Cattle Market Pulse

Ogallala Livestock Auction Market Report

Ogallala, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, February 29, 2024

6,000 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $314.39/cwt +5.24 vs last sale · ≈ $1,968/hd at 626 lb · 699 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $335.31/cwt +8.03 vs last sale · ≈ $1,925/hd at 574 lb · 606 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $279.57/cwt +13.03 vs last sale · ≈ $2,030/hd at 726 lb · 467 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 6,000 5,251 4,640
Feeder cattle 6,000 5,251 4,640

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to two weeks ago, most weights of steers were 5.00 - 10.00 higher, with a flat 7 weight 15.00 higher. Most heifers sold 4.00 to 6.00 higher with 750 lbs 1.00 higher and 550 lbs 20.00 higher on the day. Demand was good on the offerings offered.

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
413–415 414 15 366.00–387.50 $376.06 $1,557 -13.94
451–486 472 84 358.00–373.00 $363.78 $1,717 -4.07
505–543 538 153 335.00–346.50 $344.37 $1,853 +4.29
555–587 572 525 327.50–346.50 $335.51 $1,919 +8.23
588 588 81 334.00 $334.00 $1,964 +6.72
611 fancy 611 206 325.00 $325.00 $1,986 —
603–648 632 493 297.50–317.50 $309.96 $1,959 +0.81
654 654 73 312.50 $312.50 $2,044 +34.86
657–669 fancy 665 125 304.00–304.50 $304.15 $2,023 +5.11
662–695 678 234 280.00–299.50 $289.41 $1,962 +11.77
722 722 145 283.50 $283.50 $2,047 +23.30
715–746 728 322 266.50–285.00 $277.80 $2,022 +17.60
761–795 776 266 246.50–263.50 $254.46 $1,975 +17.06
790 790 70 260.00 $260.00 $2,054 +22.60
810–848 830 228 244.00–254.00 $249.35 $2,070 +7.77
852–868 857 70 240.00–240.50 $240.15 $2,058 +10.26
902–932 909 97 223.50–240.00 $235.99 $2,145 -4.01
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
525–541 537 53 314.00–321.00 $319.32 $1,715 -0.64
561–573 569 88 298.00–322.00 $307.45 $1,749 -1.09
625–646 633 82 271.00–287.50 $281.73 $1,783 -13.87
666–671 668 29 253.00–261.00 $256.88 $1,716 -5.85

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
383 383 19 337.50 $337.50 $1,293 +13.75
405 thin fleshed 405 11 342.50 $342.50 $1,387 —
409–428 420 44 320.00–337.50 $329.29 $1,383 -6.71
455–491 474 104 319.00–328.50 $324.14 $1,536 +6.56
517–545 522 160 302.00–317.00 $309.70 $1,617 +4.60
559–598 571 200 282.00–299.00 $288.46 $1,647 +26.49
600 fancy 600 24 294.00 $294.00 $1,764 —
603–635 623 248 269.50–284.00 $277.60 $1,729 +13.12
652–693 679 352 245.50–262.00 $254.61 $1,729 -11.39
701–739 719 195 237.50–251.00 $243.98 $1,754 +5.56
760 760 40 256.50 $256.50 $1,949 +27.68
764–797 781 162 225.50–231.00 $230.02 $1,796 +1.20
850–852 851 33 210.00–213.00 $211.54 $1,800 -8.46
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
497 497 10 305.00 $305.00 $1,516 -3.50
509 509 33 260.00 $260.00 $1,323 —
580 580 12 274.00 $274.00 $1,589 —

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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.