Cattle Market Pulse

Ozarks Regional Stockyards Feeder Cattle Market Report

West Plains, Missouri · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 3, 2024

5,910 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Ozarks Regional Stockyards Feeder Cattle report →

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $298.92/cwt +18.95 vs last sale · ≈ $1,570/hd at 525 lb · 319 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $285.43/cwt +20.43 vs last sale · ≈ $1,895/hd at 664 lb · 265 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $278.77/cwt +20.15 vs last sale · ≈ $1,586/hd at 569 lb · 250 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 5,910 1,897 2,310
Feeder cattle 5,910 1,897 2,310

Market comments — USDA reporter

***Close*** There were no recent wean-vac specials for an adequate comparison, however compared to last week's regular sale, feeder steers and heifers sold 3.00-6.00 higher. Steer and heifer calves under 750 lbs. sold 15.00-20.00 higher with spots 30.00 higher. Demand was very good on a heavy supply. Several occasional buyers joined the regular buyers which made for a very active market. Quality was above average with most calves long-time weaned with two rounds of shots with several drafts in thin condition. Demand was very good on grazing type calves with most headed to wheat pastures for some cheap gains.

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
338 338 5 397.50 $397.50 $1,344 -26.32
368–385 377 10 395.00–405.00 $399.89 $1,508 +31.41
406–446 429 23 350.00–377.50 $362.67 $1,556 +21.07
438 thin fleshed 438 14 400.00 $400.00 $1,752 —
459–492 478 77 360.00–379.00 $372.52 $1,781 +48.27
515–516 thin fleshed 516 54 355.00–359.00 $358.11 $1,848 —
508–547 530 115 325.00–346.00 $335.38 $1,778 +21.32
560–561 thin fleshed 561 54 352.50–354.00 $353.45 $1,983 —
550–599 579 160 317.50–342.50 $332.75 $1,927 +41.10
619–620 thin fleshed 620 23 315.00–320.00 $318.26 $1,973 —
605–649 632 165 292.00–309.00 $299.78 $1,895 +20.21
661 thin fleshed 661 7 308.00 $308.00 $2,036 —
650–695 664 258 276.00–297.50 $284.82 $1,891 +19.82
708–735 719 58 265.00–275.00 $271.48 $1,952 +17.29
751–789 765 149 261.00–271.00 $263.33 $2,014 -3.92
819–838 825 40 255.00–260.00 $256.58 $2,117 —
850 850 18 259.00 $259.00 $2,202 —
905 905 25 253.00 $253.00 $2,290 —
1009 1009 7 235.00 $235.00 $2,371 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–322 321 14 362.50–375.00 $365.71 $1,174 +30.58
375–380 379 20 325.00–352.50 $335.31 $1,271 -2.09
409–437 424 38 325.00–347.50 $334.88 $1,420 +26.40
429–445 unweaned 438 14 320.00–322.50 $321.45 $1,408 —
450–498 477 119 316.00–344.00 $327.34 $1,561 —
514–546 527 105 295.00–324.00 $312.32 $1,646 +22.15
550–597 567 167 283.00–311.00 $299.38 $1,697 +20.13
603–646 630 96 265.00–284.00 $276.00 $1,739 +26.00
652–698 685 158 248.00–274.00 $262.70 $1,799 +32.70
700–749 726 112 240.00–261.00 $252.27 $1,831 +19.11
750–798 781 139 235.00–259.00 $249.80 $1,951 +4.34
802–844 814 106 230.00–252.50 $245.11 $1,995 —
869–882 880 34 245.00–246.00 $245.83 $2,163 —
905–918 915 12 215.00–224.00 $221.77 $2,029 -11.23
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
314–337 326 16 320.00–330.00 $321.85 $1,049 +9.35
386 386 10 317.50 $317.50 $1,226 —
402–438 425 31 302.50–320.00 $308.80 $1,312 —
462–487 477 28 282.50–310.00 $291.90 $1,392 —
635 635 10 258.00 $258.00 $1,638 +30.50
781–786 784 8 217.50–238.00 $227.72 $1,785 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430 430 13 337.50 $337.50 $1,451 —
465 unweaned 465 7 307.50 $307.50 $1,430 —
