Cattle Market Pulse

Springfield Livestock Marketing Center Feeder Cattle Market Report

Springfield, Missouri · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 20, 2023

431 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Springfield Livestock Marketing Center Feeder Cattle report →

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $242.25/cwt +10.58 vs last sale · ≈ $1,529/hd at 631 lb · 34 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $213.83/cwt -5.47 vs last sale · ≈ $1,142/hd at 534 lb · 33 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $206.56/cwt +5.87 vs last sale · ≈ $1,161/hd at 562 lb · 16 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 431 1,481 564
Feeder cattle 431 1,481 564

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, feeder steers sold with a higher undertone, and heifers with a steady to firm undertone on a light supply. Demand was good for the last sale of 2023 at the SLMC.

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
310–325 315 3 305.00–325.00 $311.88 $982 +20.68
355–390 377 7 298.00–325.00 $318.77 $1,202 —
400–446 438 8 283.00–319.00 $294.68 $1,291 +19.47
450 450 7 282.00–291.00 $289.71 $1,304 —
526 526 9 261.00 $261.00 $1,373 +5.85
565–580 573 2 240.00–265.00 $252.34 $1,446 +15.31
600–648 631 34 240.00–249.00 $242.25 $1,529 +10.58
670–695 681 4 235.00–237.00 $236.24 $1,609 +15.30
730–738 735 3 216.00–219.00 $216.99 $1,595 +3.81
770–773 772 4 210.00–212.00 $211.00 $1,629 —
807 807 6 216.00 $216.00 $1,743 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365–380 373 2 270.00–287.50 $278.93 $1,040 +13.49
405–445 422 3 263.00–287.50 $271.50 $1,146 +21.54
466–488 478 12 260.00–274.00 $269.76 $1,289 +14.85
515–545 528 6 240.00–260.00 $252.54 $1,333 +14.67
533 unweaned 533 4 238.00 $238.00 $1,269 —
560–579 574 10 227.00–236.00 $232.30 $1,333 +6.58
600–633 627 12 220.00–225.00 $224.58 $1,408 +11.95
665–684 680 9 210.00–230.00 $213.93 $1,455 +12.51
705–736 721 9 209.00–211.00 $210.34 $1,517 +13.84
800–805 803 2 202.00–204.00 $203.00 $1,630 +20.18
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455 455 2 242.00 $242.00 $1,101 +13.71
525 525 2 234.00 $234.00 $1,228 +11.73
590 590 2 215.00 $215.00 $1,268 +15.94
691 691 4 205.00 $205.00 $1,417 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–395 385 6 218.00–243.00 $234.50 $903 +0.10
420–430 424 4 229.00–237.00 $231.48 $981 -6.00
460–488 477 10 219.00–234.00 $229.05 $1,093 +0.70
500–548 534 33 206.00–221.00 $213.83 $1,142 -5.47
554–581 562 16 191.00–208.00 $206.56 $1,161 +5.87
630–638 635 5 186.00–190.00 $187.59 $1,191 -3.61
653–678 666 15 180.00–194.00 $190.61 $1,269 +10.26
705–745 721 10 174.00–194.00 $179.58 $1,295 -7.59
755–780 766 5 183.00–189.00 $184.42 $1,413 +4.79
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
303–335 320 5 253.00–280.00 $273.47 $875 +7.96
380–398 395 6 250.00–264.00 $261.76 $1,034 +6.33
418 418 2 246.00 $246.00 $1,028 —
511 511 12 234.00 $234.00 $1,196 -11.36
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 3 211.00 $211.00 $791 —
471 471 4 200.00 $200.00 $942 -9.54
530–535 533 2 205.00–206.00 $205.50 $1,095 +4.83
768 768 2 160.00 $160.00 $1,229 —
865–898 887 3 140.00–156.00 $150.80 $1,338 —
948 948 2 120.00 $120.00 $1,138 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
570 570 6 204.50 $204.50 $1,166 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
393 393 2 200.00 $200.00 $786 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
555–592 579 5 218.00–226.00 $222.91 $1,291 +7.78
600–615 604 4 214.00–230.00 $223.44 $1,350 +19.43
673 673 4 206.00 $206.00 $1,386 +9.71
718 718 2 200.00 $200.00 $1,436 —
825–830 828 2 154.00–158.00 $155.99 $1,292 -0.01
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
548 548 8 247.00 $247.00 $1,354 +0.49
630 630 2 240.00–242.00 $241.00 $1,518 —
750 750 2 213.00 $213.00 $1,598 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 2 210.00 $210.00 $735 —
548 548 3 218.00 $218.00 $1,195 —

↑ Back to top

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.