Cattle Market Pulse

North Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

North Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, April 17, 2023

3,761 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest North Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary report →

light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $224.17/cwt +0.53 vs last sale · ≈ $1,388/hd at 619 lb · 252 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $215.61/cwt +9.57 vs last sale · ≈ $1,759/hd at 816 lb · 247 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $276.70/cwt +5.66 vs last sale · ≈ $1,419/hd at 513 lb · 224 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,761 7,797 1,631
Feeder cattle 3,761 7,797 1,631

Compared to last week: A lighter offering of feeder cattle, in a narrow comparison steers and heifers unevenly steady. Demand remains very good for all weights of steers and heifers, especially those suitable to run on grass as yearlings, but there was some pressure on the market as the futures contracts failed to follow the cash market. Packers bid lower this week, buying few cattle as cattle feeders know they currently hold all the leverage but they know that can quickly change as the summer months see ample supplies of calf fed cattle ready for market.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
327–346 337 25 275.00–285.00 $280.34 $945
391 391 31 300.00 $300.00 $1,173 +45.00
401–424 417 27 267.00–280.00 $272.32 $1,136 -16.97
450–481 460 61 260.00–282.50 $274.28 $1,262 +9.28
500–540 513 224 265.00–284.50 $276.70 $1,419 +4.34
552–599 585 121 238.00–263.00 $254.27 $1,487 +2.98
606–646 629 163 237.00–264.00 $251.06 $1,579 -3.86
653–696 666 182 238.00–257.50 $250.58 $1,669 +21.21
700–747 728 133 214.00–246.00 $228.59 $1,664 +1.85
766–797 786 135 215.00–229.00 $221.32 $1,740 +6.76
803–840 816 247 206.50–219.75 $215.61 $1,759 +9.57
852–853 853 22 193.00–206.50 $197.91 $1,688 -1.37
949 949 18 186.75 $186.75 $1,772 -2.98
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
454–495 468 23 245.00–251.00 $246.58 $1,154 -28.42
550–574 560 19 230.00–243.00 $237.39 $1,329
602–610 607 27 227.00–239.00 $232.47 $1,411 +7.70
671 671 7 210.00 $210.00 $1,409
736–746 741 13 192.00–219.50 $206.90 $1,533 -19.68
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1014 1014 21 182.50 $182.50 $1,851

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355–378 360 38 257.50–277.50 $270.92 $975 +17.59
429–443 433 28 257.50–272.50 $266.36 $1,153 +31.36
456–478 thin fleshed 469 29 263.00–272.00 $265.58 $1,246
455–493 481 123 247.50–263.00 $259.11 $1,246 +17.11
500–548 535 218 232.50–247.00 $238.60 $1,277 -7.19
551–599 577 191 227.50–239.00 $233.50 $1,347 +17.89
600–633 619 252 210.00–234.00 $224.17 $1,388 +0.53
650–698 676 191 191.00–220.00 $209.15 $1,414 -7.00
716–742 723 117 204.00–215.00 $211.60 $1,530 +4.40
743 743 6 176.50 $176.50 $1,311 -30.70
723–746 744 30 202.00–205.00 $204.81 $1,524 -2.39
762–784 771 86 192.00–199.00 $194.30 $1,498 -3.59
782 782 23 198.00 $198.00 $1,548 +0.11
818–824 820 27 184.50–186.00 $185.50 $1,521 -2.90
855–888 881 14 173.50–179.00 $174.64 $1,539 -12.71
906 906 15 177.00 $177.00 $1,604
963 963 3 176.00 $176.00 $1,695
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
432–446 438 24 232.00–239.00 $234.97 $1,029 -16.03
490–491 491 6 225.00–230.00 $225.83 $1,109
513 513 17 202.50 $202.50 $1,039 -10.01
584 584 7 210.00 $210.00 $1,226 -11.24
655–662 660 21 175.50–190.00 $178.92 $1,181 -7.08
853 853 5 148.00 $148.00 $1,262
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1058 1058 7 171.00 $171.00 $1,809

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
466–496 477 11 250.00–267.50 $256.62 $1,224
561 561 16 252.50 $252.50 $1,417
624–646 636 15 195.00–217.50 $207.19 $1,318
763–770 767 7 167.00–176.00 $170.84 $1,310

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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.