Cattle Market Pulse

Cattlemen's Livestock Auction Market Report

Belen, New Mexico · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, March 18, 2022

835 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 $177.06/cwt -3.24 vs last sale · ≈ $928/hd at 524 lb · 41 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $168.44/cwt +18.44 vs last sale · ≈ $864/hd at 513 lb · 34 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $168.18/cwt +6.35 vs last sale · ≈ $1,039/hd at 618 lb · 28 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 835 734 756
Feeder cattle 614 413 500
Slaughter cattle 160 129 139
Replacement cattle 61 192 117

Compared to last week: Steer and heifer calves sold mostly steady to 1.00-2.00 lower. Feeder steer and heifers sold steady to 2.00 - 3.00 higher. Slaughter cows and bulls sold 1.00 -2.00 higher. Trade and demand moderate.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200–235 223 3 201.00–209.00 $206.61 $461
260–295 273 3 197.00–203.00 $200.45 $547 +11.71
307–325 314 6 180.00–188.00 $185.27 $582 -7.73
365 thin fleshed 365 1 192.00 $192.00 $701
350–385 370 4 172.50–185.00 $180.57 $668 -9.30
410–445 427 16 172.00–183.00 $178.73 $763 +0.20
460–490 480 24 171.00–181.00 $176.75 $848 +4.78
505–548 524 41 170.00–181.00 $177.06 $928 -3.24
550–590 569 21 164.00–178.00 $176.41 $1,004 +11.44
604–635 618 28 161.50–173.00 $168.18 $1,039 +6.35
678–693 683 9 162.00–166.50 $164.98 $1,127 +18.27
700–745 726 5 147.00–153.00 $148.76 $1,080
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 182.00 $182.00 $437
270–275 273 2 172.50–185.00 $178.69 $488 +8.69
315–340 328 7 160.00–179.00 $166.78 $547
350–388 380 7 157.00–175.00 $165.05 $627 -3.85
405–443 428 6 157.00–170.00 $165.48 $708 +1.34
450–475 462 5 162.00–167.50 $164.51 $760 -0.37
500–545 509 16 155.00–172.00 $164.17 $836 -1.21
555–595 576 5 153.00–169.00 $162.06 $933 +6.48
615–640 628 2 152.00–161.00 $156.41 $982
720–745 731 5 135.00–145.00 $139.00 $1,016 +2.00
815–845 828 3 125.00–135.00 $131.60 $1,090 +1.60
985 985 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,084 -10.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270–280 275 2 150.00–157.00 $153.56 $422
300–335 317 3 140.00–157.00 $149.31 $473 -7.69
360–385 376 7 133.00–150.00 $141.34 $531 -1.66
433–445 437 3 143.00–150.00 $147.62 $645 -3.79
450–495 471 7 135.00–158.00 $146.85 $692 +7.17
510–535 522 3 132.00–147.50 $138.60 $723 +7.60
590–595 593 2 135.00–137.50 $136.26 $808 -3.26
620–640 632 3 120.00–125.00 $122.00 $771 -13.00
650–695 673 2 120.00–133.00 $126.72 $853
730 730 1 120.00 $120.00 $876 -6.00
980 980 1 113.00 $113.00 $1,107
Small 4 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
320 320 2 385.00 $385.00
443 443 5 350.00 $350.00 -60.00
460–495 480 3 300.00–385.00 $354.41 -45.59
Small 4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475–480 478 2 49.00–61.00 $55.03 $263
525 525 1 55.00 $55.00 $289
565–575 570 2 55.00–75.00 $64.91 $370 +10.41
750 750 1 57.00 $57.00 $428
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
160–195 172 3 385.00 $385.00 +25.00
200–220 210 2 325.00–430.00 $380.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
120 120 1 480.00 $480.00
175–185 180 3 420.00–450.00 $430.00

