Cattle Market Pulse

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

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

Sale of Tuesday, January 2, 2024

3,112 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $238.05/cwt +1.35 vs last sale · ≈ $1,730/hd at 727 lb · 316 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $232.35/cwt -0.76 vs last sale · ≈ $1,801/hd at 775 lb · 283 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $226.10/cwt -0.18 vs last sale · ≈ $1,554/hd at 687 lb · 246 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,112 3,253 4,457
Feeder cattle 3,112 3,253 4,457

Market comments — USDA reporter

This is the second weaned and vaccinated sale of the season. Farmers and Ranchers will have 2 more special weaned and vaccinated sales coming up next Tuesday and the first Tuesday of February. There is no good comparison since this is a special sale and the last special calf sale was a month ago, however the overall market trend seemed to have a higher tone. 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
371 371 5 351.00 $351.00 $1,302 —
423–433 427 5 315.00–322.00 $319.16 $1,363 +15.44
474–482 fancy 478 16 335.00–339.00 $336.74 $1,610 +19.74
464–493 479 9 312.00–320.00 $315.97 $1,513 +13.90
491 thin fleshed 491 17 332.00 $332.00 $1,630 +13.36
502–547 523 66 310.00–319.00 $315.45 $1,650 +22.33
510–539 fancy 528 28 328.00–330.00 $329.58 $1,740 +11.58
551–565 555 24 305.00–313.00 $310.62 $1,724 +36.81
559 thin fleshed 559 32 318.00 $318.00 $1,778 +31.84
607 thin fleshed 607 46 280.50 $280.50 $1,703 +0.50
615 fancy 615 12 296.00 $296.00 $1,820 +27.52
600–649 633 149 268.00–278.50 $275.02 $1,741 +20.93
651 thin fleshed 651 21 265.00 $265.00 $1,725 +10.72
662 fancy 662 5 300.00 $300.00 $1,986 +34.00
661–699 676 171 242.00–255.00 $246.81 $1,668 +4.25
725 thin fleshed 725 30 245.50 $245.50 $1,780 +3.50
706–749 727 286 229.00–243.00 $237.27 $1,725 +3.31
750 thin fleshed 750 10 248.00 $248.00 $1,860 —
771–772 fancy 771 74 241.50–242.50 $241.92 $1,865 +5.11
753–785 778 199 224.25–238.00 $228.01 $1,774 -0.53
800–845 825 164 217.00–224.75 $219.74 $1,813 +1.38
828 fancy 828 25 237.00 $237.00 $1,962 —
853–854 fancy 854 136 228.00–229.25 $228.56 $1,952 —
859–869 867 91 214.50–220.00 $219.39 $1,902 -2.05
907 fancy 907 27 219.50 $219.50 $1,991 —
914 914 8 208.00 $208.00 $1,901 -5.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470–479 474 17 290.00–300.00 $294.08 $1,394 +4.08
527–540 534 7 288.00–305.00 $295.18 $1,576 +16.34
572–596 588 66 263.00–285.00 $273.29 $1,607 +15.44
600–638 616 39 235.00–253.50 $247.04 $1,522 +1.05
660–697 675 33 232.00–241.00 $234.63 $1,584 +5.86
747–749 749 25 219.00–221.00 $220.52 $1,652 -3.57
795 795 4 220.00 $220.00 $1,749 ±0.00
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
642 642 6 253.00 $253.00 $1,624 +18.48
878 878 26 205.00 $205.00 $1,800 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
362–395 384 10 290.00–305.00 $295.92 $1,136 +24.51
417–441 429 11 293.00–310.00 $305.49 $1,311 +23.08
458–481 470 8 291.00–305.00 $297.83 $1,400 +27.05
507–511 thin fleshed 508 55 295.00 $295.00 $1,499 +20.57
500–529 512 55 266.00–285.00 $272.38 $1,395 +8.60
543 fancy 543 11 290.00 $290.00 $1,575 —
558 fancy 558 11 278.00 $278.00 $1,551 +19.00
561 thin fleshed 561 35 277.00 $277.00 $1,554 —
552–599 583 84 256.00–273.50 $265.04 $1,545 +24.26
608–645 626 99 240.00–257.00 $245.76 $1,538 +16.19
636 fancy 636 24 266.00 $266.00 $1,692 +25.37
660 fancy 660 7 244.00 $244.00 $1,610 —
652–699 688 239 219.50–237.00 $225.58 $1,552 +1.97
709–742 725 132 216.00–222.00 $218.77 $1,586 +5.32
753–785 774 134 210.00–219.00 $217.04 $1,680 +11.14
793 793 62 218.50 $218.50 $1,733 +12.60
812 812 15 204.00 $204.00 $1,656 —
851 851 13 195.00 $195.00 $1,659 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
337 337 3 262.00 $262.00 $883 +18.00
410 410 3 287.50 $287.50 $1,179 —
467–475 471 15 267.00–272.00 $269.35 $1,269 +14.32
532–547 539 11 255.00–265.00 $260.39 $1,404 +15.72
557–591 573 38 235.00–252.00 $244.17 $1,399 +15.50
602–645 629 8 229.00–238.00 $232.23 $1,461 +14.18
780 780 3 205.00 $205.00 $1,599 —
830 830 3 192.00 $192.00 $1,594 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150 1150 10 156.50 $156.50 $1,800 —

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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.