.00–102.00 $97.20 $1,713 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
590 590 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 450.00 $450.00
575–775 707 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 3 575.00–700.00 $625.00
930 930 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 1 550.00 $550.00
920–1150 1005 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 3 600.00–650.00 $616.67
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
815–1200 985 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 3 725.00–900.00 $800.00
1065 1065 Young (2-4 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 1 900.00 $900.00
1070–1210 1125 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 3 910.00–925.00 $918.33
Small 4 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
630 630 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 1 450.00 $450.00
705 705 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 450.00 $450.00

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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
800–1195 958 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 5 800.00–1,020.00 $881.00 —
660–1500 1007 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 5 900.00–1,000.00 $954.00 —
866–1175 1025 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 24 660.00–890.00 $715.42 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1095–1355 1225 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 1,125.00–1,425.00 $1,275.00 —
1285–1605 1445 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 1,400.00–1,475.00 $1,437.50 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
620 620 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 690.00 $690.00 —
810–1065 895 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 3 625.00–690.00 $668.33 —
Small 4 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
718 718 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 640.00 $640.00 —

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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.