Cattle Market Pulse

Cattlemen's Livestock Auction Market Report

Belen, New Mexico · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, August 20, 2021

490 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 3-weight M&L 1 steers $216.53/cwt +4.99 vs last sale · ≈ $684/hd at 316 lb · 16 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1 steers $208.15/cwt +14.35 vs last sale · ≈ $770/hd at 370 lb · 15 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers $170.96/cwt +3.44 vs last sale · ≈ $728/hd at 426 lb · 13 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 490 670 0
Feeder cattle 283 342 0
Slaughter cattle 126 214 0
Replacement cattle 81 114 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, steer and heifer calves 5.00-7.00 higher on comparable quotes. Feeder steers and heifers 2.00-3.00 higher. Slaughter cows and bulls 2.00 lower. Trade and demand moderate.

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
225 225 1 227.00 $227.00 $511 +15.26
250–295 274 8 220.00–227.00 $222.80 $610 +12.12
290 unweaned 290 2 185.00 $185.00 $536 —
301–343 316 16 200.00–225.00 $216.53 $684 +4.99
354–390 370 15 192.00–221.00 $208.15 $770 +14.35
405–430 424 7 197.00–216.00 $203.15 $861 +23.15
450–490 470 2 178.00–180.00 $179.04 $841 +8.07
510–525 515 3 160.00–172.00 $164.08 $845 +2.82
550–593 579 9 175.00–179.00 $177.59 $1,028 +15.02
610 610 2 166.00 $166.00 $1,013 —
655 655 3 147.00–155.00 $152.33 $998 -6.17
743 743 3 159.00 $159.00 $1,181 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
175–195 185 2 177.00–185.00 $181.22 $335 —
310–340 thin fleshed 325 2 190.00 $190.00 $618 —
305–345 328 3 163.00–175.00 $169.53 $556 -6.74
360 360 1 154.00 $154.00 $554 -18.91
375–398 390 3 171.00–180.00 $177.12 $691 +4.21
405–445 423 11 173.00–185.00 $174.04 $736 +6.52
443 443 2 154.00 $154.00 $682 -13.52
455–495 481 11 160.00–181.00 $166.82 $802 +1.24
510 510 2 159.00–176.00 $167.50 $854 +12.56
590–595 593 2 140.00–142.00 $141.00 $836 -7.88
610–615 612 3 148.00–155.00 $151.68 $928 +6.90
745 745 2 135.00 $135.00 $1,006 +9.76
755–790 774 4 125.00–135.00 $130.96 $1,014 +4.90
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–390 372 3 130.00–140.00 $136.64 $508 -5.07
550–560 555 2 130.00–138.00 $133.96 $743 —
605–630 618 2 139.00–140.00 $139.51 $862 +16.56
660–670 665 2 135.00–137.00 $135.99 $904 —
700 700 1 130.00 $130.00 $910 —
940 940 1 102.00 $102.00 $959 —
Small 4 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
240 240 3 95.00 $95.00 —
284 284 4 110.00 $110.00 —
320 320 2 200.00 $200.00 -143.21
Small 4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450 450 1 57.00 $57.00 $256 —
505 505 1 50.00 $50.00 $252 —
555 555 1 54.00 $54.00 $300 —
635 635 1 53.00 $53.00 $337 —
655 655 1 54.00 $54.00 $354 -21.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
160 160 1 400.00 $400.00 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205 205 1 165.00 $165.00 $338 +8.00
265 265 1 160.00 $160.00 $424 +6.81
320–335 329 4 143.00–159.00 $153.94 $506 —
370–395 385 3 155.00–159.00 $157.38 $606 +5.67
410–440 422 5 142.00–159.00 $154.11 $650 +15.03
455 455 1 155.00 $155.00 $705 +5.13
500–540 526 4 143.00–151.00 $145.40 $765 -5.81
565–595 580 3 135.00–147.00 $141.29 $819 -3.71
660–690 672 4 127.00–134.00 $131.22 $882 —
725 725 1 130.00 $130.00 $942 +3.66
846 846 4 123.00 $123.00 $1,041 -1.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–325 312 3 124.00–140.00 $134.70 $420 —
395 395 1 135.00 $135.00 $533 —
400–445 417 5 123.00–141.00 $131.04 $546 +10.54
450–485 469 6 131.00–138.00 $132.97 $624 +1.97
550–575 563 2 126.00–129.00 $127.53 $718 +1.53
605–645 632 3 118.00–125.00 $122.08 $772 -0.10
755–780 772 3 100.00–116.00 $110.61 $854 +8.61
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 2 166.00–167.00 $166.50 $491 -2.40
310–345 328 3 160.00–170.00 $166.18 $545 +6.68
370–390 377 3 162.00–170.00 $167.24 $630 +12.34
405–448 430 7 160.00–171.50 $167.32 $719 +12.32
505 505 1 163.00 $163.00 $823 +12.00
Small 4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 1 50.00 $50.00 $182 —
450–455 453 3 30.00–45.00 $40.04 $181 +0.04
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
130 130 1 300.00 $300.00 —
180 180 1 320.00 $320.00 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
165 165 1 460.00 $460.00 —
Small 4 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
315 315 1 360.00 $360.00 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 163.00 $163.00 $546 -19.00
485 485 1 159.00 $159.00 $771 +22.00
540 540 1 157.00 $157.00 $848 +39.50
595 595 2 125.00 $125.00 $744 —
Small 4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
580–595 588 2 36.00–52.00 $43.90 $258 —
640 640 1 54.00 $54.00 $346 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
320 320 1 340.00 $340.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
550–730 653 85-90% 4 20.00–44.00 $32.04 $209 -16.90
635–900 769 85-90% 7 35.00–40.00 $38.90 $299 —
680–950 802 85-90% 9 44.00–48.50 $45.70 $367 —
850–1065 929 85-90% 7 51.00–62.00 $56.94 $529 —
745–1145 974 85-90% 29 60.00–70.00 $66.38 $647 +0.92
975 975 85-90% 1 66.00 $66.00 $644 +3.00
1020 1020 85-90% 1 66.00 $66.00 $673 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
985–1033 1018 80-85% 5 70.00–75.00 $72.39 $737 —
955–1670 1184 80-85% 49 69.50–76.00 $73.00 $864 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1560–1755 1658 75-80% 2 74.00–75.50 $74.71 $1,239 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1665 1304 10 72.00–89.00 $80.84 $1,054 —
1550–1775 1665 6 89.00–98.00 $92.86 $1,546 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
800–1015 921 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 4 800.00–1,075.00 $925.00
835–1360 1013 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 9 850.00–1,025.00 $952.78
Small 4 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
500–580 548 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 3 400.00–435.00 $411.67
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
690 690 Young (2-4 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 1 750.00 $750.00
710 710 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 875.00 $875.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
615 615 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 600.00 $600.00
890 890 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 700.00 $700.00

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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
855–1065 953 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 975.00–1,225.00 $1,083.33 -79.17
845–1305 1025 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 6 850.00–1,125.00 $987.50 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1070–1415 1243 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 1,200.00–1,300.00 $1,250.00 —
1245–1275 1260 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 1,335.00–1,400.00 $1,367.50 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1005 1005 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 750.00 $750.00 +62.50
1020–1270 1145 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 2 550.00–560.00 $555.00 —
Small 4 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
820 820 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 600.00 $600.00 —
860 860 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 500.00 $500.00 —

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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.