685 685 14 255.00 $255.00 $1,747 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
481 481 17 269.00 $269.00 $1,294 —
584–592 590 16 241.00–255.00 $245.33 $1,447 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
555 555 13 312.00 $312.00 $1,732 —
606 606 5 307.50 $307.50 $1,863 —
706 706 13 266.00 $266.00 $1,878 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
606–635 623 22 253.00–265.00 $260.23 $1,621 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
303–343 319 18 320.00–345.00 $335.48 $1,070 -1.83
404–444 426 82 315.00–332.50 $320.30 $1,364 —
450 thin fleshed 450 7 340.00 $340.00 $1,530 —
450–493 465 108 305.00–335.00 $319.32 $1,485 +28.26
507–528 thin fleshed 509 60 315.00 $315.00 $1,603 —
506–549 529 259 280.00–307.00 $295.20 $1,562 +15.23
550–589 569 250 274.00–290.00 $278.77 $1,586 +20.15
604–646 631 242 257.00–275.00 $261.23 $1,648 +6.11
651–698 667 206 250.00–275.00 $257.60 $1,718 -4.42
687 687 20 240.00 $240.00 $1,649 -22.02
702–713 708 26 247.00–254.50 $251.07 $1,778 —
799 799 9 234.00 $234.00 $1,870 —
813–848 836 112 234.00–248.00 $243.08 $2,032 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
367–376 372 13 302.50–307.50 $303.66 $1,130 +23.66
412–449 437 48 292.50–306.00 $300.20 $1,312 +12.70
457–498 479 102 275.00–300.00 $287.91 $1,379 +13.97
520–546 532 46 250.00–278.00 $266.96 $1,420 +8.55
550–595 575 123 250.00–272.50 $267.39 $1,537 +29.65
605–643 624 50 245.00–254.00 $250.12 $1,561 +14.75
651–695 664 63 238.00–249.00 $244.02 $1,620 +22.63
704–747 737 110 225.00–244.00 $238.18 $1,755 —
783–790 784 20 220.00–235.00 $231.98 $1,819 +14.56
815 815 15 228.00 $228.00 $1,858 +13.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
356–357 357 20 282.50–292.50 $289.01 $1,032 —
477–491 485 26 255.00–263.00 $258.32 $1,253 —
557–598 584 43 220.00–245.00 $232.71 $1,359 —
668–674 671 7 222.50–225.00 $223.93 $1,503 —
844 844 8 156.00 $156.00 $1,317 +3.50
875 875 8 187.50 $187.50 $1,641 —
964 964 8 148.00 $148.00 $1,427 +3.00
1025 1025 39 145.00 $145.00 $1,486 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
487 487 8 289.00 $289.00 $1,407 —
575–586 582 17 257.50–265.00 $262.39 $1,527 —
602–613 610 16 246.00–250.00 $249.01 $1,519 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
553–574 572 28 286.00–287.50 $286.16 $1,637 —
679 679 11 252.00 $252.00 $1,711 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
492 492 5 270.00 $270.00 $1,328 —
640 640 14 250.00 $250.00 $1,600 —
696 696 5 242.50 $242.50 $1,688 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
533 533 13 278.00 $278.00 $1,482 —
635 635 11 268.00 $268.00 $1,702 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405–429 420 11 235.00–252.50 $246.37 $1,035 —
580 580 6 238.00 $238.00 $1,380 —
664 664 6 215.00 $215.00 $1,428 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
489–492 491 10 285.00–290.00 $287.49 $1,412 —
521 521 6 262.50 $262.50 $1,368 —
571–573 572 10 225.00–235.00 $231.01 $1,321 —
603–638 615 17 244.00–250.00 $246.18 $1,514 +2.40
746 746 5 195.00 $195.00 $1,455 —
826–830 828 8 195.00–199.00 $197.50 $1,635 -10.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
434 434 5 305.00 $305.00 $1,324 —
499 499 5 310.00 $310.00 $1,547 +5.00
523–530 525 12 277.50–290.00 $285.80 $1,500 +10.80
555–560 557 11 277.00–287.50 $281.80 $1,570 —
605–642 619 17 260.00–278.00 $269.75 $1,670 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
499 499 5 235.00 $235.00 $1,173 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
816 816 7 150.00 $150.00 $1,224 —

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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.