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 23, 2024

3,536 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $239.67/cwt +7.31 vs last sale · ≈ $1,876/hd at 783 lb · 285 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $229.59/cwt +4.71 vs last sale · ≈ $2,046/hd at 891 lb · 279 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $238.29/cwt -11.42 vs last sale · ≈ $1,485/hd at 623 lb · 265 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,536 3,112 2,848
Feeder cattle 3,536 3,112 2,848

Market comments — USDA reporter

Really nice weaned and vaccinated sale this week. This sale was rescheduled from earlier in the month, due to the weather. Since this is a special weaned and vaccinated sale, there are really no comparables. The overall market did seem to have a higher tone compared to 3 weeks ago. The receipts were moderate with good demand. I think demand is there due to the moisture we are receiving and this is when a lot of buyers start purchasing their grass cattle for the summer. I think maybe we have some optimism for the summer grazing.

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
355–385 375 6 352.00–360.00 $354.52 $1,329 +3.52
413–424 421 8 340.00–350.00 $342.45 $1,442 +23.29
458–497 486 30 327.00–338.00 $333.02 $1,618 +17.05
506–546 521 121 335.00–350.00 $341.18 $1,778 +25.73
557 fancy 557 10 329.00 $329.00 $1,833 —
569 thin fleshed 569 7 322.00 $322.00 $1,832 +4.00
552–592 575 61 300.00–319.00 $306.73 $1,764 -3.89
602 thin fleshed 602 13 305.00 $305.00 $1,836 +24.50
612 fancy 612 20 295.50 $295.50 $1,808 -0.50
620–643 634 50 272.00–280.00 $275.21 $1,745 +0.19
660–669 fancy 666 39 275.00–276.00 $275.30 $1,833 -24.70
662–694 675 193 259.00–272.00 $265.62 $1,793 +18.81
714 fancy 714 14 257.00 $257.00 $1,835 —
714–749 735 173 240.50–252.00 $248.58 $1,827 +11.31
750–788 thin fleshed 769 39 248.00–252.00 $250.00 $1,922 +2.00
751–794 785 246 231.00–247.00 $238.03 $1,869 +10.02
819 fancy 819 26 243.00 $243.00 $1,990 +6.00
831–834 833 25 227.00–237.00 $230.59 $1,921 +10.85
868–897 881 41 212.50–226.00 $217.76 $1,918 -1.63
891–894 fancy 893 238 231.50–231.75 $231.63 $2,068 —
921–929 924 12 212.50–219.00 $215.22 $1,989 +7.22
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
398 398 14 320.00 $320.00 $1,274 —
468–478 473 12 312.00–320.00 $316.05 $1,495 +21.97
514–535 520 10 282.00–300.00 $294.45 $1,531 -0.73
551–599 588 144 285.00–296.00 $293.33 $1,725 +20.04
641–644 643 19 260.00–265.00 $261.05 $1,679 +14.01
655–698 682 86 235.00–252.00 $246.19 $1,679 +11.56
718–738 734 23 219.00–236.00 $230.27 $1,690 +9.75
790–791 791 21 225.00 $225.00 $1,780 +5.00
804–848 823 28 217.00–219.50 $218.90 $1,802 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
459 459 10 302.00 $302.00 $1,386 —
568 568 19 285.00 $285.00 $1,619 —
602 602 3 268.00 $268.00 $1,613 —
757 757 8 227.00 $227.00 $1,718 —
826 826 5 220.00 $220.00 $1,817 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
403–405 fancy 404 8 310.00–312.00 $311.25 $1,257 —
428–443 439 10 290.00–295.00 $291.46 $1,280 -14.03
458 thin fleshed 458 6 280.00 $280.00 $1,282 —
462–499 488 60 257.00–275.00 $263.05 $1,284 -34.78
507 fancy 507 10 295.00 $295.00 $1,496 —
501–549 529 60 249.00–267.00 $259.93 $1,375 -12.45
551–561 fancy 555 15 310.00 $310.00 $1,720 +32.00
565 thin fleshed 565 10 271.00 $271.00 $1,531 -6.00
552–592 575 108 249.00–267.00 $256.18 $1,473 -8.86
600–649 623 265 230.00–243.00 $238.29 $1,485 -7.47
656 fancy 656 15 239.00 $239.00 $1,568 -5.00
653–694 685 204 220.50–234.00 $226.64 $1,552 +1.06
700–731 714 134 216.00–225.00 $221.20 $1,579 +2.43
720 thin fleshed 720 39 227.00 $227.00 $1,634 —
754–776 763 70 202.00–216.00 $212.83 $1,624 -4.21
782 782 183 217.50 $217.50 $1,701 +0.46
805 fancy 805 5 211.00 $211.00 $1,699 —
805–843 822 43 195.00–206.50 $196.95 $1,619 -7.05
851 851 131 212.50 $212.50 $1,808 +17.50
861 861 8 201.00 $201.00 $1,731 +6.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405–428 424 16 256.00–260.00 $256.72 $1,088 -30.78
484–496 492 31 245.00–250.00 $248.33 $1,222 -21.02
523 523 15 246.00 $246.00 $1,287 -14.39
553–574 567 12 237.00–241.00 $239.02 $1,355 -5.15
611–635 623 19 224.00–227.00 $226.52 $1,411 -5.71
699 699 10 216.00 $216.00 $1,510 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
558 fancy 558 4 275.00 $275.00 $1,534 —

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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.