Cattle Market North Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary
North Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock
Sale of Monday, April 20, 20263,489 head sold ·Official USDA report
This is an archived report. See the latest North Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary report →
Receipts
| Head | This sale | Last sale | Last year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total receipts | 3,489 | 1,927 | 7,236 |
| Feeder cattle | 3,489 | 1,927 | 7,236 |
Market comments — USDA reporter
- → Feeder cattle: cattle feeders approached the feeder market a little slower this week
- ▼ Feeder heifers: Feeder steers and heifers sold with lower undertones
- ▼ Feeder steers: Feeder steers and heifers sold with lower undertones
New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓
Feeder Steers
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 424–439 | 433 | 25 | 575.00–620.00 | $596.80 | $2,584 | +59.57 |
| 451–485 | 471 | 63 | 530.00–585.00 | $560.84 | $2,642 | -10.53 |
| 501–546 | 527 | 41 | 510.00–540.00 | $526.82 | $2,776 | +35.19 |
| 551–592 | 575 | 72 | 475.00–542.00 | $510.77 | $2,937 | +14.62 |
| 601–623 | 615 | 64 | 451.00–470.00 | $456.57 | $2,808 | -1.92 |
| 658–671 | 665 | 35 | 412.00–463.00 | $426.17 | $2,834 | -9.16 |
| 700–730 | 710 | 50 | 402.00–435.00 | $420.10 | $2,983 | -2.39 |
| 754–789 | 767 | 79 | 375.00–391.50 | $386.00 | $2,961 | -11.13 |
| 812–822 | 818 | 40 | 367.00–376.00 | $370.35 | $3,029 | +1.68 |
| 874 | 874 | 25 | 345.00 | $345.00 | $3,015 | -35.61 |
| 864–893 | 875 | 258 | 365.00–379.00 | $376.94 | $3,298 | -3.67 |
| 916–944 | 920 | 100 | 324.50–365.50 | $349.87 | $3,219 | +4.34 |
| 989 | 989 | 8 | 313.50 | $313.50 | $3,101 | — |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 572 | 572 | 6 | 475.00 | $475.00 | $2,717 | — |
| 600–644 | 627 | 20 | 415.00–455.00 | $431.90 | $2,708 | — |
| 655 | 655 | 3 | 402.50 | $402.50 | $2,636 | — |
| 742 | 742 | 27 | 377.50 | $377.50 | $2,801 | -2.50 |
Feeder Heifers
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 344 | 344 | 6 | 585.00 | $585.00 | $2,012 | — |
| 385–388 | 387 | 14 | 540.00–545.00 | $541.06 | $2,094 | -23.94 |
| 431–443 | 435 | 21 | 513.50–545.00 | $534.31 | $2,324 | +35.38 |
| 461–493 | 483 | 96 | 442.50–490.00 | $476.71 | $2,303 | -3.29 |
| 512–547 | 527 | 189 | 430.00–474.00 | $455.32 | $2,400 | -5.51 |
| 551 | 551 | 20 | 507.50 | $507.50 | $2,796 | — |
| 560–590 | 574 | 112 | 421.00–440.00 | $432.35 | $2,482 | -14.37 |
| 616–647 | 631 | 170 | 401.00–460.00 | $427.33 | $2,696 | -12.70 |
| 653–694 | 679 | 175 | 363.00–402.00 | $376.48 | $2,556 | +0.93 |
| 664–687 | 680 | 23 | 375.00–405.00 | $385.33 | $2,620 | +9.78 |
| 703–736 | 717 | 63 | 352.00–376.00 | $366.22 | $2,626 | -28.89 |
| 710–743 | 722 | 16 | 382.50–410.00 | $399.39 | $2,884 | +4.28 |
| 750–795 | 769 | 97 | 341.50–360.00 | $351.55 | $2,703 | -47.49 |
| 750–798 | 776 | 161 | 325.00–378.00 | $360.72 | $2,799 | -38.32 |
| 813–845 | 819 | 144 | 336.00–347.00 | $342.33 | $2,804 | +13.89 |
| 802–838 | 825 | 136 | 330.00–367.50 | $345.16 | $2,848 | +16.72 |
| 873–879 | 875 | 13 | 309.00–317.00 | $313.91 | $2,747 | -8.59 |
| 904 | 904 | 60 | 332.00 | $332.00 | $3,001 | -8.00 |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 366 | 366 | 4 | 510.00 | $510.00 | $1,867 | — |
| 401 | 401 | 4 | 510.00 | $510.00 | $2,045 | — |
| 484–487 | 485 | 14 | 425.00–465.00 | $439.34 | $2,131 | +4.34 |
| 530 | 530 | 4 | 425.00 | $425.00 | $2,252 | — |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 697 | 697 | 10 | 350.00 | $350.00 | $2,440 | — |
Feeder Bulls
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 489 | 489 | 11 | 537.50 | $537.50 | $2,628 | — |
| 615 | 615 | 17 | 452.50 | $452.50 | $2,783 | — |
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.
Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers sold with lower undertones. Good demand for light cattle to background, very good demand for replacement quality heifers, moderate to good for heavier cattle bound for finishing yards. As the cash fat cattle market slipped from it's highs of 250.00 a week ago, and reports of 244.00-246.00 came in at early week, cattle feeders approached the feeder market a little slower this week. CME cattle futures lower at midweek kept them concerned as breakeven costs are higher than the futures contracts. Good moisture across the state for the year, as North Dakota is 1 of only 2 states that aren't experiencing some level of drought. This is fact, along with the lofty feeder cattle market, is keeping interest in breeding heifers very high.