Cattle Market Pulse

Cattlemen's Livestock Auction Market Report

Dalhart, Texas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 3, 2020

1,618 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $140.32/cwt +4.77 vs last sale · ≈ $933/hd at 665 lb · 144 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $135.92/cwt +3.41 vs last sale · ≈ $798/hd at 587 lb · 104 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $168.08/cwt +9.42 vs last sale · ≈ $898/hd at 534 lb · 75 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,618 2,158 0
Feeder cattle 1,242 1,819 0
Slaughter cattle 376 339 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to two weeks ago: Steer and heifer calves firm to 4.00 higher in a limited test. Feeder steers and heifers 1.00 to 3.00 higher with a few reputation kinds 5.00 to 6.00 higher. Slaughter cows and bulls firm to 2.00 higher. Trade active. 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
260–280 267 3 194.00–205.00 $197.85 $528 —
305 305 1 200.00 $200.00 $610 -6.00
347 thin fleshed 347 3 211.00 $211.00 $732 —
365–378 375 4 184.00–190.00 $185.46 $695 -1.76
423–448 435 12 178.00–186.00 $181.63 $790 +8.95
459 thin fleshed 459 9 188.00 $188.00 $863 +8.00
452–477 471 31 170.00–182.00 $172.72 $814 +5.38
509 thin fleshed 509 7 174.00 $174.00 $886 +2.50
511–543 537 68 164.00–169.00 $167.47 $899 +8.49
574–577 575 13 148.00–156.00 $151.70 $872 +6.11
634–638 634 32 145.00–146.50 $146.36 $928 +6.85
639–648 unweaned 640 35 136.00–139.50 $139.30 $892 —
650–692 661 106 138.50–148.00 $142.93 $945 +3.09
665–676 unweaned 675 38 132.50–137.00 $133.04 $898 +5.75
712–729 726 31 129.00–135.00 $133.46 $969 +4.48
839 839 20 125.00 $125.00 $1,049 —
867–887 885 31 129.00–131.75 $131.49 $1,164 +7.49
900 900 22 130.50 $130.50 $1,174 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–335 318 2 170.00–177.00 $173.31 $551 —
420 420 1 173.00 $173.00 $727 +24.00
472–495 473 34 165.00–167.00 $165.06 $781 +26.80
610 610 2 129.00 $129.00 $787 -0.29
705 705 1 125.00 $125.00 $881 —
1046 1046 17 115.00 $115.00 $1,203 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270–295 289 4 169.00–176.00 $170.64 $493 —
355–388 372 4 160.00–163.00 $161.43 $601 -5.11
408–410 409 12 154.00–160.00 $157.50 $644 +6.13
453–489 481 32 145.00–149.50 $148.89 $716 +4.41
535–549 541 40 132.00–140.00 $137.54 $744 -2.98
566 thin fleshed 566 21 143.00 $143.00 $809 —
588–598 592 83 125.00–138.00 $134.13 $794 -0.58
601–640 623 37 130.00–132.00 $130.83 $815 +5.31
615–630 unweaned 626 32 119.00–122.00 $119.71 $749 +1.44
686 686 6 124.00 $124.00 $851 +3.19
703–714 708 66 124.00–127.00 $125.67 $890 +4.40
774 774 45 128.00 $128.00 $991 —
831 831 68 125.00 $125.00 $1,039 +4.55
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
571 571 32 105.00 $105.00 $600 —
813 813 9 85.00 $85.00 $691 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 152.00 $152.00 $524 —
440 440 2 133.00 $133.00 $585 -2.00
460–490 475 3 129.00–139.00 $132.56 $630 +4.43
580 580 3 121.00 $121.00 $702 —
605 605 1 118.00 $118.00 $714 —
670–680 675 2 115.00–117.00 $115.99 $783 —
740 unweaned 740 3 109.00 $109.00 $807 -6.00
878 878 3 103.00 $103.00 $904 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
805–1275 1016 85-90% 111 28.00–43.00 $34.44 $350 —
802–1276 1027 85-90% 62 17.00–29.50 $22.55 $232 —
1020–1315 1245 85-90% 20 45.00–53.00 $47.09 $586 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1133–1500 1209 80-85% 27 48.00–53.50 $49.55 $599 —
1135–1445 1230 80-85% 57 40.00–49.00 $42.68 $525 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1528 1528 75-80% 11 48.00 $48.00 $733 —
1421–1720 1626 75-80% 16 51.50–55.50 $53.10 $863 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1495 1495 1 65.00 $65.00 $972 —
1565 1565 1 72.00 $72.00 $1,127 —
2053 2053 2 78.50 $78.50 $1,612 —

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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.