Cattle Market Pulse

Kist Livestock Auction Market Report

Mandan, North Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 4, 2024

4,685 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Kist Livestock Auction report →

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $294.23/cwt +15.68 vs last sale · ≈ $1,701/hd at 578 lb · 312 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $300.38/cwt -13.06 vs last sale · ≈ $1,895/hd at 631 lb · 310 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $350.44/cwt +7.22 vs last sale · ≈ $1,812/hd at 517 lb · 255 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,685 3,714 2,594
Feeder cattle 4,685 3,714 2,594

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last weeks auction feeder steers 500 to 550 lbs. were 8.00 higher; 600 to 650 lbs. were 7.00 lower; 650 to 700 lbs. were 13.00 lower and 700 to 750 lbs. were steady. Feeder heifers 400 to 450 lbs. were 12.00 lower; 500 to 550 lbs. were 3.00 lower and 600 to 650 lbs. were 2.00 higher. It was a very active market today and buyer demand was good for the offering of calves especially the lighter strings that will go to pasture next spring. Most calves were in light to moderate flesh condition.

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
379–387 380 22 412.50–415.00 $412.85 $1,569 -25.04
409–432 414 38 391.00–400.00 $392.53 $1,625 +9.98
452–453 fancy 453 30 385.00–394.00 $391.90 $1,775 —
459–498 490 85 339.00–371.00 $351.05 $1,720 -15.55
500–539 517 255 330.00–360.00 $350.44 $1,812 +7.61
550–594 581 218 301.00–330.00 $316.50 $1,839 -7.17
613–649 631 310 287.00–316.00 $300.38 $1,895 -13.06
651–675 665 168 271.00–295.50 $287.99 $1,915 -0.01
710–734 715 77 269.00–279.00 $276.54 $1,977 -5.45
790 790 13 262.00 $262.00 $2,070 -1.33
936 936 8 242.50 $242.50 $2,270 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
432–442 438 30 345.00–360.00 $353.73 $1,549 —
480 480 5 317.50 $317.50 $1,524 -37.50
544 544 12 320.00 $320.00 $1,741 +5.75
596 596 11 275.00–315.00 $293.18 $1,747 —
622–630 627 16 275.00–280.00 $278.14 $1,744 +2.14
693 693 16 267.00 $267.00 $1,850 +13.83

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
339 339 12 377.50 $377.50 $1,280 -11.07
375–380 379 30 352.50–364.00 $362.10 $1,372 -1.78
419–435 429 43 317.50–333.00 $328.01 $1,407 +2.38
468–469 fancy 468 45 335.00 $335.00 $1,568 —
465–494 479 139 300.00–326.00 $315.86 $1,513 -12.33
500–540 529 202 294.00–320.00 $310.77 $1,644 -2.45
565 fancy 565 58 305.00 $305.00 $1,723 —
560–597 581 254 265.00–305.00 $291.77 $1,695 +13.22
603–636 622 226 275.00–290.00 $284.00 $1,766 +2.12
703–709 707 58 242.00–247.00 $245.93 $1,739 —
802 802 33 258.00 $258.00 $2,069 —
887–890 889 11 231.00–242.00 $235.99 $2,098 -5.19
956–984 975 13 229.00–238.50 $235.64 $2,297 +5.52
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 12 279.00 $279.00 $1,325 -25.04
530 530 5 269.00 $269.00 $1,426 -13.48
560 560 10 264.00 $264.00 $1,478 —
601–640 616 26 243.00–256.00 $248.98 $1,534 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
717 717 11 237.50 $237.50 $1,703 —

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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.