Cattle Market Pulse

Cattlemen's Livestock Auction Market Report

Belen, New Mexico · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, February 17, 2023

270 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $186.00/cwt +8.71 vs last sale · ≈ $1,075/hd at 578 lb · 11 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 steers $217.94/cwt +9.36 vs last sale · ≈ $935/hd at 429 lb · 11 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1 steers $224.44/cwt +10.68 vs last sale · ≈ $853/hd at 380 lb · 10 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 270 538 690
Feeder cattle 205 381 504
Slaughter cattle 39 73 106
Replacement cattle 26 84 80

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Limited comparisons in all classes, but a strong undertone of 7.00-8.00 higher. Slaughter cows and bulls also limited but 4.00-5.00 higher. Trade moderate 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
305–338 value added 330 4 227.00–240.00 $236.99 $782 —
355–380 value added 368 2 238.00–248.00 $242.83 $894 +15.83
360–395 383 8 215.00–226.00 $219.84 $842 +10.18
410 value added 410 1 240.00 $240.00 $984 —
424–440 431 10 207.00–231.00 $215.73 $930 +1.73
455–465 462 6 205.00–225.00 $218.55 $1,010 +9.58
500–545 515 10 190.00–224.00 $211.14 $1,087 +16.12
555–585 565 4 195.00–210.00 $201.17 $1,137 +9.17
625–633 628 8 196.00 $196.00 $1,231 —
665 665 1 193.00 $193.00 $1,283 +18.00
750 750 1 182.00 $182.00 $1,365 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 230 1 230.00 $230.00 $529 —
260 260 1 232.00 $232.00 $603 +42.00
305 305 1 208.00 $208.00 $634 +6.74
375 375 4 200.00 $200.00 $750 +8.98
400–440 420 4 186.00–205.00 $195.30 $820 +3.54
480 480 1 199.00 $199.00 $955 +19.20
540 540 2 189.00 $189.00 $1,021 +3.34
570 570 1 170.00 $170.00 $969 -7.92
645 645 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,193 +12.00
715 715 1 168.00 $168.00 $1,201 +9.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 161.00 $161.00 $451 —
390 390 1 156.00 $156.00 $608 —
420 420 1 165.00 $165.00 $693 —
515–530 523 2 165.00–167.00 $165.99 $868 —
575–580 577 3 149.00–165.00 $157.97 $911 +12.93
610–630 620 2 140.00–143.00 $141.52 $877 -6.72
Small 4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
510 510 1 51.00 $51.00 $260 -17.11
583 583 4 57.00 $57.00 $332 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
110–137 128 3 90.00–110.00 $95.73 $123 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
80 80 1 370.00 $370.00 —
100 100 1 410.00 $410.00 —
155 155 1 385.00 $385.00 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
210 210 1 370.00 $370.00 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
235 235 1 160.00 $160.00 —
Small 4 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
450 450 1 275.00 $275.00 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255–260 unweaned 258 2 192.00–192.50 $192.25 $496 —
305–349 340 5 205.00–225.00 $208.59 $709 +15.43
352–385 360 6 203.00–212.00 $204.61 $737 +14.54
424 424 7 205.00 $205.00 $869 +10.83
460–465 462 3 187.00–197.00 $191.33 $884 +9.15
500–530 516 5 189.00–200.00 $194.74 $1,005 +18.57
578 value added 578 11 186.00 $186.00 $1,075 —
688 688 2 164.00 $164.00 $1,128 +7.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–348 341 6 140.00–167.00 $144.42 $492 -15.58
373 373 2 164.00 $164.00 $612 +4.00
463–490 472 3 130.00–158.00 $139.69 $659 -4.08
500–507 505 6 131.00–155.00 $143.50 $725 -13.50
820–830 825 2 130.00 $130.00 $1,072 -11.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
373 373 2 171.00 $171.00 $638 -7.96
500–530 509 4 160.00–179.00 $174.07 $886 +6.87
840 840 1 139.00 $139.00 $1,168 -2.60
895 895 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,164 —
Small 4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
498 498 5 30.00 $30.00 $149 —
515 515 1 70.00 $70.00 $360 —
Small 4 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
500 500 1 250.00 $250.00 -10.00
553 553 2 200.00 $200.00 ±0.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470 470 1 200.00 $200.00 $940 +13.00
535 535 2 205.00 $205.00 $1,097 +18.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
630 630 1 189.00 $189.00 $1,191 +28.00
895 895 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,119 —
930 930 1 107.00 $107.00 $995 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
580 580 1 120.00 $120.00 $696 —
Small 4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
605 605 1 35.00 $35.00 $212 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
825–985 905 80-85% 2 80.00–90.00 $85.44 $773 —
820–1220 1020 80-85% 2 77.50–82.50 $79.51 $811 +1.04
955–1105 1038 80-85% 7 81.50–93.00 $87.64 $910 —
1070–1470 1262 80-85% 9 94.00–106.00 $98.53 $1,243 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
805 805 85-90% 1 45.00 $45.00 $362 -30.00
775–1030 896 85-90% 4 65.00–68.50 $65.92 $591 —
870–1070 967 85-90% 6 69.50–80.00 $73.57 $711 +2.74

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1185 1093 2 88.00–90.00 $89.08 $974 —
1185–1390 1288 2 94.00–97.00 $95.62 $1,232 —
1190–1535 1384 5 91.00–101.00 $95.51 $1,322 —
1450–1870 1574 4 109.00–112.50 $110.98 $1,747 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
760–805 783 Young (2-4 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 2 1,025.00–1,150.00 $1,087.50
828 828 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 4 1,100.00 $1,100.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
985 985 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 1,425.00 $1,425.00
1045 1045 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 1,250.00 $1,250.00
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
915 915 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 800.00 $800.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
760 760 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 800.00 $800.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
775–880 828 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 1,275.00–1,400.00 $1,337.50 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
980 980 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,000.00 $1,000.00 ±0.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
665 665 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 700.00 $700.00 —

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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.