Cattle Market Pulse

Ozarks Regional Stockyards Feeder Cattle Market Report

West Plains, Missouri · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, April 28, 2026

1,302 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $390.07/cwt -14.36 vs last sale · ≈ $2,641/hd at 677 lb · 52 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $540.45/cwt -1.54 vs last sale · ≈ $2,594/hd at 480 lb · 51 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $494.24/cwt -3.57 vs last sale · ≈ $2,565/hd at 519 lb · 49 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,302 2,135 2,161
Feeder cattle 1,302 2,135 2,161

Market comments — USDA reporter

***Close*** Compared to last week, feeder steers and heifers were steady to 4.00 higher. Steer and heifers calves were mostly steady with spots 8.00 higher. Demand was good on a light supply. The offering consisted of small drafts with the largest draft being 34 head of 748 lb. steers which sold for 398.00/cwt. Another stick-out draft was 12 head of 705 lb. replacement heifers which sold for 401.00/cwt. The CME Cattle Futures traded sharply higher on Tuesday. There were verified reports of fat cattle selling for 252.00/cwt. Most of the area has received some beneficial rainfall which helped to improve pasture conditions as well as helping the hayfields.

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
354 354 5 670.00 $670.00 $2,372 +21.54
410–421 416 16 575.00–620.00 $585.60 $2,436 -19.36
456–495 480 51 525.00–550.00 $540.45 $2,594 -1.54
505–536 523 16 516.00–550.00 $527.36 $2,758 -5.58
555–593 575 36 475.00–520.00 $488.99 $2,812 -2.55
614–636 628 40 442.00–472.50 $454.34 $2,853 +10.13
656–668 658 20 430.00–443.00 $440.36 $2,898 +13.28
718–748 740 46 389.00–398.00 $395.72 $2,928 -2.69
750–780 774 30 370.00–374.00 $372.26 $2,881 +16.26
837 837 28 372.00 $372.00 $3,114 +24.50
936 936 18 335.00 $335.00 $3,136 +3.00
1009 1009 31 322.00 $322.00 $3,249 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
399 399 11 540.00 $540.00 $2,155 -54.65
428–435 432 6 550.00–560.00 $556.64 $2,405 -7.93
470–497 487 13 475.00–515.00 $506.96 $2,469 -6.24
502–540 519 49 470.00–502.50 $494.24 $2,565 -3.57
552–595 581 15 445.00–470.00 $460.15 $2,673 +2.52
608–648 631 26 410.00–432.50 $420.85 $2,656 +2.17
652–687 677 52 385.00–406.00 $390.07 $2,641 -14.36
749 749 5 365.00 $365.00 $2,734 -8.36
775–791 789 33 345.00–360.50 $358.65 $2,830 —
836–838 836 14 340.00–345.00 $340.72 $2,848 -6.34
864 864 9 333.00 $333.00 $2,877 +14.00
1146 1146 7 272.00 $272.00 $3,117 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
591 591 9 385.00 $385.00 $2,275 —
672–695 682 9 300.00–335.00 $315.85 $2,154 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
458 458 5 525.00 $525.00 $2,404 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
309 309 5 580.00 $580.00 $1,792 —
353–389 378 17 540.00–570.00 $548.23 $2,072 -2.39
405–442 416 45 495.00–545.00 $515.72 $2,145 +6.90
462–497 479 32 465.00–490.00 $475.69 $2,279 -2.53
515–539 528 36 435.00–460.00 $441.95 $2,333 -11.68
550–578 570 48 410.00–427.50 $423.98 $2,417 +2.63
705 705 12 401.00 $401.00 $2,827 +47.00
808 808 5 322.50 $322.50 $2,606 +7.50
1066 1066 18 290.00 $290.00 $3,091 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
341–343 342 22 555.00–575.00 $556.82 $1,904 -8.98
395 395 20 535.00 $535.00 $2,113 +25.66
455–485 472 17 450.00–460.00 $455.68 $2,151 +7.00
532–549 538 37 406.00–425.00 $414.69 $2,231 -12.27
571–594 581 18 370.00–407.50 $393.46 $2,286 -4.18
630–642 639 14 350.00–370.00 $365.75 $2,337 -4.88
651–670 657 21 330.00–350.00 $346.31 $2,275 -10.20
720–737 729 26 350.00–355.00 $352.47 $2,570 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
354 354 5 545.00 $545.00 $1,929 —
436 436 12 505.00 $505.00 $2,202 —
502 502 5 440.00 $440.00 $2,209 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
575 575 5 390.00 $390.00 $2,242 —
736 736 7 330.00 $330.00 $2,429 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
397 397 5 405.00 $405.00 $1,608 —
424 424 6 365.00 $365.00 $1,548 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
518–542 528 5 462.50–480.00 $469.69 $2,480 +9.14
602–631 619 11 415.00–435.00 $426.56 $2,640 -10.94
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
665–698 678 5 360.00–375.00 $368.82 $2,501 —

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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.