Cattle Market Pulse

North Platte Stockyards Livestock Auction Market Report

North Platte, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 20, 2022

933 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest North Platte Stockyards Livestock Auction report →

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $207.03/cwt +9.45 vs last sale · ≈ $1,261/hd at 609 lb · 142 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $239.20/cwt +13.94 vs last sale · ≈ $1,230/hd at 514 lb · 129 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $201.74/cwt +7.63 vs last sale · ≈ $1,021/hd at 506 lb · 85 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 933 2,700 0
Feeder cattle 933 2,700 0

Compared to two weeks ago, longtime weaned steers calves under 700 lbs sold sharply higher on the day. Mostly trending 10.00 to 15.00 higher than the last test. Flat 700 lbs steers sold 1.00 higher. Not enough heifer calves for a market comparison. Tuesday's offering comprised of mostly light fleshed, long haired, long-time wean steers and heifers. Most of the offering came out of a snowy landscape and sold with weigh up condition in the buyer's favor. Several buyers in attendance on a bitter cold fall day. Some buyers stayed home in the warmth of their office and participated over the internet.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
394 unweaned 394 9 192.50 $192.50 $758
403–422 415 26 236.00 $236.00 $979 -13.78
482 482 41 256.00 $256.00 $1,234 +16.21
503 unweaned 503 16 187.50 $187.50 $943
511–539 516 113 241.00–250.50 $246.52 $1,272 +21.26
583 unweaned 583 5 176.00 $176.00 $1,026
592 592 62 231.50 $231.50 $1,370 +19.94
600–615 609 142 201.00–224.00 $207.03 $1,261 +11.57
686–691 690 35 185.00–191.00 $189.98 $1,311 -6.02
721–723 722 52 181.00–190.50 $187.22 $1,352 +0.51
817 817 20 176.50 $176.50 $1,442
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
488–496 491 19 206.00–211.00 $207.60 $1,019 -10.40

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415–442 425 34 200.00–210.50 $208.27 $885 -8.40
492 unweaned 492 16 169.00 $169.00 $831
504–508 506 85 200.00–203.00 $201.74 $1,021 +7.63
574 574 19 182.00–186.00 $183.05 $1,051 -6.98
606–633 626 30 178.00–182.50 $181.34 $1,135 -1.38
660 660 6 177.00 $177.00 $1,168 -1.45
1074 1074 10 153.00 $153.00 $1,643
1151 1151 24 156.50 $156.50 $1,801
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
573 573 6 172.00 $172.00 $986
658–670 666 19 148.00–151.00 $148.94 $992
714 714 15 151.00 $151.00 $1,078 -3.00

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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.