Cattle Market Pulse

North Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

North Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, April 8, 2024

7,931 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $284.32/cwt -8.74 vs last sale · ≈ $1,621/hd at 570 lb · 747 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $316.81/cwt +18.34 vs last sale · ≈ $1,964/hd at 620 lb · 681 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $261.28/cwt +5.11 vs last sale · ≈ $1,896/hd at 726 lb · 537 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 7,931 2,068 7,797
Feeder cattle 7,931 2,068 7,797

Compared to last week: Too few feeder cattle offered a week ago to allow a good comparison with this week's much larger offering. Very good demand for those light fleshed cattle to run on grass as yearlings as the supply of these types is getting very tight. Yearling operators are eager to secure their cattle as they know there won't be many more opportunities to buy these kinds as turnout time is quickly approaching. The feeder cattle futures contracts are moving in the wrong direction but cattle producers didn't let that deter them from chasing the market to get cattle bought. Cash fed cattle only at 185.00, below breakeven price for many, and now the summer months have dipped below 170.00.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
347 347 14 405.00 $405.00 $1,405
407–432 thin fleshed 418 85 400.00–406.00 $403.23 $1,686
406–448 432 51 363.00–390.00 $380.24 $1,643 -6.85
458 458 7 329.00 $329.00 $1,507 -31.19
452–491 470 156 350.00–385.00 $371.61 $1,747 +11.42
511 fancy 511 101 371.50 $371.50 $1,898
500–546 521 393 310.00–363.00 $352.39 $1,836 +18.58
550–594 568 386 308.00–345.00 $332.83 $1,890 +2.66
601–649 620 681 291.00–326.75 $316.81 $1,964 +18.34
652–692 673 457 275.50–313.00 $298.65 $2,010 +3.02
700–748 713 422 257.00–299.00 $282.73 $2,016 +12.41
757–790 770 288 250.00–276.00 $267.48 $2,060 +16.81
809–848 825 172 247.50–251.00 $249.21 $2,056 +3.88
853–885 868 132 238.00–244.00 $241.30 $2,094 +7.47
901–945 935 282 230.75–234.75 $232.67 $2,175 +14.67
980 980 12 224.00 $224.00 $2,195
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
418–428 424 12 332.00–341.00 $335.70 $1,423 +0.71
479–496 490 46 332.50–356.00 $340.79 $1,670 +40.79
546–547 546 18 284.00–324.50 $310.98 $1,698 +25.98
593 593 13 292.50 $292.50 $1,735 +0.50
637 637 7 289.00 $289.00 $1,841 +29.00
681 681 5 290.00 $290.00 $1,975
743 743 5 264.00 $264.00 $1,962 +8.65
798 798 8 244.00 $244.00 $1,947
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
391 391 5 328.00 $328.00 $1,282
438 438 5 363.00 $363.00 $1,590
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
853 853 7 228.00 $228.00 $1,945

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
299 299 9 380.00 $380.00 $1,136
347 347 15 344.00 $344.00 $1,194
360 360 14 352.00 $352.00 $1,267 +4.81
408–440 427 128 320.00–351.00 $339.91 $1,451 +8.03
453 thin fleshed 453 9 344.00 $344.00 $1,558
458–487 475 382 299.00–335.50 $326.50 $1,551 +9.00
507–548 533 251 270.00–316.00 $294.04 $1,567 +12.53
551–595 570 738 273.00–303.00 $284.56 $1,622 -8.50
574 574 9 265.00 $265.00 $1,521 -28.06
603–647 615 536 257.50–283.00 $275.55 $1,695 -2.59
650–694 669 373 245.00–278.00 $265.12 $1,774 -1.31
691 691 41 265.00 $265.00 $1,831 -1.43
692 692 5 249.00 $249.00 $1,723 -17.43
702–747 725 340 255.00–276.00 $267.11 $1,937 +11.57
706–741 727 197 240.00–257.00 $251.21 $1,826 -4.33
750–784 768 113 242.00–255.00 $248.59 $1,909 -1.66
759–793 773 83 224.00–256.00 $248.09 $1,918 -2.16
793 793 6 233.00 $233.00 $1,848
814–847 837 81 234.00–243.50 $239.82 $2,007 +12.05
849 849 7 224.00 $224.00 $1,902 -3.77
861–868 866 42 228.00–232.50 $231.22 $2,002 +21.10
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
496 496 9 286.00 $286.00 $1,419
553–581 567 12 267.00–270.00 $268.46 $1,522

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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.