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 value added 200 1 192.50 $192.50 $385
238 238 2 177.00 $177.00 $421
305 305 1 160.00 $160.00 $488
365 value added 365 1 178.00 $178.00 $650 -2.00
398 398 3 162.00 $162.00 $645 ±0.00
410–430 421 12 159.00–166.50 $165.45 $697 +6.46
470–493 475 13 159.00–164.00 $162.80 $773
495 value added 495 1 160.00 $160.00 $792
513 value added 513 30 169.50 $169.50 $870
510–525 515 4 155.00–165.00 $160.46 $826 +10.46
569 value added 569 7 161.50 $161.50 $919
555–593 578 10 150.00–160.00 $155.12 $897 +5.32
600 value added 600 11 162.00 $162.00 $972
610–640 634 9 140.00–145.00 $144.12 $914 +7.12
659 659 4 139.00 $139.00 $916
785 785 1 137.00 $137.00 $1,075 +5.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 165.00 $165.00 $462 -11.00
305–333 324 3 146.00–160.00 $150.40 $487 -8.60
355–395 375 2 145.00–150.00 $147.63 $554
435–445 438 3 148.00–153.00 $149.69 $656 +2.72
455–497 486 6 144.00–155.00 $153.12 $744 +8.22
500–545 511 4 143.00–150.00 $146.91 $751
575–585 580 3 139.00–151.00 $143.30 $831 +0.31
600–648 623 8 131.00–138.50 $134.57 $838 +3.56
705–737 721 7 120.00–129.00 $121.28 $874
805–818 815 5 115.00–127.00 $124.63 $1,016
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265–285 275 2 126.00–140.00 $132.75 $365 -23.71
340–345 343 2 120.00–129.00 $124.53 $427 -15.47
400–425 413 3 122.00–135.00 $127.46 $526 +2.46
450–480 467 5 120.00–135.00 $124.22 $580
500–520 512 5 121.00–125.00 $123.82 $634 +3.82
583–590 585 3 130.00–135.00 $133.32 $780 +13.32
600–625 611 4 115.00–131.00 $122.02 $746
655–690 673 2 117.00–137.00 $127.26 $856
710–720 715 2 108.00–114.00 $110.98 $794
760–765 763 2 105.00–120.00 $112.52 $859
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
125 125 1 400.00 $400.00
230 230 1 410.00 $410.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
160–190 175 2 300.00–400.00 $354.29
Small 4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
645 645 1 90.00 $90.00 $580

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 1 134.00 $134.00 $502
400–415 408 2 110.00–120.00 $114.91 $469
450 450 1 135.00 $135.00 $608
525 525 1 142.00 $142.00 $746 -1.80
570 570 2 125.00 $125.00 $712
630 630 1 120.00 $120.00 $756
665 665 1 120.00 $120.00 $798
740 740 1 112.00 $112.00 $829
755 755 1 125.00 $125.00 $944
865 865 1 121.00 $121.00 $1,047
960 960 1 90.00 $90.00 $864
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370 370 1 185.00 $185.00 $684

↑ Back to top

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
645–955 755 85-90% 11 31.00–50.50 $40.67 $307
650–975 824 85-90% 5 46.00–69.00 $61.23 $505
700–960 825 85-90% 4 45.00–59.00 $50.41 $416
640–950 846 85-90% 19 34.00–52.00 $46.47 $393
720–1060 933 85-90% 29 54.50–61.50 $57.09 $533 +0.67
750–1213 1043 85-90% 46 59.00–69.50 $66.50 $694 +1.69
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
875–1055 924 80-85% 4 75.00–84.00 $80.47 $744
720–1205 1018 80-85% 3 91.00–92.00 $91.24 $929 +21.70
795–1145 1037 80-85% 8 70.00–72.50 $71.51 $742 +1.97
950–1510 1133 80-85% 32 73.00–86.00 $79.01 $895 +0.57
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1475 1475 75-80% 1 83.00 $83.00 $1,224
1570–1700 1635 75-80% 2 86.00–87.00 $86.52 $1,415

↑ Back to top

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1090–1635 1374 7 77.00–88.00 $83.76 $1,151
1310–1685 1526 5 92.00–99.00 $95.65 $1,460 +40.65
1290–2035 1656 8 101.50–117.00 $108.64 $1,799

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
730–875 803 Young (2-4 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 2 710.00–790.00 $750.00
785–925 861 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 4 725.00–970.00 $841.25
1030–1150 1075 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 3 825.00–940.00 $875.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
545–715 652 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 3 560.00–600.00 $581.67
820 820 Young (2-4 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 1 625.00 $625.00
820–910 861 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 4 600.00–650.00 $615.00
Small 4 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
555–575 565 Young (2-4 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 2 350.00–460.00 $405.00
610–710 660 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 2 470.00 $470.00
770 770 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 1 525.00 $525.00

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
970–1045 1008 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 2 810.00–860.00 $835.00

↑ Back to top

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.