Cattle Market Pulse

Cattlemen's Livestock Auction Market Report

Belen, New Mexico · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, January 12, 2024

408 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 3-weight M&L 1-2 steers $246.61/cwt -2.06 vs last sale · ≈ $925/hd at 375 lb · 20 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $229.46/cwt -0.88 vs last sale · ≈ $1,214/hd at 529 lb · 15 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $199.64/cwt -3.11 vs last sale · ≈ $944/hd at 473 lb · 13 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 408 670 1,220
Feeder cattle 297 467 1,033
Slaughter cattle 86 126 128
Replacement cattle 25 77 59

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Steer and heifer calves calves sold 10.00-14.00 lower on limited comparisons. Feeder steers and heifer also sold 5.00-7.00 lower on limited comparisons. Slaughter cows and bulls sold 2.00-3.00 higher, Trade and demand moderate.

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
225 unweaned 225 1 250.00 $250.00 $562 —
265–290 280 4 260.00–280.00 $265.17 $742 +6.97
300–345 324 9 222.00–242.00 $232.38 $753 -10.13
350–395 375 20 240.00–252.00 $246.61 $925 -2.06
405–445 416 7 222.00–247.00 $235.71 $981 -5.08
455–485 461 7 230.00–251.00 $245.17 $1,130 +6.61
500–546 529 15 225.00–247.00 $229.46 $1,214 -7.95
550–595 573 2 200.00–207.00 $203.64 $1,167 -31.36
600 600 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,320 +1.30
650 650 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,398 —
775 775 2 185.00 $185.00 $1,434 —
805–825 815 2 165.00–187.00 $175.87 $1,433 —
915 915 1 182.00 $182.00 $1,665 +41.00
1090 1090 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,199 -30.00
1150 1150 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,265 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215–245 225 3 190.00–240.00 $215.16 $484 -14.84
260–290 277 10 175.00–240.00 $215.82 $598 -14.18
300–340 321 6 172.00–220.00 $194.20 $623 +20.87
355–390 375 4 165.00–217.00 $195.93 $735 +3.71
415–440 428 6 190.00–215.00 $206.75 $885 +6.75
450–475 463 2 187.00–190.00 $188.54 $873 +28.38
500 500 1 162.00 $162.00 $810 —
565–595 580 2 162.00–205.00 $182.94 $1,061 +12.94
650–680 665 2 172.00–202.00 $186.66 $1,241 +34.66
715 715 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,072 -10.77
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–335 330 4 270.00–275.00 $273.81 $904 -12.60
385–398 390 5 260.00 $260.00 $1,014 -15.94
405–430 414 6 254.00–270.00 $260.25 $1,077 -9.31
490 490 5 257.00 $257.00 $1,259 -3.53
530 530 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,298 -5.06
550–573 565 3 237.00–240.00 $239.03 $1,351 -1.54
610 610 1 232.00 $232.00 $1,415 -5.00
660–685 673 2 220.00–225.00 $222.55 $1,498 —
Small 4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420–430 427 3 60.00–67.00 $62.30 $266 —
460 460 1 55.00 $55.00 $253 -9.00
558 558 3 78.50 $78.50 $438 +8.29
612 612 3 78.00 $78.00 $477 +5.69
Medium 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
50 unweaned 50 1 150.00 $150.00 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
130 unweaned 130 1 260.00 $260.00 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
120 unweaned 120 1 250.00 $250.00 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 4 215.00 $215.00 $580 +5.00
300–340 321 5 191.00–220.00 $209.49 $672 -9.93
350–390 374 10 190.00–207.00 $199.79 $747 -5.90
420–440 429 6 190.00–212.00 $202.77 $870 +10.77
455–495 473 13 192.00–210.00 $199.64 $944 -3.11
505–535 520 7 187.00–207.00 $199.04 $1,035 -12.96
565–598 586 5 190.00–205.00 $194.85 $1,142 +2.93
620–633 629 3 177.00–181.00 $179.69 $1,130 +1.01
670–690 680 2 167.00–185.00 $176.13 $1,198 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280–290 283 3 162.00–185.00 $171.28 $485 -17.30
315–345 326 4 160.00–210.00 $185.63 $605 -2.34
355–385 375 4 150.00–192.00 $171.90 $645 -4.73
400–445 423 2 172.00–187.00 $179.10 $758 +7.10
450–485 470 3 182.00–190.00 $186.57 $877 +10.74
668–698 688 6 160.00–170.00 $163.24 $1,123 +6.24
830 830 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,245 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 2 222.00 $222.00 $755 -19.08
378 378 3 221.00 $221.00 $835 -1.01
458–460 458 7 213.00–217.00 $213.57 $978 -4.87
500–510 505 4 210.00–230.00 $222.48 $1,124 +4.21
888 888 2 177.00 $177.00 $1,572 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
125 unweaned 125 1 220.00 $220.00 -55.00
203 unweaned 203 6 400.00 $400.00 +70.00
Small 4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 1 60.00 $60.00 $267 +10.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 1 207.00 $207.00 $921 —
613 613 3 182.00 $182.00 $1,116 +22.00
650 650 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,268 +25.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
540 540 1 162.00 $162.00 $875 —
570 570 1 142.00 $142.00 $809 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
800 800 1 105.00 $105.00 $840 —
Small 4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
585 585 1 65.00 $65.00 $380 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
680–825 753 85-90% 2 75.00 $75.00 $565 —
685–1065 804 85-90% 10 73.50–79.50 $77.57 $624 —
855 855 85-90% 2 64.00 $64.00 $547 +0.91
785–975 880 85-90% 2 57.00–63.00 $59.68 $525 -3.41
583–1610 912 85-90% 8 80.00–90.00 $87.22 $795 +14.65
840–1278 1035 85-90% 24 81.00–90.50 $86.72 $898 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
740–1270 884 80-85% 4 91.00–95.00 $92.44 $817 —
1120 1120 80-85% 1 111.00 $111.00 $1,243 +19.92
820–1610 1129 80-85% 12 98.00–108.00 $102.54 $1,158 +11.46
905–1455 1180 80-85% 2 100.00–108.00 $104.93 $1,238 —
930–1755 1221 80-85% 9 92.00–97.00 $93.84 $1,146 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
940 940 1 80.00 $80.00 $752 —
1120–1725 1463 12 100.00–110.00 $106.80 $1,562 —
1345–1610 1478 2 86.00–94.00 $89.64 $1,325 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
775–845 810 (<2 yrs)Open 2 144.00–157.00 $150.50 $1,219
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
745 745 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 117.50 $117.50 $875

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Bred Cows

Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
570 570 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 710.00 $710.00
715–845 803 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 800.00–900.00 $827.50
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
910–1180 1060 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,025.00–1,375.00 $1,156.67
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1195 1195 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 1,575.00 $1,575.00

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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.