Cattle Market Pulse

Cattlemen's Livestock Auction Market Report

Dalhart, Texas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 16, 2021

2,118 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 $162.01/cwt +6.31 vs last sale · ≈ $1,218/hd at 752 lb · 145 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $159.80/cwt +2.33 vs last sale · ≈ $1,076/hd at 673 lb · 133 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $164.42/cwt -1.74 vs last sale · ≈ $1,028/hd at 625 lb · 106 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,118 4,497 1,302
Feeder cattle 1,696 3,662 882
Slaughter cattle 422 835 420

Compared to last week: Steer and heifer calves under 600 lbs firm to 1.00 higher. Feeder steers and heifers steady, instances load lots 2.00 higher. Slaughter cows and bulls firm to 2.00 higher. Trade active. Demand good. Due to the holiday break the next auction will be January 6, 2022.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
328 328 2 225.00 $225.00 $738 -3.00
350 350 1 221.00 $221.00 $774 -5.14
358 unweaned 358 2 192.00 $192.00 $687
373 thin fleshed 373 2 227.00 $227.00 $847
417 417 3 205.00 $205.00 $855 -7.75
421–428 thin fleshed 425 14 212.00–217.00 $214.48 $912
445 unweaned 445 2 198.00 $198.00 $881 +5.00
453–485 461 8 188.00–193.00 $189.32 $873 +5.36
520 fancy 520 15 188.00 $188.00 $978 -0.37
506–548 unweaned 529 11 160.00–162.00 $160.87 $851 -8.13
580 580 2 166.00 $166.00 $963 -0.27
585–595 unweaned 588 4 156.00–158.00 $157.49 $926 -2.51
589 fancy 589 4 173.00 $173.00 $1,019 +1.00
611 611 4 161.00 $161.00 $984 -5.94
619 fancy 619 77 167.00 $167.00 $1,034
646 unweaned 646 25 157.00 $157.00 $1,014 -3.69
658–681 unweaned 670 21 150.00–151.50 $150.80 $1,010 +2.65
654–689 674 112 157.00–162.00 $161.49 $1,088 +0.49
700–727 712 32 153.00–157.00 $154.54 $1,100 -8.37
751–752 752 145 161.00–163.00 $162.01 $1,218 +6.14
843 843 62 159.00 $159.00 $1,340 +4.27
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–315 312 5 185.00–190.00 $188.79 $589 -2.21
360 360 1 187.00 $187.00 $673
415 415 1 181.00 $181.00 $751 +8.00
431 thin fleshed 431 12 187.00 $187.00 $806
493 unweaned 493 4 169.00 $169.00 $833 +19.00
519 519 4 155.00 $155.00 $804 -10.97
615–633 unweaned 622 5 145.00–146.00 $145.59 $906 -2.86
633 633 4 153.00 $153.00 $968 -4.50
685 685 2 149.50 $149.50 $1,024 +4.70
705 705 6 146.00 $146.00 $1,029
780 780 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,170 +9.50
809 809 5 139.00 $139.00 $1,125
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 unweaned 330 1 160.00 $160.00 $528
367 367 7 168.00 $168.00 $617 -1.00
485 unweaned 485 3 150.00 $150.00 $728
595 unweaned 595 3 140.00 $140.00 $833

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–398 372 13 176.00–180.00 $178.53 $664 +1.53
413–424 419 20 164.00–170.00 $167.78 $703 +4.39
409–439 fancy 422 34 177.00–183.00 $180.06 $760 +9.06
481 fancy 481 7 172.00 $172.00 $827 +2.24
499 499 4 160.00 $160.00 $798 -1.52
513–540 unweaned 516 14 151.00–154.00 $153.35 $791 +6.35
517–535 fancy 523 19 167.00–170.00 $167.97 $878 +7.26
514–548 530 18 156.00–162.50 $160.29 $850 +4.77
551 551 9 154.00 $154.00 $849
600–617 610 15 151.00–158.00 $153.75 $938 +2.46
640–649 unweaned 647 11 145.00–148.00 $145.81 $943 +5.35
651–670 unweaned 653 9 138.25–140.00 $138.45 $904 -5.55
656–667 657 61 145.25–146.00 $145.35 $955
731 731 10 141.00 $141.00 $1,031 -7.65
792 792 94 145.25 $145.25 $1,150 -0.89
806 806 39 140.00 $140.00 $1,128 -7.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 1 167.00 $167.00 $551
367–373 370 15 168.00 $168.00 $622 +11.00
399 unweaned 399 17 154.00 $154.00 $614
400–423 416 21 152.50–156.00 $153.68 $639 +6.68
477 unweaned 477 3 142.00 $142.00 $677 +3.23
475–498 487 23 149.00–151.00 $149.77 $729 +4.77
520 unweaned 520 2 135.00 $135.00 $702 -0.56
530 530 3 140.00 $140.00 $742
573 573 2 141.00 $141.00 $808 -5.00
603–648 unweaned 626 4 130.00 $130.00 $814 +15.00
628–647 630 26 140.00–142.25 $141.98 $894 +10.32
685 unweaned 685 2 128.00 $128.00 $877 +6.00
735–745 738 3 130.00–134.00 $131.35 $969
765 765 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,033 +2.00

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Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
818–985 888 85-90% 14 25.00–29.00 $26.91 $239
800–980 897 85-90% 42 32.00–38.50 $35.38 $317
960–1255 1054 85-90% 88 40.00–46.00 $43.34 $457 -1.46
1020–1160 1059 85-90% 16 58.00–62.00 $59.10 $626 +14.30
981–1266 1088 85-90% 41 33.00–39.50 $37.63 $409 -7.17
1005–1205 1104 85-90% 19 48.00–55.00 $49.91 $551
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1280 1280 80-85% 3 56.00 $56.00 $717 -10.23
1198–1480 1318 80-85% 31 69.00–73.00 $70.63 $931
1139–1505 1331 80-85% 50 61.00–67.00 $64.01 $852
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1404–1665 1552 75-80% 20 72.50–78.00 $76.18 $1,182
1567–1730 1587 75-80% 8 70.00 $70.00 $1,111

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YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1315 1315 1 83.00 $83.00 $1,091
1685–1800 1743 2 89.00–91.00 $89.97 $1,568

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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.