Cattle Market Pulse

Farmers and Ranchers Livestock Commission Co. Feeder Cattle Special Market Report

Salina, Kansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock (Special)

Sale of Tuesday, October 31, 2023

2,189 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Farmers and Ranchers Livestock Commission Co. Feeder Cattle Special report →

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $275.94/cwt +60.46 vs last sale · ≈ $1,742/hd at 631 lb · 299 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $281.49/cwt +41.92 vs last sale · ≈ $1,620/hd at 576 lb · 277 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $255.92/cwt +50.25 vs last sale · ≈ $1,697/hd at 663 lb · 195 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,189 3,091 2,647
Feeder cattle 2,189 3,091 2,647

This was the first special calf sale of the season. Mostly unweaned calves. For the most part calves off the cow brought the same price as weaned cattle. I attribute this to the fact that most of the unweaned cattle had good vaccination programs. The receipts were light to moderate with very good demand.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 unweaned 335 3 335.00 $335.00 $1,122
358–380 thin fleshed 369 6 335.00 $335.00 $1,236
373 unweaned 373 2 290.00 $290.00 $1,082
373 373 3 315.00 $315.00 $1,175 +92.48
423 423 5 320.00 $320.00 $1,354 +82.02
435–443 unweaned 439 20 312.00–325.00 $319.86 $1,404
456–489 unweaned 471 40 324.00–329.00 $325.25 $1,532
456–496 476 8 299.00–300.00 $299.48 $1,426 +63.99
478 fancy 478 17 344.00 $344.00 $1,644 +84.00
499 thin fleshed 499 24 332.00 $332.00 $1,657
502 thin fleshed 502 9 328.00 $328.00 $1,647
525 fancy 525 32 320.00 $320.00 $1,680 +71.00
514–532 526 22 313.00–315.00 $313.62 $1,650 +69.29
506–547 unweaned 537 66 290.00–304.00 $295.96 $1,589
554–588 562 14 266.00–288.00 $279.86 $1,573 +40.50
557–589 thin fleshed 567 102 297.00–299.00 $298.46 $1,692
579 fancy 579 25 294.00 $294.00 $1,702 +48.00
573–591 unweaned 583 136 260.00–280.00 $266.63 $1,554
609–645 616 48 243.00–262.00 $257.15 $1,584 +49.95
631 thin fleshed 631 36 296.50 $296.50 $1,871
603–641 unweaned 633 91 246.00–259.00 $255.85 $1,620
636 fancy 636 124 292.00 $292.00 $1,857 +65.75
651 thin fleshed 651 24 270.00 $270.00 $1,758
652–669 unweaned 662 145 245.00–262.00 $252.56 $1,672
680–683 680 26 244.00–264.00 $261.68 $1,779 +56.01
701–704 unweaned 702 29 234.00–238.50 $236.74 $1,662
705–713 710 76 242.50–266.50 $257.29 $1,827 +72.06
760–763 762 25 228.50–240.00 $233.55 $1,780 +47.40
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
378–382 unweaned 379 9 276.00–284.00 $281.31 $1,066
463–495 479 6 260.00–274.00 $267.23 $1,280 +40.99
522–541 unweaned 529 17 277.00–284.00 $278.83 $1,475
550–581 567 10 247.50–259.00 $251.53 $1,426 +32.71
558–592 unweaned 579 19 245.00–258.00 $253.32 $1,467
637 637 3 241.00 $241.00 $1,535 +45.20
635–648 unweaned 639 18 235.00–240.00 $236.69 $1,512
653–693 unweaned 680 18 234.00–234.50 $234.34 $1,594
703 703 11 240.00 $240.00 $1,687
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
526 unweaned 526 5 290.00 $290.00 $1,525

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 fancy 365 4 308.00 $308.00 $1,124
373–387 unweaned 384 15 271.00–285.00 $282.28 $1,084
423 thin fleshed 423 10 296.00 $296.00 $1,252
428 428 5 282.00 $282.00 $1,207 +68.13
408–437 unweaned 429 7 279.00–284.00 $280.36 $1,203
473 fancy 473 26 273.00 $273.00 $1,291
452–497 unweaned 475 48 257.00–266.00 $261.95 $1,244
473–495 485 10 248.00–254.00 $249.76 $1,211 +36.28
504–540 unweaned 521 104 241.00–258.50 $253.74 $1,322
524–547 530 57 244.00–261.00 $258.01 $1,367 +52.42
532 thin fleshed 532 17 265.00 $265.00 $1,410
565–595 unweaned 581 116 235.00–254.00 $249.29 $1,448
555–598 583 44 236.00–252.00 $245.77 $1,433 +55.27
593 thin fleshed 593 25 257.50 $257.50 $1,527
617 fancy 617 41 244.50 $244.50 $1,509 +56.50
604–647 unweaned 629 120 225.00–237.00 $230.60 $1,450
603–641 635 15 226.00–238.00 $233.91 $1,485 +52.81
670 670 5 228.00 $228.00 $1,528 +50.07
653–694 unweaned 682 64 218.00–224.00 $219.64 $1,498
771 771 9 206.00 $206.00 $1,588 +34.73
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
504 unweaned 504 5 237.00 $237.00 $1,194
547 547 5 242.00 $242.00 $1,324 +46.48
571–594 unweaned 586 20 226.00–232.00 $230.09 $1,348
589 589 7 231.00 $231.00 $1,361 +47.38
607 607 3 222.00 $222.00 $1,348 +46.50
694 unweaned 694 6 202.00 $202.00 $1,402

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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.