Cattle Market Pulse

Lonestar Stockyards Market Report

Wildorado, Texas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, April 30, 2024

1,188 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1 steers $218.95/cwt ≈ $2,012/hd at 919 lb · 247 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $213.75/cwt +12.75 vs last sale · ≈ $1,644/hd at 769 lb · 140 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $230.00/cwt +3.18 vs last sale · ≈ $1,638/hd at 712 lb · 106 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,188 579 1,219
Feeder cattle 1,135 536 1,122
Slaughter cattle 33 18 70
Replacement cattle 20 25 27

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder heifers traded mostly 6.00 higher on limited comparable sales. Not enough comparable sales on feeder steers for a market trend. Steer and heifer calves traded mostly 3.00 to 9.00 higher compared to last weeks light test. Slaughter cows and bulls traded mostly steady. Trading activity was active. Buyer demand was good, especially for light weight calves with favorable flesh conditions suitable for grass. Quality was mostly plain to attractive with several load lots of yearling straight off the week and lighter weight grass calves 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
236 thin fleshed 236 7 457.00 $457.00 $1,079 —
305 305 2 385.00 $385.00 $1,174 —
320 thin fleshed 320 11 422.00 $422.00 $1,350 —
438 438 3 367.00 $367.00 $1,607 +34.00
460 460 20 352.00 $352.00 $1,619 +26.32
509–543 thin fleshed 532 24 328.00–340.00 $331.83 $1,765 —
620 620 8 289.00 $289.00 $1,792 —
650 650 2 286.00 $286.00 $1,859 —
839 839 13 228.00 $228.00 $1,913 —
889 889 8 216.00 $216.00 $1,920 —
914–927 919 247 218.85–219.00 $218.95 $2,012 —
1010 1010 4 202.00 $202.00 $2,040 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
643 643 2 283.00 $283.00 $1,820 +23.00
738 738 70 236.50 $236.50 $1,745 —
758–784 778 9 228.00–235.00 $229.52 $1,786 -6.98
807 807 17 216.00 $216.00 $1,743 -8.00
867 867 13 209.50 $209.50 $1,816 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 thin fleshed 280 4 375.00 $375.00 $1,050 —
327 327 7 340.00 $340.00 $1,112 +11.49
353–355 355 8 342.00–358.00 $354.02 $1,257 +29.02
434 434 22 300.00 $300.00 $1,302 +9.42
457 457 3 295.00 $295.00 $1,348 —
512–528 521 16 267.50 $267.50 $1,394 +8.60
564 564 7 249.00 $249.00 $1,404 +3.34
678 678 27 247.00 $247.00 $1,675 +12.00
712 712 106 230.00 $230.00 $1,638 +7.79
750 750 6 219.00 $219.00 $1,642 —
786 786 29 214.00 $214.00 $1,682 —
892 892 58 200.25 $200.25 $1,786 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
643 643 37 244.00 $244.00 $1,569 —
666 666 8 244.50 $244.50 $1,628 —
756–782 769 140 212.50–215.00 $213.75 $1,644 +12.75
868 868 2 205.00 $205.00 $1,779 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
887 887 5 187.00 $187.00 $1,659 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1115–1625 1295 80-85% 10 124.50–133.00 $129.57 $1,678 —
1210–1525 1338 80-85% 3 118.00–122.00 $119.82 $1,603 -4.87
1225–1565 1395 80-85% 2 140.50–142.00 $141.16 $1,969 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915 915 85-90% 1 86.00 $86.00 $787 —
960 960 85-90% 1 127.00 $127.00 $1,219 —
1030–1175 1098 85-90% 4 119.50–129.50 $122.42 $1,344 -0.36
1003–1355 1157 85-90% 6 107.00–117.50 $113.06 $1,308 —
1160 1160 85-90% 1 133.00 $133.00 $1,543 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1535 1535 75-80% 1 131.50 $131.50 $2,019 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1805–1915 1860 2 134.50–144.50 $139.65 $2,597 —
1915–1955 1935 2 150.00 $150.00 $2,902 —

↑ Back to top

Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
885–980 948 (<2 yrs)Open 3 171.00–177.00 $172.87 $1,639
1060 1060 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 7 191.00 $191.00 $2,025

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1418 1418 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 2 1,650.00 $1,650.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1130 1130 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,150.00 $2,150.00

↑ Back to top

Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1230 1230 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,600.00 $2,600.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
870 870 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,400.00 $1,400.00

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
975–1000 988 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 2,225.00–2,350.00 $2,286.71 —
1100 1100 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,000.00 $2,000.00 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1000 1000 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,625.00 $1,625.00 —

↑ Back to top

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.