heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers$326.99/cwt≈ $2,537/hd at 776 lb · 135 head
light 9-weight M&L 1 steers$341.36/cwt≈ $3,130/hd at 917 lb · 133 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers$406.16/cwt+6.16 vs last sale · ≈ $2,945/hd at 725 lb · 122 head
Dalhart 7-weight heifers sold at $327/cwt, running $29/cwt below the TX average ($356) and $37/cwt under Fort Worth ($364). The class has held flat from its mid-June peak of $354.
What this means — computed from this report and its neighbors
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
1,887
1,294
2,109
Feeder cattle
1,534
926
1,546
Slaughter cattle
350
326
563
Replacement cattle
3
42
0
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week: There was a stronger turnout of better quality calves and feeders. There were few comparable sales to state a trend but sentiment favored a higher market. Demand followed the better quality cattle, while bidding on the plainer cattle seemed moderate. A large turnout of open beef cows powered the slaughter market, keeping it steady to maybe just a tick lower. However, demand was high and trade was active. Though some areas have seen measurable rainfall, there is still a large area of the panhandle that continues to remain dry. Whatever green there was diminished quickly with 100 degree temperatures and high winds.
▲ Feeder cattle: There was a stronger turnout of better quality calves and feeders
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.
Compared to last week: There was a stronger turnout of better quality calves and feeders. There were few comparable sales to state a trend but sentiment favored a higher market. Demand followed the better quality cattle, while bidding on the plainer cattle seemed moderate. A large turnout of open beef cows powered the slaughter market, keeping it steady to maybe just a tick lower. However, demand was high and trade was active. Though some areas have seen measurable rainfall, there is still a large area of the panhandle that continues to remain dry. Whatever green there was diminished quickly with 100 degree temperatures and high winds.