Cattle Market Pulse

North Platte Stockyards Livestock Auction Market Report

North Platte, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 19, 2023

1,584 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $309.42/cwt +18.17 vs last sale · ≈ $1,641/hd at 530 lb · 169 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $268.08/cwt +11.63 vs last sale · ≈ $1,646/hd at 614 lb · 155 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $345.53/cwt +45.85 vs last sale · ≈ $1,599/hd at 463 lb · 152 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,584 1,793 933
Feeder cattle 1,584 1,793 933

Compared to two weeks ago, comparable weights of steers and heifer calves sold 15.00 to 20.00 higher. Quite a few buyers on the seats, with very active bidding from the internet. Sale comprised of mostly weaned calves with some bawlers in the run. Most offerings had two rounds of shots with some receiving three. Most lots displayed light to average flesh through the ring. Next special calf and feeder sale will be January 9, 2024.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 unweaned 310 10 364.00 $364.00 $1,128
363–380 unweaned 374 32 339.00–344.00 $342.70 $1,282
371–378 375 22 340.00–354.00 $348.97 $1,309 +28.97
412–441 431 39 332.00–355.00 $344.60 $1,485 +12.68
435–445 unweaned 443 32 322.00–341.00 $326.67 $1,447
456–462 461 107 343.00–352.50 $350.33 $1,615 +60.33
458–473 unweaned 467 45 322.00–337.50 $334.13 $1,560
509–541 527 134 299.00–321.00 $313.45 $1,652 +19.55
543 unweaned 543 35 294.00 $294.00 $1,596
551–583 570 65 283.50–290.00 $287.11 $1,637 +9.98
612 unweaned 612 6 250.00 $250.00 $1,530
602–632 614 149 265.00–274.00 $268.81 $1,650 +12.36
653–666 659 64 254.00–264.50 $259.72 $1,712 +24.67
719 719 47 238.50 $238.50 $1,715 +12.77
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
539 539 5 293.00 $293.00 $1,579
939 939 22 181.00 $181.00 $1,700
1120 1120 42 181.00 $181.00 $2,027
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
352 352 5 335.00 $335.00 $1,179 +8.35
452 452 6 325.00 $325.00 $1,469 +62.44

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
316 unweaned 316 12 330.00 $330.00 $1,043
357–369 unweaned 361 14 327.50–330.00 $328.41 $1,186
360–387 377 22 304.00–313.00 $309.88 $1,168 +9.94
408–440 unweaned 435 25 278.00–287.00 $285.65 $1,243
419–446 437 65 277.00–298.00 $290.54 $1,270 +2.86
461–496 481 57 292.50–299.00 $298.23 $1,434 +20.44
512–539 526 66 271.00–287.00 $277.60 $1,460 +19.23
503–532 unweaned 527 30 254.00–273.00 $269.98 $1,423
552–563 561 90 259.00–265.00 $261.06 $1,465 +13.87
621 621 48 246.50 $246.50 $1,531 +16.80
632 thin fleshed 632 10 270.00 $270.00 $1,706
658–685 665 27 216.00–235.50 $230.29 $1,531 +15.29
886 886 44 184.50 $184.50 $1,635
896 896 5 184.50 $184.50 $1,653
956 956 26 182.50 $182.50 $1,745
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
348 348 5 295.00 $295.00 $1,027
545 unweaned 545 7 242.00 $242.00 $1,319

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
421 421 8 300.00 $300.00 $1,263
531 531 6 266.00 $266.00 $1,412

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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.