Cattle Market Pulse

Farmers and Ranchers Livestock Commission Co. Market Report

Salina, Kansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, January 4, 2024

4,739 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1 steers $210.50/cwt -4.00 vs last sale · ≈ $1,953/hd at 928 lb · 417 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $213.12/cwt -3.98 vs last sale · ≈ $1,873/hd at 879 lb · 349 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $225.15/cwt -9.73 vs last sale · ≈ $1,749/hd at 777 lb · 321 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,739 1,500 3,874
Feeder cattle 4,739 1,500 3,874

Market comments — USDA reporter

Due to the holidays, the most recent comparable sale was 2 weeks ago. Steer calves sold 4.00 to 10.00 higher and feeder weight steers sold uneven at 4.00 lower to 2.00 higher. Heifer calves sold 2.00 to 4.00 lower and feeder heifers sold steady. The receipts were heavy 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
413–447 429 16 317.00–327.00 $323.20 $1,387 -12.80
439 thin fleshed 439 4 329.00 $329.00 $1,444 —
455–490 480 11 317.00–331.00 $322.97 $1,550 -7.23
503–538 513 22 324.00–328.00 $326.66 $1,676 +7.43
517 thin fleshed 517 17 336.00 $336.00 $1,737 —
550–595 565 124 285.00–299.00 $290.46 $1,641 +10.21
605–633 622 65 272.00–283.00 $277.72 $1,727 +25.57
654 fancy 654 5 262.50 $262.50 $1,717 —
674 thin fleshed 674 34 256.00 $256.00 $1,725 —
664–690 677 154 239.00–253.00 $246.35 $1,668 +4.01
700 fancy 700 25 248.50 $248.50 $1,740 —
706–745 732 172 228.00–240.00 $233.45 $1,709 +2.21
753–789 776 310 220.25–229.50 $224.80 $1,744 -10.08
799 fancy 799 11 235.00 $235.00 $1,878 —
805–847 825 238 223.50–233.50 $228.56 $1,886 +0.88
852–891 879 349 212.00–218.00 $213.12 $1,873 -3.98
902–941 928 417 204.60–214.50 $210.50 $1,953 -4.00
950–990 960 54 200.00–209.50 $206.86 $1,986 -2.14
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
448 448 5 305.00 $305.00 $1,366 -10.00
492–495 494 17 301.00–314.00 $303.28 $1,498 -16.72
525–537 531 10 297.00–301.00 $298.10 $1,583 +15.42
588–590 589 12 272.00–281.00 $277.99 $1,637 +11.99
615–647 637 54 254.00–264.00 $258.82 $1,649 —
650–696 681 63 214.00–236.50 $227.39 $1,549 —
700–744 723 81 220.00–225.50 $224.21 $1,621 +13.21
762–792 775 44 215.00–218.00 $217.30 $1,684 -4.32
800–845 817 157 209.00–220.00 $216.12 $1,766 +1.12
853–898 889 74 207.50–210.25 $209.02 $1,858 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
462 462 3 306.00 $306.00 $1,414 —
545 545 13 297.00 $297.00 $1,619 —
627 627 50 267.50 $267.50 $1,677 —
699 699 59 238.50 $238.50 $1,667 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1007–1028 1016 57 197.50–202.00 $199.50 $2,027 ±0.00
1122 1122 14 191.00 $191.00 $2,143 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
699 699 4 212.00 $212.00 $1,482 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
416–442 429 21 302.50–312.50 $306.72 $1,316 +21.72
491–498 495 23 288.00–294.00 $291.23 $1,442 —
496 thin fleshed 496 10 293.00 $293.00 $1,453 —
501 fancy 501 12 295.00 $295.00 $1,478 —
500–540 523 83 271.00–286.00 $281.45 $1,472 -3.16
529 unweaned 529 5 262.50 $262.50 $1,389 —
555 fancy 555 8 269.00 $269.00 $1,493 —
572 unweaned 572 5 242.00 $242.00 $1,384 —
553–594 577 61 243.00–256.00 $249.17 $1,438 +0.17
604–642 619 115 229.00–240.00 $234.03 $1,449 -4.29
658 fancy 658 22 234.00 $234.00 $1,540 —
662–699 683 166 216.00–233.00 $220.66 $1,507 -2.22
701–744 715 257 212.00–216.50 $214.60 $1,534 +8.29
745 unweaned 745 3 205.00 $205.00 $1,527 —
752–797 776 268 207.00–215.00 $209.64 $1,627 -0.28
817–824 818 94 201.00–205.00 $202.03 $1,653 -0.33
851–870 865 49 193.00–203.00 $196.19 $1,697 +8.69
900–917 909 36 192.00–193.50 $192.66 $1,751 +5.32
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
363–392 385 8 285.00–292.00 $286.65 $1,104 —
442–445 444 7 267.00–282.50 $275.88 $1,225 —
460–480 472 9 260.00–272.50 $264.45 $1,248 -7.55
500–543 523 29 256.00–266.00 $259.54 $1,357 -0.45
575–599 586 57 233.00–240.00 $235.28 $1,379 +11.28
603–648 622 115 217.00–227.50 $222.86 $1,386 —
664–687 677 27 214.00–215.00 $214.44 $1,452 +2.44
725–744 738 29 200.00–209.00 $201.75 $1,489 —
790–797 795 9 200.00–204.00 $202.67 $1,611 +12.67
891 891 13 185.00 $185.00 $1,648 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950–987 980 17 165.00–173.00 $167.35 $1,640 -10.65
1004–1012 1005 32 163.00–164.00 $163.16 $1,640 —
1052 1052 7 175.00 $175.00 $1,841 —
1158 1158 5 150.00 $150.00 $1,737 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
531–541 535 10 242.00–256.00 $247.66 $1,325 —
562 562 9 245.00 $245.00 $1,377 —
643 643 5 215.00 $215.00 $1,382 —
688 688 10 218.00 $218.00 $1,500 —

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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.