Cattle Market Pulse

Stockmen's Livestock Exchange Market Report

Dickinson, North Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 3, 2020

4,211 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Stockmen's Livestock Exchange report →

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $160.30/cwt +3.11 vs last sale · ≈ $917/hd at 572 lb · 421 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $147.87/cwt +2.47 vs last sale · ≈ $1,003/hd at 678 lb · 354 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $151.71/cwt +3.58 vs last sale · ≈ $939/hd at 619 lb · 331 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,211 5,120 3,916
Feeder cattle 4,211 5,120 3,916

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to two weeks ago: Feeder steers 400-450lbs 6.00 lower, 450-500 lbs 10.00 higher; 500-750 lbs steady to 5.00 higher. Feeder heifers traded 3.00 to 6.00 higher. Demand was good to moderate on today's offering of feeder steers and heifers . Quality was mostly attractive with feeders in light to moderate flesh.. Next sale is scheduled for December 10, 2020.

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
359–398 387 40 184.00–213.00 $194.56 $753 -0.46
408–448 434 83 170.00–186.50 $179.09 $777 -7.30
450–488 470 177 173.00–190.50 $186.08 $875 +9.98
508–549 532 226 161.00–179.00 $171.17 $911 +0.11
555–596 572 421 150.00–167.50 $160.30 $917 +3.49
600–646 619 331 142.00–159.50 $151.71 $939 +3.58
658–693 678 354 141.50–155.00 $147.87 $1,003 +2.47
703–742 724 177 137.50–149.25 $143.50 $1,039 +5.00
763 763 59 149.00 $149.00 $1,137 +14.00
813–817 816 43 124.50–125.75 $125.29 $1,022 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385–389 388 14 170.00–172.00 $170.57 $662 —
437 437 5 164.00 $164.00 $717 +7.00
496–498 496 31 164.00–164.50 $164.45 $816 +6.45
537 537 57 145.00 $145.00 $779 -9.19
552–594 571 9 146.50–147.00 $146.77 $838 —
668–693 684 89 134.50–139.00 $138.04 $944 —
733–737 735 65 131.50–132.25 $131.89 $969 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
356–383 372 28 152.00–163.00 $159.38 $593 +9.38
411–443 432 76 154.00–160.50 $156.35 $675 +1.82
450–495 479 30 141.00–152.00 $147.06 $704 -4.92
509–549 528 266 139.50–153.25 $148.59 $785 +2.73
551–595 581 137 129.75–139.50 $137.49 $799 +1.35
606–649 626 204 134.00–142.00 $138.61 $868 +3.64
650–698 670 148 128.50–137.75 $136.04 $911 +5.73
706–717 712 102 136.00–137.50 $136.77 $974 +5.02
751 751 17 123.50 $123.50 $927 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
454 454 8 133.50 $133.50 $606 -0.50
637 637 9 125.00 $125.00 $796 —
696 696 12 120.00 $120.00 $835 —

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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.