Cattle Market Pulse

Farmers and Ranchers Livestock Commission Co. Market Report

Salina, Kansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 7, 2023

2,369 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $223.74/cwt +13.40 vs last sale · ≈ $1,633/hd at 730 lb · 219 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $258.24/cwt +33.21 vs last sale · ≈ $1,623/hd at 629 lb · 154 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $190.34/cwt +2.34 vs last sale · ≈ $1,557/hd at 818 lb · 148 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,369 2,081 2,958
Feeder cattle 2,369 2,081 2,958

Market comments — USDA reporter

On a light test, light steers under 750 lbs sold 5.00 to 8.00 higher and steers over 750 lbs sold 6.00 to 10.00 lower. The heifers sold mostly higher. The receipts were light to moderate partly due to the weaned and vaccinated sale last week taking a lot of this week's volume. The buyers seem eager to start looking for those light cattle to go to grass with, in the spring.

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
333 333 4 295.00 $295.00 $982 —
382 382 3 312.00 $312.00 $1,192 +21.93
429 429 5 302.00 $302.00 $1,296 +24.70
469–493 483 29 288.00–292.00 $289.88 $1,400 +9.15
538–540 539 26 270.00–286.00 $282.27 $1,521 +5.99
555 fancy 555 12 286.00 $286.00 $1,587 —
565–591 576 57 273.00–282.00 $276.16 $1,591 +37.35
597 unweaned 597 12 258.00 $258.00 $1,540 -11.00
618–621 fancy 619 37 265.00–270.00 $265.95 $1,646 —
606–628 thin fleshed 624 35 265.00–270.00 $268.30 $1,674 —
618–642 635 82 244.00–253.00 $250.47 $1,590 +20.17
658 thin fleshed 658 20 246.00 $246.00 $1,619 +7.00
678–691 688 14 228.00–236.00 $229.69 $1,580 +13.63
701 unweaned 701 17 217.00 $217.00 $1,521 +13.18
710–749 731 158 215.00–227.00 $223.00 $1,630 +8.14
737 thin fleshed 737 44 229.00 $229.00 $1,688 —
753–793 775 33 214.50–224.00 $219.56 $1,702 -6.86
832 832 29 213.50 $213.50 $1,776 +1.09
853–876 865 117 197.00–209.50 $204.72 $1,771 -10.86
910–912 910 73 194.00–196.00 $195.62 $1,780 -21.82
951–961 956 112 192.00–194.00 $193.01 $1,845 -9.99
988 988 30 184.00 $184.00 $1,818 -19.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
478–495 484 9 266.00–274.00 $268.73 $1,301 +28.73
530–545 536 5 259.00–264.00 $261.03 $1,399 +2.95
585–592 590 15 245.00–258.00 $253.73 $1,497 +38.83
641–642 641 38 236.00–241.25 $238.21 $1,527 +28.22
678–696 694 18 204.00–210.00 $207.79 $1,442 +20.36
708–732 720 6 199.00–205.00 $202.05 $1,455 +17.50
782–785 784 9 185.00–189.00 $187.22 $1,468 +7.22
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050 1050 31 175.00 $175.00 $1,838 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
437 437 3 251.00 $251.00 $1,097 —
558 558 3 251.00 $251.00 $1,401 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430–445 439 8 266.00–276.00 $272.33 $1,196 +8.41
477 unweaned 477 5 240.00 $240.00 $1,145 +17.50
483–491 489 11 250.00–254.00 $252.92 $1,237 +8.37
505 fancy 505 3 265.00 $265.00 $1,338 —
509–540 520 43 244.00–250.00 $248.01 $1,290 +12.45
556–589 579 81 231.00–244.00 $234.80 $1,359 +1.14
595 unweaned 595 22 225.50 $225.50 $1,342 —
601 unweaned 601 8 222.00 $222.00 $1,334 —
617 thin fleshed 617 12 231.00 $231.00 $1,425 —
600–643 620 83 217.00–227.00 $225.03 $1,395 +17.08
653 fancy 653 10 228.00 $228.00 $1,489 +14.00
657 unweaned 657 21 216.00 $216.00 $1,419 —
656–693 679 113 216.00–224.00 $219.24 $1,489 +15.73
702 fancy 702 3 211.00 $211.00 $1,481 —
703–747 734 109 195.25–203.50 $197.65 $1,451 -2.90
770–789 784 102 187.00–198.50 $194.17 $1,522 +5.25
816 fancy 816 66 192.25 $192.25 $1,569 —
817–829 820 82 186.50–189.50 $188.80 $1,548 +0.80
861 861 23 182.00 $182.00 $1,567 -2.98
948 948 26 175.00 $175.00 $1,659 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
434 434 7 253.00 $253.00 $1,098 —
485–497 489 10 227.00–239.00 $232.45 $1,137 +9.45
544–545 545 14 224.00–232.00 $228.15 $1,243 +9.67
558–583 578 10 224.00–232.00 $225.54 $1,304 +17.07
642 642 3 211.00 $211.00 $1,355 +28.54
675–697 694 92 190.00–201.50 $200.08 $1,389 +9.40
707–738 719 5 194.00–198.00 $195.64 $1,407 +15.64
803 803 9 180.00 $180.00 $1,445 —
875 875 6 172.00–174.00 $173.00 $1,514 —
931 931 7 166.00 $166.00 $1,545 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 8 242.00 $242.00 $968 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1161 1161 5 140.00 $140.00 $1,625 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
473–485 479 6 260.00–261.00 $260.51 $1,248 —
629 629 5 199.00 $199.00 $1,252 —

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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.