Cattle Market Pulse

Four State Stockyards Market Report

Exeter, Missouri · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, March 17, 2026

818 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Four State Stockyards report →

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $419.31/cwt +4.22 vs last sale · ≈ $2,835/hd at 676 lb · 82 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $396.64/cwt ≈ $2,535/hd at 639 lb · 55 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $379.43/cwt +9.09 vs last sale · ≈ $2,189/hd at 577 lb · 45 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 818 1,593 0
Feeder cattle 670 1,432 0
Slaughter cattle 86 80 0
Replacement cattle 62 81 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, steers and heifers under 550 lbs, on a light offering, sold mostly steady, 600 lbs and over sold 5.00 lower to 10.00 higher. Supply was light, demand was good. Slaughter cows and traded steady to 3.00 higher, bulls sold steady. A good offering of bred cows in all pregnancy stages concluded the sale this evening.

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
207 unweaned 207 3 800.00 $800.00 $1,656 —
315–320 318 4 645.00–655.00 $649.96 $2,067 -0.04
367 367 5 617.00 $617.00 $2,264 +7.00
360–388 unweaned 369 6 600.00–622.00 $614.30 $2,267 —
436 436 8 580.00 $580.00 $2,529 -6.71
470–482 474 37 530.00–547.00 $539.76 $2,558 -6.75
506–540 520 19 490.00–520.00 $514.46 $2,675 +3.44
552–561 556 26 458.00–480.00 $468.95 $2,607 +15.72
617–645 626 35 415.00–430.00 $421.04 $2,636 -10.18
650–680 676 82 400.00–431.00 $419.31 $2,835 +4.22
700 700 3 380.00 $380.00 $2,660 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
338 unweaned 338 2 580.00 $580.00 $1,960 —
345 345 2 595.00 $595.00 $2,053 -12.36
358 358 3 555.00 $555.00 $1,987 -46.55
446 446 7 537.00 $537.00 $2,395 +21.83
497 497 3 497.00 $497.00 $2,470 -12.98
549 549 13 484.00 $484.00 $2,657 +28.90
568 568 3 438.00 $438.00 $2,488 +4.86
734 734 7 371.00 $371.00 $2,723 —
880 880 12 321.50 $321.50 $2,829 —
909 909 7 316.50 $316.50 $2,877 —
1297 1297 3 237.00 $237.00 $3,074 —
1362 1362 3 221.00 $221.00 $3,010 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
823 823 3 305.00 $305.00 $2,510 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
346 346 4 542.00 $542.00 $1,875 -9.73
388–399 396 12 440.00–509.00 $492.11 $1,949 +22.11
424 unweaned 424 5 430.00 $430.00 $1,823 -35.00
402–448 428 21 440.00–487.00 $453.58 $1,941 +31.43
482 unweaned 482 7 431.50 $431.50 $2,080 —
488–493 492 8 409.00–445.00 $436.07 $2,145 +4.02
552–597 576 29 365.00–398.00 $380.84 $2,194 -6.10
576 unweaned 576 10 381.00 $381.00 $2,195 +27.25
582 582 6 370.00 $370.00 $2,153 -16.94
644 644 6 361.00 $361.00 $2,325 -13.33
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275–280 278 5 625.00–660.00 $646.15 $1,796 —
290 unweaned 290 2 595.00 $595.00 $1,726 —
318 318 3 605.00 $605.00 $1,924 +19.84
358 358 3 530.00 $530.00 $1,897 -75.00
407 407 3 502.00 $502.00 $2,043 -31.32
408 unweaned 408 5 496.00 $496.00 $2,024 —
458 458 5 462.00 $462.00 $2,116 -31.35
550–580 568 5 409.00–410.00 $409.39 $2,325 -13.77
603–645 639 55 380.00–400.00 $396.64 $2,535 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 2 400.00 $400.00 $1,640 —
985 985 3 261.00 $261.00 $2,571 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
248 248 3 710.00 $710.00 $1,761 —
268 268 3 760.00 $760.00 $2,037 —
270 unweaned 270 2 700.00 $700.00 $1,890 —
391 unweaned 391 4 582.00 $582.00 $2,276 —
400–448 426 13 561.00–585.00 $571.40 $2,434 —
436 unweaned 436 5 560.00 $560.00 $2,442 —
462–496 481 7 450.00–532.00 $483.72 $2,327 -31.07
527 unweaned 527 7 476.00 $476.00 $2,509 —
555 555 9 455.00–461.00 $457.67 $2,540 +54.67
558–587 unweaned 577 8 417.00–450.00 $436.28 $2,517 —
620 620 3 390.00 $390.00 $2,418 +3.00
665–678 672 6 352.00–369.00 $360.42 $2,422 +0.42
702 702 3 385.00 $385.00 $2,703 —
788 788 2 298.00 $298.00 $2,348 —
825 825 2 307.00 $307.00 $2,533 -3.00
872 872 2 310.00 $310.00 $2,703 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1270 1144 80-85% 14 151.00–170.00 $161.92 $1,852 —
1170–1300 1229 80-85% 6 172.00–179.00 $174.52 $2,145 +10.38
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300–1510 1401 75-80% 9 159.00–174.00 $169.55 $2,375 —
1305–1685 1413 75-80% 11 175.00–179.00 $175.65 $2,482 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
785–1010 918 85-90% 4 140.00–151.00 $147.47 $1,354 —
970–1130 1048 85-90% 3 95.00–120.00 $105.64 $1,107 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–1840 1479 6 195.00–213.00 $202.11 $2,989 —
1700–1785 1743 2 215.00–216.00 $215.51 $3,756 -4.28

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
915–1218 1028 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 14 201.00–280.00 $236.93 $2,436

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
920–1340 1074 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 19 2,400.00–3,850.00 $3,616.07
1030–1180 1098 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 4 2,200.00–2,700.00 $2,520.96
1120 1120 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 2,400.00 $2,400.00
1080–1350 1202 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 12 2,275.00–3,650.00 $2,932.45

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
900–990 930 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 3 2,950.00–3,350.00 $3,091.94
938 938 (<2 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 2 3,500.00 $3,500.00
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
830 830 (<2 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 2,800.00 $2,800.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1000 1000 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 3,800.00–4,300.00 $4,050.00 +250.00
1200 1200 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 2 3,750.00 $3,750.00 —
Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1400 1400 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 4,600.00 $4,600.00 —

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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.