Cattle Market Pulse

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

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

Sale of Tuesday, December 5, 2023

3,253 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $246.09/cwt +17.50 vs last sale · ≈ $1,656/hd at 673 lb · 395 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $262.52/cwt +18.52 vs last sale · ≈ $1,632/hd at 622 lb · 244 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $236.70/cwt +15.97 vs last sale · ≈ $1,714/hd at 724 lb · 240 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,253 1,268 3,084
Feeder cattle 3,253 1,268 3,084

Market comments — USDA reporter

Really nice run of cattle today for the first weaned and vaccinated sale of the season. Over 3000 head today. All cattle were weaned for 30 + days and had at least one round of shots, many having 2 or 3 rounds. Due to this being a special sale, there was no recent comparison. The receipts were moderate with good demand.

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
400–445 418 23 295.00–308.00 $303.72 $1,270 —
418 thin fleshed 418 5 313.00 $313.00 $1,308 —
461–488 thin fleshed 471 54 315.00–320.00 $318.64 $1,501 +11.14
472 fancy 472 10 317.00 $317.00 $1,496 —
471–491 482 16 293.00–310.00 $302.07 $1,456 —
503–536 thin fleshed 515 42 306.00–312.00 $308.44 $1,588 —
518 fancy 518 10 318.00 $318.00 $1,647 +34.00
514–549 540 130 290.00–297.00 $293.12 $1,583 +33.84
555–571 thin fleshed 560 46 285.00–287.00 $286.16 $1,602 +13.66
558–592 584 151 268.00–281.00 $273.81 $1,599 +15.96
608 thin fleshed 608 25 280.00 $280.00 $1,702 +22.00
604–638 fancy 612 98 266.00–270.00 $268.48 $1,643 +15.48
600–648 632 121 248.00–262.00 $254.09 $1,606 +15.17
658 fancy 658 19 266.00 $266.00 $1,750 —
670–682 thin fleshed 672 81 254.25–254.50 $254.28 $1,709 —
651–691 674 295 233.00–249.00 $242.56 $1,635 +13.18
707 thin fleshed 707 28 242.00 $242.00 $1,711 —
701–746 721 169 228.00–239.50 $233.96 $1,687 +9.65
747 fancy 747 43 244.00 $244.00 $1,823 —
753–786 fancy 775 119 236.50–238.00 $236.81 $1,835 —
761–795 780 96 224.00–234.00 $228.54 $1,783 +3.54
807–828 811 55 214.00–225.00 $218.36 $1,771 —
854–873 863 64 216.00–231.00 $221.44 $1,911 —
900 900 23 213.00 $213.00 $1,917 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–326 323 7 260.00–270.00 $264.24 $853 —
403–443 426 17 280.00–290.00 $286.78 $1,222 —
454–473 460 6 290.00 $290.00 $1,334 +14.67
511–543 528 20 268.00–285.00 $278.84 $1,472 —
550–597 580 55 250.00–265.00 $257.85 $1,496 +17.35
612–647 629 20 241.00–250.00 $245.99 $1,547 —
658–697 680 27 220.00–232.00 $228.77 $1,556 —
728–730 729 11 219.00–226.00 $224.09 $1,634 —
789 789 4 220.00 $220.00 $1,736 —
875 875 12 202.00 $202.00 $1,768 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
527–537 533 13 272.00–282.00 $275.80 $1,470 +40.80
618–627 624 7 230.00–246.00 $234.52 $1,463 +2.02
692 692 3 230.00 $230.00 $1,592 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
483 483 6 247.50 $247.50 $1,195 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
303–333 316 8 257.00–265.00 $260.24 $822 —
397–398 397 15 268.00–285.00 $271.41 $1,077 —
405–445 438 49 278.00–285.00 $282.41 $1,237 —
461 fancy 461 9 280.00 $280.00 $1,291 —
461 thin fleshed 461 12 279.00 $279.00 $1,286 +18.00
459–491 473 64 263.00–276.00 $270.78 $1,281 +27.35
501–515 thin fleshed 507 31 273.00–275.50 $274.43 $1,391 —
507 fancy 507 10 278.00 $278.00 $1,409 —
507–543 531 161 253.00–268.50 $263.78 $1,401 +17.78
550–574 fancy 558 44 259.00 $259.00 $1,445 —
556–597 579 125 234.00–251.00 $240.78 $1,394 +11.85
613 613 6 247.50 $247.50 $1,517 —
600–645 624 88 224.00–238.00 $229.57 $1,433 —
600–642 fancy 628 64 240.00–242.00 $240.63 $1,511 —
629 thin fleshed 629 21 240.00 $240.00 $1,510 —
655 thin fleshed 655 16 239.50 $239.50 $1,569 —
656–694 675 79 220.00–235.00 $223.61 $1,509 +1.61
708 fancy 708 24 220.00 $220.00 $1,558 —
703–749 724 77 204.00–217.00 $213.45 $1,545 —
757–799 795 28 205.00–206.00 $205.90 $1,637 —
935 935 12 198.00 $198.00 $1,851 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
349 349 4 244.00 $244.00 $852 -16.00
362 362 3 265.00 $265.00 $959 —
454–488 468 21 252.00–259.00 $255.03 $1,194 —
500–545 523 38 237.00–252.00 $244.67 $1,280 —
558–594 587 27 225.00–230.00 $228.67 $1,342 —
601–644 632 27 211.00–221.00 $218.05 $1,378 —
656–695 668 13 211.00–217.00 $213.77 $1,428 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
509 509 6 239.00 $239.00 $1,217 —
600–643 625 17 221.00–223.00 $222.44 $1,390 —

↑ Back to top

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.