Cattle Market Pulse

Ozarks Regional Stockyards Feeder Cattle Market Report

West Plains, Missouri · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, May 12, 2026

2,444 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $398.91/cwt -0.62 vs last sale · ≈ $2,447/hd at 613 lb · 178 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $489.81/cwt -3.56 vs last sale · ≈ $2,302/hd at 470 lb · 132 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $450.49/cwt -19.07 vs last sale · ≈ $2,333/hd at 518 lb · 103 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,444 2,251 2,206
Feeder cattle 2,444 2,251 2,206

Market comments — USDA reporter

***Close*** Compared to last week, feeder steers and heifers were 3.00-5.00 lower in a lightly tested market. Steer calves under 700 lbs. were 5.00-10.00 lower and heifer calves were steady to 5.00 lower. Demand was moderate on a moderate supply. The largest draft of the day was 86 head of heifers weighing 604 lbs. which sold for 405.00/cwt., which was an exception to today's trend as a comparable load last week sold for 397.00/cwt. Markets opened brisk this morning with prices steady to firm before softening in the afternoon as the CME Feeder Cattle Futures turned sharply lower. Flesh condition dictated the prices as those on the thinner side were mostly steady with those carrying extra flesh receiving the larger discounts.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
341 341 5 605.00 $605.00 $2,063 —
354–393 369 22 565.00–615.00 $589.03 $2,174 -4.69
412–449 434 32 530.00–565.00 $544.02 $2,361 -24.76
462–491 479 73 480.00–525.00 $509.79 $2,442 -14.35
502–548 521 37 475.00–500.00 $492.00 $2,563 -5.30
557–597 583 78 425.00–449.00 $435.70 $2,540 -24.05
613–644 631 22 405.00–425.00 $416.74 $2,630 -17.82
662–684 677 81 380.00–397.50 $384.39 $2,602 -11.89
706–748 728 52 350.00–375.00 $368.24 $2,681 -3.28
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
342 342 5 655.00 $655.00 $2,240 -14.51
371–372 372 9 625.00 $625.00 $2,325 -43.90
405–418 413 16 575.00–615.00 $595.08 $2,458 -0.51
464–499 487 35 532.50–545.00 $536.29 $2,612 -51.77
502–535 520 56 502.50–520.00 $511.35 $2,659 -18.68
514–547 unweaned 541 22 481.00–485.00 $481.69 $2,606 —
550–568 558 25 465.00–492.50 $477.25 $2,663 -23.68
563–591 unweaned 576 44 445.00–462.50 $453.03 $2,609 —
602–616 611 17 435.00–442.50 $437.15 $2,671 -21.60
600–633 unweaned 623 22 420.00–430.00 $422.19 $2,630 —
662–698 unweaned 677 79 400.00–405.00 $403.09 $2,729 —
673–697 682 19 397.50–425.00 $412.93 $2,816 +17.93
729–730 730 10 380.00–390.00 $385.00 $2,810 -19.42
819 819 25 350.00 $350.00 $2,866 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
534 534 12 477.50 $477.50 $2,550 —
614–641 636 20 407.50–415.00 $408.95 $2,601 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
302–343 317 8 560.00–565.00 $562.97 $1,785 —
443–448 445 11 515.00–520.00 $518.64 $2,308 —
544 544 5 452.50 $452.50 $2,462 -7.50
805–845 821 5 310.00–325.00 $316.18 $2,596 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 7 475.00 $475.00 $2,304 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
361–399 384 16 535.00–580.00 $558.60 $2,145 +5.31
405–439 429 22 500.00–520.00 $514.87 $2,209 -19.29
451–499 470 132 467.50–510.00 $489.81 $2,302 -3.56
500–540 511 63 450.00–470.00 $459.48 $2,348 -10.08
503–540 unweaned 529 40 425.00–442.50 $436.32 $2,308 —
550–585 575 51 415.00–432.50 $420.35 $2,417 -16.59
598 unweaned 598 11 400.00 $400.00 $2,392 —
602–648 612 171 385.00–415.00 $400.50 $2,451 +0.97
646 unweaned 646 7 360.00 $360.00 $2,326 —
675–686 684 9 355.00 $355.00 $2,428 -10.00
714–734 729 34 342.50–343.00 $342.88 $2,500 —
806 806 5 327.50 $327.50 $2,640 —
892 892 8 313.00 $313.00 $2,792 -7.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
332–348 339 15 530.00–550.00 $547.27 $1,855 -21.26
366–395 381 27 490.00–525.00 $506.58 $1,930 -12.64
403–446 434 30 460.00–490.00 $480.86 $2,087 -10.74
461–489 475 22 430.00–461.00 $447.97 $2,128 -11.34
515–542 526 65 410.00–447.50 $430.96 $2,267 -2.37
565–598 585 22 380.00–400.00 $389.86 $2,281 -22.09
605–643 640 39 360.00–378.00 $376.73 $2,411 -3.61
650–695 673 24 335.00–350.00 $341.11 $2,296 -4.03
713–747 741 88 322.50–340.00 $337.13 $2,498 +0.94
828 828 5 315.00 $315.00 $2,608 —
876–890 881 8 302.00–306.00 $303.51 $2,674 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
456 456 7 480.00 $480.00 $2,189 —
758–765 762 26 338.00–344.00 $340.53 $2,595 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
536 536 5 420.00 $420.00 $2,251 —
621–626 622 20 375.00 $375.00 $2,332 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 8 520.00 $520.00 $2,002 +65.00
417–444 432 13 450.00–495.00 $474.93 $2,052 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–348 338 8 500.00–515.00 $505.33 $1,708 -15.09
519–532 524 8 400.00–410.00 $406.19 $2,128 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
402–428 420 10 530.00–565.00 $554.95 $2,331 -5.61
465–495 490 11 487.50–497.50 $495.77 $2,429 +8.72
500–548 526 49 450.00–480.00 $461.90 $2,430 -30.95
558–598 576 14 420.00–455.00 $441.26 $2,542 -11.41
607–621 615 10 410.00–422.50 $415.45 $2,555 -8.09
733–738 734 8 340.00–355.00 $343.77 $2,523 —
757 757 8 347.50 $347.50 $2,631 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
507–530 513 11 435.00–445.00 $441.76 $2,266 —
615–637 624 7 382.50–405.00 $392.34 $2,448 —
716 716 5 327.50 $327.50 $2,345 —

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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.