Cattle Market Pulse

Ozarks Regional Stockyards Slaughter / Replacement Cattle Market Report

West Plains, Missouri · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, January 24, 2024

463 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Ozarks Regional Stockyards Slaughter / Replacement Cattle report →

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 463 480 382
Slaughter cattle 210 318 241
Replacement cattle 253 162 141

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to the last sale two weeks ago, slaughter cows and bulls were 10.00-15.00 higher with high dressing bulls 20.00 higher. Demand was very good on a light supply of slaughter animals and a moderate supply of replacement cattle. With winter weather limiting supplies for several weeks, the price of slaughter animals took a big jump with the top slaughter bull bringing 158/cwt. Replacement animals have seen an increase in demand since the extreme cold gave way to 50 degree days and rain. The top bred cow brought 1900/head and the top pairs brought 2850/pair. The USDA's Cold Storage report released today reported the total pounds of beef in freezers were up 6 percent from the previous month but down 11 percent from last year.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Bulls

Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1620 1620 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 2,550.00 $2,550.00 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1650 1650 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 2,450.00 $2,450.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
772–1230 977 85-90% 5 73.00–78.00 $75.44 $737 —
895–1170 996 85-90% 16 102.00–109.00 $104.49 $1,041 —
700–1245 1028 85-90% 53 89.00–100.00 $96.26 $990 +14.66
780–1430 1076 85-90% 17 81.00–88.00 $84.96 $914 -7.58
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1090–1235 1155 80-85% 4 90.00–95.00 $92.74 $1,071 +10.38
1010–1375 1181 80-85% 33 99.00–106.00 $102.43 $1,210 +20.07
1070–1370 1209 80-85% 22 107.00–120.00 $111.72 $1,351 +11.80
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1320–1560 1388 75-80% 6 93.00–99.00 $96.72 $1,342 —
1340–1545 1416 75-80% 8 107.50–119.00 $110.21 $1,561 +26.86
1340–1670 1482 75-80% 21 100.00–106.00 $103.25 $1,530 +2.65

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1255–1775 1377 6 94.00–112.00 $106.65 $1,469 —
1285–1915 1511 7 115.00–131.00 $124.17 $1,876 —
1270–2125 1753 12 134.00–158.00 $142.47 $2,497 —

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Stock Cows

Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
730–915 810 (<2 yrs)Open 5 147.50–177.50 $161.39 $1,307
700–1083 911 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 17 108.00–138.00 $118.33 $1,078
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
870–1075 976 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 10 91.00–99.00 $96.09 $938
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1070–1215 1126 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 9 106.00–124.00 $119.43 $1,345
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1025–1370 1158 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 7 92.00–100.00 $97.59 $1,130

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1065–1450 1210 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 47 1,300.00–1,900.00 $1,617.34
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
982–1045 1008 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 5 1,200.00–1,600.00 $1,414.39
810–1096 1023 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 32 1,225.00–1,700.00 $1,532.42
Medium 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
740–1060 939 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)All Stages (1-9 mo) 13 750.00–1,200.00 $992.65
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
975–1215 1095 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)All Stages (1-9 mo) 4 1,075.00–1,250.00 $1,182.65

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
825–938 906 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 9 1,200.00–1,400.00 $1,366.67 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1095–1100 1097 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 9 1,525.00–1,700.00 $1,622.22 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1138–1455 1204 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 7 1,800.00–1,950.00 $1,828.57 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1350 1350 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 3 2,850.00 $2,850.00 —

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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.