Cattle Market Pulse

Lonestar Stockyards Market Report

Wildorado, Texas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 5, 2023

1,246 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Lonestar Stockyards report →

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $229.99/cwt -2.36 vs last sale · ≈ $1,557/hd at 677 lb · 95 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $214.42/cwt ≈ $1,722/hd at 803 lb · 80 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $233.17/cwt -3.66 vs last sale · ≈ $1,339/hd at 574 lb · 78 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,246 2,025 1,273
Feeder cattle 1,176 1,051 1,163
Slaughter cattle 56 11 61
Replacement cattle 14 963 49

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: The Texas Angus all natural feeder steers and heifers traded sharply higher. Non program feeder steers traded mostly 1.00 lower on limited comparable sales. Not enough comparable sales on feeder heifers, but a higher undertone was noted. Steer and heifer calves traded mostly firm to 4.00 higher on comparable sales. Slaughter cows and bulls traded steady. Trading activity was moderate to active on good buyer demand. Quality was mostly attractive with quite a few nice sets of long weaned, home raised cattle and several nice consignments of all natural program Angus cattle on offer.

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
351–376 364 14 304.00–314.00 $308.83 $1,124 —
400 400 2 297.00 $297.00 $1,188 -8.78
465 465 8 290.00 $290.00 $1,348 +5.00
483 483 5 293.00 $293.00 $1,415 +8.00
510–533 525 21 260.00–281.00 $271.53 $1,426 +3.29
526 526 8 283.00 $283.00 $1,489 +14.76
568 568 4 257.00 $257.00 $1,460 -21.00
583–590 587 26 243.00–252.00 $247.47 $1,453 —
611–636 unweaned 623 15 224.00–230.00 $226.86 $1,413 —
618–643 634 16 236.00–246.00 $242.34 $1,536 -9.07
653–657 656 24 229.00–231.00 $230.67 $1,513 -4.20
663 663 27 253.00 $253.00 $1,677 +18.13
697 697 44 215.50 $215.50 $1,502 -19.37
705–748 717 43 233.00–235.00 $234.55 $1,682 +18.55
766 766 17 218.00 $218.00 $1,670 -1.18
785 785 4 219.00 $219.00 $1,719 -0.18
800 800 66 215.25 $215.25 $1,722 —
806 806 7 202.00 $202.00 $1,628 —
829 829 7 219.00 $219.00 $1,816 —
900–911 909 14 200.00–208.00 $206.87 $1,880 —
964–983 972 7 165.00–166.00 $165.57 $1,609 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
312 312 3 302.00 $302.00 $942 —
404–448 412 16 280.00–285.00 $283.98 $1,170 -7.02
542 542 3 245.00 $245.00 $1,328 —
577 577 7 240.00 $240.00 $1,385 —
603–639 609 49 214.50–231.00 $216.97 $1,321 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
694 694 4 206.00 $206.00 $1,430 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375–383 380 9 260.00–270.00 $266.71 $1,013 +10.71
430 430 7 259.00 $259.00 $1,114 +6.95
400–441 434 18 245.00–252.00 $246.07 $1,068 -5.98
462–475 469 16 242.00–247.00 $244.40 $1,146 +6.40
538 538 2 247.00 $247.00 $1,329 —
565 565 14 244.00 $244.00 $1,379 +5.05
551–587 575 60 225.00–241.00 $231.85 $1,333 -7.10
599 unweaned 599 4 215.00 $215.00 $1,288 -2.00
612–643 636 42 225.00–235.00 $233.71 $1,486 +23.71
662–668 663 13 219.00–228.00 $221.09 $1,466 —
699 699 5 180.00 $180.00 $1,258 —
724 724 7 222.00 $222.00 $1,607 +33.00
753–793 768 16 200.00–212.00 $203.94 $1,566 +26.94
805 805 9 213.00 $213.00 $1,715 —
805–833 806 66 175.00–190.00 $189.53 $1,528 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–348 321 29 230.00–247.00 $243.66 $782 —
401–431 414 19 228.00–238.00 $232.39 $962 —
530 530 3 222.00 $222.00 $1,177 —
562–566 563 56 181.00–213.00 $187.53 $1,056 —
630 630 9 201.00 $201.00 $1,266 +14.00
715 715 66 204.00 $204.00 $1,459 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
861 861 16 140.00 $140.00 $1,205 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
543 543 6 220.00 $220.00 $1,195 —
730 730 6 188.00 $188.00 $1,372 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
605–820 718 85-90% 3 51.00–55.00 $53.12 $381 —
760–935 843 85-90% 3 62.00–79.00 $69.25 $584 -6.25
860–965 936 85-90% 4 77.50–90.00 $81.52 $763 +17.52
1025–1115 1056 85-90% 7 73.50–85.00 $80.69 $852 —
1053–1335 1161 85-90% 5 85.50–89.00 $87.69 $1,018 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185–1390 1313 80-85% 18 88.50–94.50 $91.00 $1,195 —
1335 1335 80-85% 1 95.50 $95.50 $1,275 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1475–1820 1637 75-80% 3 82.00–85.00 $83.54 $1,368 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1570 1570 1 99.00 $99.00 $1,554 —
1690 1690 1 107.50 $107.50 $1,817 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
915 915 (<2 yrs)Open 1 168.00 $168.00 $1,537

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1215 1215 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,625.00 $1,625.00
1303–1335 1314 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,450.00–1,475.00 $1,458.47
1275–1460 1332 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 7 1,250.00–1,425.00 $1,389.34

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1100 1100 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,925.00 $1,925.00 -975.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
950 950 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,650.00 $1,650.00 -300.00

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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.