Cattle Market Pulse

North Platte Stockyards Livestock Auction Market Report

North Platte, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, February 6, 2024

2,958 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $266.96/cwt +16.14 vs last sale · ≈ $1,925/hd at 721 lb · 231 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $280.00/cwt +13.69 vs last sale · ≈ $1,851/hd at 661 lb · 223 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $262.58/cwt +9.46 vs last sale · ≈ $1,662/hd at 633 lb · 211 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,958 3,273 3,260
Feeder cattle 2,958 3,273 3,260

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to two weeks ago steers under 750 lbs sold 10.00 to 13.00 higher, over 750 lbs sold 2.00 higher. Heifers under 600 lbs sold 1.00 to 4.00 higher with weights over 600 trading sharply higher. Demand was good today. Large crowd of buyers with internet participation noticed. Calves were longtime weaned with vaccinations with most selling in part loads and packages throughout the sale. Spring like weather the last few days with rain showers has made country roads soft but pre-sale consignments made there way to town.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 31 392.50 $392.50 $1,413 +32.62
438 438 81 372.50 $372.50 $1,632 +30.28
455–468 465 94 335.00–350.00 $338.59 $1,574 -1.00
500–533 525 120 330.00–341.00 $339.57 $1,783 +13.80
583–596 587 173 290.00–305.00 $297.26 $1,745 -12.67
606–622 611 135 287.00–304.50 $298.39 $1,823 +11.13
651 fancy 651 64 292.00 $292.00 $1,901 —
650–683 665 159 270.00–280.00 $275.17 $1,830 +13.30
703–738 721 231 261.00–274.50 $266.96 $1,925 +13.85
763–791 778 187 248.50–253.50 $250.12 $1,946 +1.53
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 10 368.00 $368.00 $1,288 —
423–437 433 48 326.00–340.00 $328.85 $1,424 +20.85
529–548 538 68 308.00–315.00 $311.59 $1,676 +6.70
576 576 20 280.00 $280.00 $1,613 -4.86
640 640 46 266.50 $266.50 $1,706 +7.92
679–682 681 25 260.00–268.50 $265.79 $1,810 +11.29

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
341 341 48 344.00 $344.00 $1,173 -6.12
400–445 426 78 307.50–322.00 $316.08 $1,347 +9.40
472–494 481 69 298.00–314.00 $307.33 $1,478 +1.27
517–541 528 78 281.00–300.00 $292.57 $1,545 +4.12
538 fancy 538 58 305.50 $305.50 $1,644 —
555–593 582 149 267.50–294.00 $278.95 $1,623 +16.95
607–647 633 211 250.00–270.00 $262.58 $1,662 +8.55
654–671 661 99 250.00–258.00 $255.46 $1,689 +10.96
730–747 741 138 228.00–235.50 $231.19 $1,713 +1.51
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
432 432 28 272.00 $272.00 $1,175 -16.52
491–492 492 22 264.00–286.00 $276.01 $1,358 -5.41
630 630 26 244.00 $244.00 $1,537 —

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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.