Cattle Market Pulse

North Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

North Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, October 5, 2026

2,714 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $469.86/cwt +19.28 vs last sale · ≈ $2,453/hd at 522 lb · 375 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $345.59/cwt +14.52 vs last sale · ≈ $3,065/hd at 887 lb · 201 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $477.12/cwt -20.90 vs last sale · ≈ $2,052/hd at 430 lb · 192 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,714 6,330 2,053
Feeder cattle 2,714 6,330 2,053

Compared to last week: Only 1 reported auction this week as feeder cattle offerings in central North Dakota were limited as cattle producers are busy in the field with fall harvest. Very good demand for spring born calves as more farmer feeders in cattle feeding country are ready to take on a bawling calf. The dry weather has allowed cattle feeders to get pens scraped down and ready to receive cattle. Soybean harvest well underway and corn harvest is beginning.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
353–373 370 70 535.00–603.50 $596.53 $2,207 +80.40
406–439 422 75 495.00–545.00 $515.36 $2,175 +7.84
454–497 472 155 481.00–518.00 $489.85 $2,312 +0.88
502–541 522 375 448.00–480.00 $469.86 $2,453 +19.28
558–594 577 154 407.00–447.00 $422.39 $2,437 +10.78
611 611 20 403.50 $403.50 $2,465 —
657 657 15 385.50 $385.50 $2,533 +9.50
731 731 5 370.00 $370.00 $2,705 +10.56
775–781 776 65 352.00–366.00 $364.70 $2,830 +2.48
867–896 887 201 343.00–349.00 $345.59 $3,065 +14.52
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
382 382 8 500.00 $500.00 $1,910 —
511–518 515 19 419.00–425.00 $421.19 $2,169 —
577–597 592 28 393.00–399.00 $394.46 $2,335 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1024 1024 45 313.00 $313.00 $3,205 +1.51

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
339–344 340 24 499.00–530.00 $508.14 $1,728 -89.36
377 377 13 497.00 $497.00 $1,874 +2.57
416–437 430 192 461.00–490.00 $477.12 $2,052 -20.90
450–478 470 81 431.00–455.00 $441.57 $2,075 -13.51
509–530 520 192 397.00–415.00 $411.45 $2,140 +15.39
570–574 573 39 382.00–383.00 $382.77 $2,193 —
740 740 11 337.50 $337.50 $2,498 -9.77
809 809 8 316.00 $316.00 $2,556 +2.72
873–883 878 37 293.00–304.00 $297.85 $2,615 -10.25
931–936 934 17 287.00–291.00 $288.88 $2,698 -8.67
939 939 52 299.50 $299.50 $2,812 +1.95
961–994 986 57 283.00–286.00 $283.62 $2,796 -16.56
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
417–442 436 26 430.00–442.00 $432.65 $1,886 —
460–497 486 28 405.00–412.00 $410.11 $1,993 —
532 532 6 378.00 $378.00 $2,011 —
924–935 929 11 279.00–280.00 $279.54 $2,597 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1031–1045 1036 33 266.00–281.00 $275.95 $2,859 -7.40
1145 1145 8 258.50 $258.50 $2,960 -6.00
1153 1153 6 265.00 $265.00 $3,055 —

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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.