Cattle Market Pulse

Cattlemen's Livestock Auction Market Report

Dalhart, Texas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 21, 2021

1,890 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $157.50/cwt ≈ $1,255/hd at 797 lb · 227 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $157.84/cwt +13.88 vs last sale · ≈ $1,014/hd at 642 lb · 102 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $131.30/cwt -3.41 vs last sale · ≈ $839/hd at 639 lb · 88 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,890 2,793 0
Feeder cattle 1,431 2,204 0
Slaughter cattle 459 589 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Steer and heifer calves under 650 lbs firm except a few unweaned fleshy kinds 1.00 to 2.00 lower. Feeder steers and heifers over 650 lbs steady to weak in a limited test with receipts on offer last week. Slaughter cows 3.00 to 4.00 higher. Slaughter bulls not well tested. Trade fairly active. Demand fairly 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
210–223 219 3 192.00–192.50 $192.16 $421 —
315 unweaned 315 2 169.00 $169.00 $532 -12.00
375 375 2 199.00 $199.00 $746 —
350–398 unweaned 377 9 172.00–175.00 $172.31 $650 -5.69
401–415 404 5 176.00–179.00 $178.38 $721 +4.38
418 thin fleshed 418 4 188.00 $188.00 $786 —
443–448 unweaned 445 5 167.00–168.00 $167.40 $745 +1.40
463 463 2 158.00 $158.00 $732 -14.58
473 unweaned 473 8 150.00 $150.00 $710 -8.60
494 thin fleshed 494 7 179.00 $179.00 $884 —
515–545 523 4 156.00–159.00 $158.22 $827 +1.57
561 561 4 154.00 $154.00 $864 +0.82
578–594 unweaned 581 27 150.00 $150.00 $872 +11.50
592 thin fleshed 592 12 158.50 $158.50 $938 —
616–648 unweaned 629 17 145.00–147.50 $146.06 $919 +2.10
636–646 645 85 160.00–162.00 $160.19 $1,033 —
691 unweaned 691 4 148.50 $148.50 $1,026 —
702 702 56 158.00 $158.00 $1,109 +5.00
723 723 22 150.50 $150.50 $1,088 -2.50
797 797 227 157.50 $157.50 $1,255 —
815 thin fleshed 815 16 157.50 $157.50 $1,284 —
818 818 13 145.00 $145.00 $1,186 -10.01
884 884 8 155.00 $155.00 $1,370 +1.00
933 933 13 140.00 $140.00 $1,306 -11.62
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
476–498 unweaned 483 6 126.00–128.00 $127.31 $615 -18.54
508 fancy 508 2 148.00 $148.00 $752 —
550–562 unweaned 555 8 136.00–140.00 $138.48 $769 +5.48
624 624 2 139.50 $139.50 $870 -15.50
614–647 unweaned 631 12 127.00 $127.00 $801 -14.00
676 unweaned 676 6 127.00 $127.00 $859 —
692 692 8 140.00 $140.00 $969 —
700 700 1 141.00 $141.00 $987 —
708 unweaned 708 2 131.00 $131.00 $927 —
755 unweaned 755 1 130.00 $130.00 $982 —
765 765 11 140.00 $140.00 $1,071 -2.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
523 unweaned 523 8 125.00 $125.00 $654 —
550 unweaned 550 1 124.00 $124.00 $682 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 unweaned 320 1 154.00 $154.00 $493 —
361 unweaned 361 7 151.00 $151.00 $545 +1.00
440–443 unweaned 442 4 141.00–145.00 $143.01 $632 +3.15
458 458 3 156.00 $156.00 $714 —
477 unweaned 477 9 144.00 $144.00 $687 +4.82
502–529 524 30 145.00–149.00 $145.48 $762 +6.95
540 unweaned 540 8 126.00 $126.00 $680 -4.99
570 unweaned 570 2 135.00 $135.00 $770 -0.30
570–587 585 17 145.00–149.50 $148.98 $872 +3.22
601–648 unweaned 639 85 129.00–131.00 $130.75 $835 +0.37
642 642 3 147.00 $147.00 $944 +4.00
670 670 2 137.00 $137.00 $918 -9.77
772 772 11 141.00 $141.00 $1,089 -4.47
840 840 15 140.00 $140.00 $1,176 —
878–887 882 41 139.00–140.50 $139.84 $1,233 -0.01
933 933 10 128.50 $128.50 $1,199 —
1130 1130 2 110.00 $110.00 $1,243 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 unweaned 330 1 141.00 $141.00 $465 +1.00
383 unweaned 383 2 140.00 $140.00 $536 -4.00
430 unweaned 430 1 130.00 $130.00 $559 -1.00
441 441 7 149.00 $149.00 $657 —
472 unweaned 472 53 128.00 $128.00 $604 -6.83
515–528 unweaned 518 15 120.00–125.00 $121.02 $627 —
592–595 unweaned 593 11 125.00–128.50 $127.86 $758 +1.36
631 unweaned 631 8 115.00 $115.00 $726 -2.99
668–690 unweaned 674 8 115.00 $115.00 $775 -5.00
723 723 8 132.00 $132.00 $954 +6.00
728 unweaned 728 9 130.00 $130.00 $946 —
768 unweaned 768 3 126.00 $126.00 $968 +5.00
841 841 34 138.00 $138.00 $1,161 +8.86
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
473–498 unweaned 480 11 115.00–120.00 $117.97 $566 -2.03
555–573 unweaned 567 3 120.00 $120.00 $680 —
605 unweaned 605 3 110.00 $110.00 $666 -5.00
650 unweaned 650 1 110.00 $110.00 $715 -5.00
700 unweaned 700 1 110.00 $110.00 $770 —
775 unweaned 775 3 111.00 $111.00 $860 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
805–928 876 85-90% 12 26.00–32.00 $31.01 $272 —
843–995 933 85-90% 21 36.00–40.00 $38.63 $360 +2.93
963–1255 1023 85-90% 46 37.50–40.00 $38.11 $390 —
1000–1265 1121 85-90% 38 50.50–55.00 $52.64 $590 +8.99
1012–1205 1121 85-90% 8 42.50–45.50 $44.09 $494 +0.44
1020–1275 1134 85-90% 28 58.00–63.00 $61.21 $694 -0.67
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1195–1500 1287 80-85% 23 63.00–68.00 $66.07 $850 —
1123–1395 1302 80-85% 26 55.00–60.50 $57.15 $744 —
1195–1475 1348 80-85% 32 71.00–75.50 $73.24 $987 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1427–1785 1535 75-80% 12 64.00–68.50 $66.53 $1,021 —
1530–1650 1587 75-80% 3 69.00–72.00 $70.96 $1,126 —

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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.