Cattle Market Pulse

Livestock Exchange Cattle Auction (Thursday) Market Report

Brush, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 19, 2024

1,427 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Livestock Exchange Cattle Auction (Thursday) report →

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $338.24/cwt ≈ $1,793/hd at 530 lb · 50 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $268.14/cwt ≈ $1,526/hd at 569 lb · 32 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $271.74/cwt ≈ $1,834/hd at 675 lb · 23 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,427 1,640 833
Feeder cattle 673 269 437
Slaughter cattle 754 979 396
Replacement cattle — 392 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Trade activity and demand was moderate to good. No trend on feeder cattle. Dairy heifers traded steady. Average dress Premium White slaughter cows traded 5.00 higher and average dress Breaker, Boner, and Lean slaughter cows traded steady to 1.00 higher. Average dress slaughter bulls traded steady. Next available report will be January 9, 2025 due to the holiday break.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
510–534 530 50 337.00–347.50 $338.24 $1,793 —
604–624 618 19 290.00–300.00 $291.72 $1,803 —
659–685 675 23 270.00–274.00 $271.74 $1,834 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
577 577 22 261.00 $261.00 $1,506 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
351 351 7 450.00 $450.00 $1,580 —
866 866 10 235.00 $235.00 $2,035 —
953 953 3 205.00 $205.00 $1,954 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
476 476 4 337.50 $337.50 $1,606 —
584 584 9 315.00 $315.00 $1,840 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
487 487 8 347.00 $347.00 $1,690 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
494 494 4 341.00 $341.00 $1,685 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
464 464 22 328.00 $328.00 $1,522 —
562–575 569 32 266.00–273.00 $268.14 $1,526 —
666–674 670 9 240.00–247.50 $243.31 $1,630 —
984 984 5 187.50 $187.50 $1,845 -25.00
1110–1127 1125 10 185.00 $185.00 $2,081 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
323 323 11 390.00 $390.00 $1,260 —
381 381 21 357.50 $357.50 $1,362 —
469 469 12 328.00 $328.00 $1,538 —
670 670 8 271.00 $271.00 $1,816 —
915 915 2 210.00 $210.00 $1,922 -13.00
1000 1000 6 216.00 $216.00 $2,160 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
497 497 8 304.00 $304.00 $1,511 —
540 540 3 281.00 $281.00 $1,517 —
588–591 590 12 262.00–262.50 $262.17 $1,547 —
673 673 14 235.00 $235.00 $1,582 —
1075 1075 10 175.00 $175.00 $1,881 -10.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1320 1320 1 167.00 $167.00 $2,204 —
1430 1430 1 170.00 $170.00 $2,431 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
389 389 13 350.00 $350.00 $1,362 —
451 451 13 325.00 $325.00 $1,466 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
650 650 3 245.00 $245.00 $1,592 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1058–1645 1210 80-85% 15 120.50–146.00 $136.83 $1,656 —
1125–1360 1251 80-85% 4 107.00–110.00 $108.50 $1,357 —
1045–1710 1300 80-85% 103 112.00–142.50 $121.72 $1,582 —
1065–1515 1412 80-85% 10 117.00–126.50 $121.24 $1,712 -0.28
1140–1710 1460 80-85% 40 90.00–104.00 $100.26 $1,464 —
1120–1845 1516 80-85% 176 105.00–115.00 $109.22 $1,656 +7.62
1440–1685 1519 80-85% 14 52.50–85.00 $75.99 $1,154 -25.61
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
705–1035 860 85-90% 11 140.00–185.00 $156.85 $1,349 —
809–1030 865 85-90% 8 50.00–80.00 $72.83 $630 —
760–1065 994 85-90% 16 82.50–97.00 $89.96 $894 -84.83
885–1375 1089 85-90% 14 82.00–93.00 $89.23 $972 -18.51
710–1400 1104 85-90% 17 35.00–77.50 $64.20 $709 -45.87
710–1360 1106 85-90% 71 98.00–135.00 $111.94 $1,238 +1.87
1155–1190 1167 85-90% 3 107.00–114.00 $110.63 $1,291 +44.97
880–1440 1220 85-90% 69 94.00–105.00 $100.73 $1,229 +1.64
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1470–1915 1596 75-80% 21 116.50–124.00 $121.54 $1,940 —
1510–1910 1798 75-80% 10 109.00–115.00 $113.12 $2,034 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1620 1620 65-75% 1 135.00 $135.00 $2,187 —
1630 1630 65-75% 1 130.00 $130.00 $2,119 —
2085 2085 65-75% 1 117.00 $117.00 $2,439 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145–1315 1230 2 112.00–118.00 $115.21 $1,417 —
1155–1805 1438 16 124.50–147.50 $130.55 $1,877 —
1325–2115 1615 20 126.00–136.50 $132.42 $2,139 —
1840 1840 1 116.00 $116.00 $2,134 —
1755–2240 2001 10 138.00–142.00 $139.93 $2,800 —

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Beef Dairy Heifers

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
359 359 10 290.00 $290.00 $1,041 —
502 502 7 290.00 $290.00 $1,456 —
993 993 4 187.50 $187.50 $1,862 —
1243 1243 16 186.50 $186.50 $2,318 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
482 482 11 270.00 $270.00 $1,301 —

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Dairy Heifers

Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
615 615 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,138 —
790 790 2 180.00–184.00 $182.00 $1,438 —
865 865 1 182.00 $182.00 $1,574 —
922–935 925 4 181.00–181.50 $181.13 $1,675 —
958 958 6 181.50 $181.50 $1,739 -0.61
1053–1086 1075 9 179.50–186.00 $183.32 $1,971 +0.82
1106–1140 1110 17 179.00–181.00 $180.53 $2,004 +0.33
1150–1175 1156 10 178.00–179.00 $178.65 $2,065 -0.25
1235 1235 1 175.00 $175.00 $2,161 -4.34
Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
337 337 3 225.00 $225.00 $758 —
360 360 10 225.00 $225.00 $810 —
772–780 775 5 170.00–171.00 $170.40 $1,321 —
1223 1223 4 170.00 $170.00 $2,079 +9.75
1275 1275 1 166.00 $166.00 $2,116 +6.00
1348 1348 2 150.00 $150.00 $2,022 -10.00
1370 1370 1 156.00 $156.00 $2,137 —
Medium 3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
203 203 8 125.00 $125.00 —
Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
913 913 1 172.50 $172.50 $1,575 —
1192 1192 3 176.50 $176.50 $2,104 —

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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.