Cattle Market Pulse

Cattlemen's Livestock Auction Market Report

Dalhart, Texas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 12, 2024

3,092 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 $260.13/cwt +12.32 vs last sale · ≈ $2,097/hd at 806 lb · 194 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $332.53/cwt -19.37 vs last sale · ≈ $1,745/hd at 525 lb · 189 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $314.75/cwt +30.26 vs last sale · ≈ $1,952/hd at 620 lb · 189 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,092 3,606 1,110
Feeder cattle 2,650 2,991 783
Slaughter cattle 442 589 327
Replacement cattle — 26 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: The market continued upward on both calf and feeder steers. With most gains $10.00 or higher with a greater demand on healthy, thin flesh calves ready to turn out. Feeders were traded somewhat less active but still strong. Heifers didn't fare as well as they made a slide backwards, but like the steers, healthy thin fleshed calves topped the sell.Slaughter cattle remained steady for high yielding breakers while boners gained $7.00.

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
311–348 330 8 420.00–425.00 $422.64 $1,395 —
378 thin fleshed 378 12 454.00 $454.00 $1,716 —
390 fancy 390 12 433.00 $433.00 $1,689 —
395 395 16 397.50–400.00 $398.28 $1,573 -60.72
420 fancy 420 5 425.00 $425.00 $1,785 —
424–439 434 51 409.00–427.50 $424.36 $1,842 +33.27
445 thin fleshed 445 4 350.00 $350.00 $1,558 —
453 fancy 453 7 370.00 $370.00 $1,676 -17.50
458–493 471 87 332.50–350.00 $349.12 $1,644 +6.62
516 thin fleshed 516 55 320.00 $320.00 $1,651 —
500–547 521 64 271.00–337.50 $317.11 $1,652 -48.04
532–538 fancy 535 70 342.50–360.00 $356.47 $1,907 —
556–588 565 19 299.00–313.00 $305.54 $1,726 +20.54
565–583 thin fleshed 574 167 320.00–327.00 $324.41 $1,862 —
602 fancy 602 20 309.00 $309.00 $1,860 —
614–623 thin fleshed 618 137 322.00–324.00 $323.00 $1,996 —
608–649 641 32 281.00–294.00 $283.04 $1,814 -0.83
651–678 673 45 262.50–277.00 $271.83 $1,829 +31.83
658–683 677 17 260.00–280.00 $264.57 $1,791 +24.57
728 728 21 256.50 $256.50 $1,867 +11.50
716–734 732 71 251.00–256.00 $253.93 $1,859 +8.93
753–796 785 97 252.00–260.50 $258.17 $2,027 +3.57
803 803 39 261.00 $261.00 $2,096 +13.19
801–815 807 155 258.50–262.00 $259.91 $2,097 +12.10
854 854 6 252.00 $252.00 $2,152 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
278 278 3 330.00 $330.00 $917 —
465–468 466 8 310.00–317.50 $312.82 $1,458 -7.18
517–544 533 16 290.00–295.00 $292.96 $1,561 -26.04
559 559 23 289.00 $289.00 $1,616 +8.00
602–647 633 27 265.00–290.00 $274.72 $1,739 —
682 682 5 266.00 $266.00 $1,814 +39.97
768 768 18 230.00 $230.00 $1,766 —
883–892 886 51 209.00–219.00 $215.45 $1,909 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
427 427 3 267.50 $267.50 $1,142 —
495 495 2 261.00 $261.00 $1,292 —
517–540 521 11 257.50–280.00 $261.74 $1,364 -11.19
597 597 15 257.00 $257.00 $1,534 -2.00
615 615 4 212.50 $212.50 $1,307 —
678 678 8 244.00 $244.00 $1,654 —
883 883 2 210.00 $210.00 $1,854 +50.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
278 278 6 411.00 $411.00 $1,143 -19.00
357–362 thin fleshed 361 14 377.50–385.00 $379.09 $1,369 —
