Cattle Market Pulse

Cattlemen's Livestock Auction Market Report, Dalhart, TX

Dalhart, Texas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 5, 2024

3,606 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $247.81/cwt -4.02 vs last sale · ≈ $2,047/hd at 826 lb · 379 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $263.17/cwt -5.90 vs last sale · ≈ $1,792/hd at 681 lb · 176 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $262.76/cwt +7.19 vs last sale · ≈ $1,615/hd at 615 lb · 155 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,606 2,410 2,278
Feeder cattle 2,991 1,943 1,812
Slaughter cattle 589 467 466
Replacement cattle 26 — 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to two weeks ago: Coming out of the Thanksgiving holiday, pastures drying out from much needed rain, and a demand for wheat cattle as a result; brought positives to the market. Turn out was high in numbers and prices took a big leap on most classes. The biggest jump was in both steer and heifer calves as producers seek cattle for wheat. Feeders were less active but still trended upward. Slaughter cattle were the only down turn slipping $6.00 on high yielding cows. Trade was active and demand was high.

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
243 thin fleshed 243 3 520.00 $520.00 $1,264 —
289 thin fleshed 289 13 485.00 $485.00 $1,402 —
290 290 2 390.00 $390.00 $1,131 —
294 fancy 294 4 500.00 $500.00 $1,470 —
330 fancy 330 6 500.00 $500.00 $1,650 +67.00
349 thin fleshed 349 4 357.50 $357.50 $1,248 —
377 377 44 459.00 $459.00 $1,730 —
382 unweaned 382 14 365.00 $365.00 $1,394 —
443–449 447 7 387.50–392.50 $391.09 $1,748 -3.61
470 470 3 342.50 $342.50 $1,610 +18.93
454–494 477 32 327.50–353.00 $340.11 $1,622 +16.54
488 fancy 488 8 387.50 $387.50 $1,891 +39.41
495 unweaned 495 2 315.00 $315.00 $1,559 —
518–520 518 39 365.00–366.00 $365.15 $1,891 +52.02
535 unweaned 535 14 315.00 $315.00 $1,685 —
569–581 fancy 575 68 317.00–330.00 $323.72 $1,861 +2.49
592–595 594 7 285.00 $285.00 $1,693 -14.89
606–625 611 7 286.00–311.00 $293.30 $1,792 +0.53
601–648 638 99 272.50–297.00 $283.87 $1,811 +42.87
657 fancy 657 7 290.00 $290.00 $1,905 —
675 675 2 240.00 $240.00 $1,620 -29.07
667–694 682 167 259.00–271.50 $262.32 $1,789 -6.75
725 725 3 245.00 $245.00 $1,776 -8.51
757–797 784 142 244.00–263.75 $254.60 $1,996 +7.67
800–845 826 379 238.50–254.00 $247.81 $2,047 -4.02
903 903 57 233.50 $233.50 $2,109 —
972 972 5 222.00 $222.00 $2,158 +34.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
424–437 427 18 300.00–325.00 $307.59 $1,313 +14.59
469 469 8 320.00 $320.00 $1,501 —
540 540 11 319.00 $319.00 $1,723 +34.00
580 580 2 281.00 $281.00 $1,630 -5.50
653–663 656 31 222.50–227.50 $226.03 $1,483 -11.97
705 705 9 232.50 $232.50 $1,639 -14.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500–541 531 8 250.00–280.00 $272.93 $1,449 +29.93
563 563 3 289.00 $289.00 $1,627 +38.75
593 593 4 259.00 $259.00 $1,536 +8.75
723 723 2 229.00 $229.00 $1,656 —
822 822 12 217.00 $217.00 $1,784 +19.50
898 898 2 160.00 $160.00 $1,437 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
244 unweaned 244 6 1,050.00 $1,050.00 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
268 thin fleshed 268 12 440.00 $440.00 $1,179 —
293 293 3 430.00 $430.00 $1,260 +39.00
310 310 3 317.00 $317.00 $983 -78.74
341 fancy 341 30 395.00 $395.00 $1,347 —
355 unweaned 355 3 335.00 $335.00 $1,189 —
355–375 371 14 320.00–330.00 $322.05 $1,195 -5.95
415–440 432 15 345.00–361.00 $352.75 $1,524 +6.01
436–446 unweaned 443 14 286.00–310.00 $292.75 $1,297 —
