Cattle Market Pulse

Ozarks Regional Stockyards Feeder Cattle Market Report

West Plains, Missouri · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, March 3, 2026

2,541 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $488.91/cwt +1.30 vs last sale · ≈ $2,806/hd at 574 lb · 279 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $522.64/cwt -7.38 vs last sale · ≈ $2,775/hd at 531 lb · 95 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $327.20/cwt ≈ $2,804/hd at 857 lb · 86 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,541 2,193 2,575
Feeder cattle 2,541 2,193 2,575

Market comments — USDA reporter

***Close*** Compared to last week, feeder steers and heifers sold steady to 6.00 higher. Steer and heifer calves over 500 lbs. were uneven from 6.00 lower to 6.00 higher. Calves under 500 lbs. sold sharply lower. Demand was good on a moderate supply. One stick-out draft of the day was 62 head of 867 lb. black steers which sold for 357.50/cwt. The largest draft of the day was 270 head of blk/bwf steers weighing 574 lbs. which sold for 489.50/cwt. The Cattle Futures found some footing on Tuesday after closing lower for several days. Choice Box Beef closed up 6.71 at 388.05 which was another new high for 2026.

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
310–342 334 12 600.00–640.00 $617.28 $2,062 -36.38
360–396 382 17 590.00–610.00 $594.44 $2,271 -36.34
402–444 422 33 570.00–625.00 $592.42 $2,500 -11.84
451–492 474 26 525.00–562.50 $545.71 $2,587 -3.12
515–542 531 95 500.00–547.50 $522.64 $2,775 -7.38
552–585 574 279 470.00–489.50 $488.91 $2,806 +1.30
604–634 612 68 435.00–455.00 $446.32 $2,731 -5.68
661–678 676 49 420.00–428.00 $426.88 $2,886 -5.27
700–723 713 45 386.00–395.00 $390.96 $2,788 +2.69
777–796 781 35 355.00–359.00 $357.00 $2,788 -26.00
855–876 857 70 338.00–357.50 $355.22 $3,044 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
398 398 5 560.00 $560.00 $2,229 —
400–448 424 41 505.00–555.00 $536.34 $2,274 +2.45
453–498 469 61 475.00–522.50 $499.72 $2,344 -10.70
500–522 509 23 455.00–475.00 $467.00 $2,377 -32.82
568–593 584 79 412.50–455.00 $435.41 $2,543 -18.72
608–649 638 60 382.50–425.00 $400.93 $2,558 -25.83
660–694 680 23 370.00–401.00 $391.87 $2,665 -6.06
710–737 733 73 344.00–362.50 $346.45 $2,539 —
752–760 755 6 332.50–335.00 $334.16 $2,523 —
800–806 805 12 325.00–339.00 $335.52 $2,701 —
852–874 857 86 311.00–330.00 $327.20 $2,804 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
304–332 316 9 540.00–550.00 $544.66 $1,721 —
360–362 362 8 500.00–505.00 $503.76 $1,824 -27.20
432–442 439 6 475.00–485.00 $478.28 $2,100 -39.22
488–497 492 7 435.00–455.00 $442.08 $2,175 -24.80
505–514 512 11 400.00–435.00 $409.42 $2,096 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
632 632 9 417.50 $417.50 $2,639 —
687–690 689 15 378.00–387.50 $379.89 $2,617 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
432 unweaned 432 7 445.00 $445.00 $1,922 —
492 unweaned 492 7 465.00 $465.00 $2,288 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–392 380 36 520.00–555.00 $533.84 $2,029 -0.16
403–438 420 32 492.50–535.00 $513.61 $2,157 -6.16
452–476 465 37 465.00–505.00 $475.82 $2,213 -33.85
510–521 514 46 445.00–480.00 $455.76 $2,343 -17.12
558–589 576 57 408.00–420.00 $414.89 $2,390 -9.32
601–619 615 78 380.00–405.00 $399.24 $2,455 +7.13
650–668 654 50 359.00–360.00 $359.10 $2,349 -19.21
715–743 736 84 345.00–377.50 $362.72 $2,670 +8.72
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
346–348 347 21 500.00–517.50 $512.48 $1,778 +4.55
362–390 376 16 470.00–495.00 $477.41 $1,795 -22.13
400–446 425 34 445.00–482.50 $470.54 $2,000 -21.33
454–492 474 69 427.50–460.00 $442.53 $2,098 -19.14
512–542 532 37 398.00–430.00 $410.38 $2,183 -17.00
551–573 557 26 392.50–405.00 $401.43 $2,236 +28.39
600–614 610 11 330.00–354.00 $347.56 $2,120 -17.10
652–686 669 23 332.50–349.00 $343.17 $2,296 -9.33
1013 1013 15 275.00 $275.00 $2,786 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
342–343 343 11 450.00–470.00 $466.37 $1,600 +12.01
368–399 383 13 430.00–455.00 $439.81 $1,684 —
414–448 422 15 425.00–435.00 $430.12 $1,815 -12.06
502–527 519 18 370.00–390.00 $383.50 $1,990 —
558–575 562 8 325.00–357.50 $349.19 $1,962 —
605–649 639 9 290.00 $290.00 $1,853 —
691 691 11 285.00 $285.00 $1,969 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 14 450.00 $450.00 $2,160 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425 425 5 360.00 $360.00 $1,530 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
358–362 360 6 475.00–505.00 $489.92 $1,764 -4.92
445–446 446 8 475.00–485.00 $481.26 $2,146 —
578–582 580 7 387.50–390.00 $388.57 $2,254 —
755 755 7 323.00 $323.00 $2,439 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
482–497 491 9 465.00–470.00 $468.31 $2,299 —
500–530 518 5 440.00–465.00 $455.35 $2,359 -4.53
585–593 588 7 405.00–417.50 $412.10 $2,423 -21.28
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
594 594 5 350.00 $350.00 $2,079 —

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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.