Cattle Market Pulse

Napoleon Livestock Auction Market Report

Napoleon, North Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, January 4, 2024

2,781 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $266.60/cwt +17.60 vs last sale · ≈ $1,794/hd at 673 lb · 286 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $230.05/cwt -1.55 vs last sale · ≈ $1,873/hd at 814 lb · 189 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $302.85/cwt +1.29 vs last sale · ≈ $1,584/hd at 523 lb · 171 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,781 2,350 3,443
Feeder cattle 2,781 2,350 3,443

Three weeks since last report so no price comparison but both feeder steers and heifers showing an upward trend. Good buyer demand. Flesh condition light to moderate.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
309 309 8 355.00 $355.00 $1,097 +29.29
385–397 392 15 325.00–347.50 $338.67 $1,328 +13.51
413 fancy 413 17 365.00 $365.00 $1,507 +27.91
404–434 420 63 315.00–342.50 $329.78 $1,385 +22.06
480–495 487 24 302.50–327.50 $315.85 $1,538 +5.69
500–549 523 171 285.00–315.00 $302.85 $1,584 +1.29
552–592 562 144 293.00–306.00 $300.40 $1,688 +22.32
619–638 628 110 250.00–271.50 $260.98 $1,639 +0.85
654–697 673 286 256.50–279.00 $266.60 $1,794 +17.60
710–718 715 99 246.00–259.75 $258.00 $1,845 +33.00
782 782 81 244.00 $244.00 $1,908
808–829 814 189 222.50–234.00 $230.05 $1,873 -1.55
874–885 882 93 225.50–227.50 $226.03 $1,994
901–929 922 96 200.00–218.00 $216.72 $1,998 +43.72
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
469 469 5 270.00 $270.00 $1,266 -18.00
508–531 520 29 266.00–282.50 $273.03 $1,420 +8.30
580–593 585 18 252.50–272.00 $260.19 $1,522 +4.03
674–692 688 39 239.00–251.00 $245.18 $1,687
726 726 9 233.00 $233.00 $1,692
766 766 8 219.00 $219.00 $1,678
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1074 1074 21 194.00 $194.00 $2,084 +5.00

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
304 304 12 275.00 $275.00 $836 +2.01
357–380 366 10 290.00–295.00 $292.92 $1,072 +32.04
402–429 416 41 267.50–287.50 $272.76 $1,135 +9.28
417 fancy 417 10 300.00 $300.00 $1,251 +8.00
450–496 471 56 272.50–299.00 $290.05 $1,366 +9.00
511–549 533 107 260.00–286.00 $274.03 $1,461 +0.67
558–569 fancy 562 54 270.00 $270.00 $1,517
583–589 587 34 230.00–255.00 $241.91 $1,420 -5.06
620–629 623 35 237.00–239.50 $238.63 $1,487 +4.31
656–687 670 144 230.00–246.00 $236.93 $1,587
703–729 719 82 217.00–236.00 $224.10 $1,611 +36.60
798 798 76 216.50 $216.50 $1,728 +19.50
816–825 819 137 200.00–216.50 $212.13 $1,737 +13.13
904–928 923 51 180.00–193.00 $188.95 $1,744 -10.55
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
373 373 11 252.50 $252.50 $942 +19.80
404–410 408 18 240.00–253.00 $247.99 $1,012 +27.99
477 477 21 248.00 $248.00 $1,183 +0.85
550 550 6 212.50 $212.50 $1,169
693 693 10 180.00 $180.00 $1,247
780 780 12 175.00 $175.00 $1,365
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1048 1048 9 173.00 $173.00 $1,813

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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.