Cattle Market Pulse

Ogallala Livestock Auction Market Report

Ogallala, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, January 18, 2024

4,924 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Ogallala Livestock Auction report →

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $279.59/cwt +8.97 vs last sale · ≈ $1,618/hd at 579 lb · 534 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $298.48/cwt +18.07 vs last sale · ≈ $1,864/hd at 625 lb · 447 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $317.33/cwt -5.73 vs last sale · ≈ $1,824/hd at 575 lb · 435 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,924 6,377 4,760
Feeder cattle 4,924 6,377 4,760

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, steers under 600 lbs were 5.00 - 11.00 and weights over 600 lbs was 6.00 - 20.00 higher. Heifers were 2.00 - 7.00 higher. Demand was good with a nice selection offered. Biding was active in the seats and on the internet.

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
385 385 10 397.50 $397.50 $1,530 +49.87
441 441 49 367.50 $367.50 $1,621 +9.95
448 448 12 352.50 $352.50 $1,579 -5.05
456 fancy 456 12 362.00 $362.00 $1,651 -35.50
462–476 473 41 325.00–339.50 $335.11 $1,585 -4.98
492–496 495 138 339.00–354.00 $351.52 $1,740 +11.43
516–548 526 103 314.00–329.00 $323.23 $1,700 -13.47
546 546 268 336.50 $336.50 $1,837 -0.20
553 fancy 553 71 324.50 $324.50 $1,794 -8.52
574 574 162 334.00 $334.00 $1,917 +21.04
561–595 583 202 295.00–311.00 $301.44 $1,757 -11.52
605–646 624 370 286.00–307.00 $297.54 $1,857 +21.37
627 627 77 303.00 $303.00 $1,900 +26.83
662–697 681 261 266.00–280.00 $270.25 $1,840 +10.80
719–741 731 153 243.00–260.00 $248.63 $1,817 +6.84
794 794 7 230.50 $230.50 $1,830 -6.15
802 802 13 230.50 $230.50 $1,849 -5.22
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
590–591 590 42 288.00–290.00 $289.05 $1,705 +4.82
610–623 617 23 270.00–273.00 $271.42 $1,675 +14.42
659 659 21 252.50 $252.50 $1,664 +7.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
336–341 338 22 347.00–357.00 $352.87 $1,193 +14.87
419–428 422 89 316.50–329.00 $320.21 $1,351 +7.69
469–489 477 191 297.50–310.50 $306.92 $1,464 +2.11
500–547 525 375 295.00–310.50 $302.39 $1,588 -0.27
552–589 570 245 286.00–293.00 $288.85 $1,646 +18.23
559–598 586 289 262.00–280.00 $271.74 $1,592 +1.12
601 601 60 287.00 $287.00 $1,725 -0.50
609–648 636 238 258.00–275.00 $266.19 $1,693 +21.02
657 657 50 258.00 $258.00 $1,695 +18.38
676–699 683 125 225.50–247.00 $238.89 $1,632 -0.73
728 728 74 249.00 $249.00 $1,813 +27.78
818 818 7 211.00 $211.00 $1,726 -3.99
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
505–541 530 59 266.00–269.50 $268.24 $1,422 -16.76
574–595 584 62 240.50–256.50 $252.80 $1,476 +12.28
615 615 17 242.00 $242.00 $1,488 —

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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.