363–384 375 12 342.50–345.00 $343.51 $1,288 +21.46
406–445 419 12 282.50–285.00 $284.11 $1,190 -68.64
428 fancy 428 3 325.00 $325.00 $1,391 —
427–445 thin fleshed 442 36 335.00–337.50 $335.47 $1,483 —
465 thin fleshed 465 30 328.00 $328.00 $1,525 —
479 fancy 479 4 315.00 $315.00 $1,509 -26.00
469–495 489 47 278.00–300.00 $292.54 $1,431 -51.45
509–529 515 39 270.00–280.00 $272.43 $1,403 -26.17
503–528 thin fleshed 527 78 299.00–302.50 $302.41 $1,594 —
554–561 560 24 310.00 $310.00 $1,736 +47.50
620–639 632 23 261.00–263.00 $262.47 $1,659 -0.26
646 646 4 234.00 $234.00 $1,512 -28.73
665–690 672 72 235.00–255.00 $241.05 $1,620 -0.20
685 685 2 246.00 $246.00 $1,685 +4.75
743–746 746 26 225.00–238.00 $237.00 $1,768 -0.20
751–757 756 24 227.00–238.50 $228.90 $1,730 —
828 828 2 218.00 $218.00 $1,805 —
889 889 9 213.00 $213.00 $1,894 +43.00
907 907 7 210.00 $210.00 $1,905 ±0.00
983 983 4 207.00 $207.00 $2,035 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
278 278 3 330.00 $330.00 $917 —
415 415 2 295.00 $295.00 $1,224 +29.49
464–495 477 16 268.00–284.00 $272.90 $1,302 -39.73
547 547 16 240.00 $240.00 $1,313 -15.00
553 553 9 257.00 $257.00 $1,421 +30.04
554–597 584 59 258.00–276.00 $268.44 $1,568 +41.48
603 603 6 235.00 $235.00 $1,417 +3.34
787 787 8 225.00 $225.00 $1,771 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 2 285.00 $285.00 $926 —
370–372 371 5 300.00–315.00 $309.02 $1,146 —
432 432 8 265.00 $265.00 $1,145 —
463–494 486 8 227.50–230.00 $228.10 $1,109 -32.90
508 508 4 230.00 $230.00 $1,168 +17.50
564–590 567 16 217.50–237.00 $234.46 $1,329 +54.46
637 637 5 192.50 $192.50 $1,226 -11.96
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1087–1099 1093 18 200.00–201.00 $200.50 $2,191 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
140 140 2 500.00 $500.00 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
429 unweaned 429 5 397.50 $397.50 $1,705 —
612–618 613 14 249.00–258.00 $250.30 $1,534 +3.30
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
265 265 1 900.00 $900.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
895 895 80-85% 3 84.00 $84.00 $752 -11.00
903 903 80-85% 2 99.00 $99.00 $894 —
943–1178 1124 80-85% 32 91.00–97.00 $93.86 $1,055 +9.23
1125–1395 1283 80-85% 23 112.00–122.00 $115.70 $1,484 —
1063–1413 1322 80-85% 26 107.00–118.00 $111.26 $1,471 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950–1590 1372 75-80% 35 114.00–122.00 $119.18 $1,635 +1.26
1417 1417 75-80% 7 114.00 $114.00 $1,615 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
818–872 859 85-90% 8 66.00–76.00 $72.86 $626 —
825–1325 884 85-90% 19 70.00–79.50 $74.04 $655 —
1074 1074 85-90% 4 104.00 $104.00 $1,117 —
1080–1150 1092 85-90% 6 80.00–84.00 $80.70 $881 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
945–1515 1230 2 140.00–158.00 $146.91 $1,807 —

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Beef Dairy Heifers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
349 349 4 275.00 $275.00 $960 —
363 363 4 260.00 $260.00 $944 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 7 237.50 $237.50 $582 —
350 350 2 210.00 $210.00 $735 —

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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.