459–468 464 11 335.00–355.00 $343.99 $1,596 +65.15
468 fancy 468 5 341.00 $341.00 $1,596 +39.00
473 unweaned 473 2 285.00 $285.00 $1,348 —
510–547 521 61 289.00–310.00 $298.60 $1,556 +15.97
506–548 fancy 533 23 295.00–302.50 $297.47 $1,586 —
595 595 21 262.50 $262.50 $1,562 -13.56
605 unweaned 605 18 263.00 $263.00 $1,591 —
609–635 616 137 245.00–268.00 $262.73 $1,618 +7.16
670–696 680 19 240.00–242.00 $241.25 $1,640 +13.25
700–746 721 107 235.00–239.00 $237.20 $1,710 +0.47
861–881 873 25 218.00–226.00 $219.29 $1,914 -1.71
875 875 2 170.00 $170.00 $1,488 -51.00
914 914 10 210.00 $210.00 $1,919 +2.00
1048 1048 5 190.00 $190.00 $1,991 —
1093 1093 2 193.00 $193.00 $2,109 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255 thin fleshed 255 3 360.00 $360.00 $918 —
412–444 430 29 257.00–270.00 $265.51 $1,142 +35.51
459 unweaned 459 9 257.50 $257.50 $1,182 —
457–498 494 121 312.00–322.00 $312.63 $1,544 +92.63
512 512 7 255.00 $255.00 $1,306 +22.00
556–599 578 27 220.00–242.00 $226.96 $1,312 -16.61
633–636 634 15 230.00–232.50 $231.66 $1,469 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
482 482 3 261.00 $261.00 $1,258 +24.95
495 thin fleshed 495 5 198.00 $198.00 $980 —
506 506 6 212.50 $212.50 $1,075 -42.50
557 557 3 180.00 $180.00 $1,003 -66.48
618–623 621 4 195.00–214.00 $204.46 $1,270 -17.98
674–697 683 8 178.00–195.00 $188.49 $1,287 -16.51
876 876 5 193.00 $193.00 $1,691 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
276 276 9 800.00 $800.00 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
488 488 2 240.00 $240.00 $1,171 —
553 553 2 261.00 $261.00 $1,443 —
648 648 3 247.00 $247.00 $1,601 —
913 913 2 175.00 $175.00 $1,598 —
1450 1450 1 140.00 $140.00 $2,030 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
801–885 825 80-85% 7 74.00–78.00 $76.77 $633 —
878 878 80-85% 2 95.00 $95.00 $834 —
941–1264 1148 80-85% 20 77.00–89.00 $84.63 $972 -35.55
918–1324 1160 80-85% 57 80.00–97.50 $92.55 $1,074 —
1059–1443 1168 80-85% 95 100.00–111.00 $106.84 $1,248 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1057–1220 1166 75-80% 9 85.00–86.00 $85.30 $995 —
1208 1208 75-80% 2 103.00 $103.00 $1,244 —
1065–1670 1362 75-80% 39 112.00–121.00 $117.92 $1,606 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
748–948 838 85-90% 10 67.00–70.00 $68.33 $573 —
763–878 849 85-90% 9 64.00–65.00 $64.80 $550 —
990 990 85-90% 2 92.00 $92.00 $911 —
995–1065 1026 85-90% 10 70.00–76.50 $71.89 $738 —
1207 1207 85-90% 5 85.00 $85.00 $1,026 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1660–1705 1688 3 143.00–148.50 $146.15 $2,467 —
YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065 1065 1 100.00 $100.00 $1,065 —
1535–1815 1675 2 124.00–126.00 $125.08 $2,095 -15.47

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1185 1185 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 124.00 $124.00 $1,469
1195 1195 Aged (>8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 2 120.00 $120.00 $1,434
1205–1294 1256 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 7 124.00–129.00 $126.06 $1,583
1262 1262 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 14 136.00 $136.00 $1,716

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Beef Dairy Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
427 427 5 285.00 $285.00 $1,217 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
399 399 14 272.00 $272.00 $1,085 —
498 498 4 290.00 $290.00 $1,444 —

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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.