Cattle Market Pulse

Stockmen's Livestock Exchange Market Report

Dickinson, North Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, January 7, 2021

3,429 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $136.03/cwt +2.34 vs last sale · ≈ $1,121/hd at 824 lb · 311 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $142.15/cwt -5.89 vs last sale · ≈ $1,014/hd at 713 lb · 269 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $147.97/cwt -2.53 vs last sale · ≈ $984/hd at 665 lb · 198 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,429 3,770 3,228
Feeder cattle 3,429 3,770 3,228

Market comments — USDA reporter

First feeder cattle sale in three weeks so an accurate trend can not be established. Good to very good demand for today's offering of mostly weaned steers and heifers. Flesh varied but mostly moderate plus overall. Next sale is scheduled for January 14, 2021.

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
466–492 478 34 168.00–177.50 $173.52 $829 -1.00
509–539 529 40 170.00–181.00 $174.97 $926 +2.05
568–596 584 133 152.00–170.75 $161.45 $943 -0.18
605–648 635 181 150.00–162.50 $158.43 $1,006 +5.06
650–682 665 198 142.75–159.25 $147.97 $984 -2.53
700–741 713 269 134.00–146.25 $142.15 $1,014 -5.89
753–797 780 58 135.75–147.50 $140.25 $1,094 -6.25
798 798 28 123.50 $123.50 $986 -23.00
802–849 824 311 134.50–137.00 $136.03 $1,121 +2.34
855–890 884 39 127.50–133.00 $128.46 $1,136 -0.86
907–915 910 179 128.75–131.25 $130.31 $1,186 —
1043 1043 56 126.75 $126.75 $1,322 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
476 476 7 149.50 $149.50 $712 —
671–695 684 21 131.75–140.25 $135.72 $928 -4.28
770–779 775 12 123.00–127.00 $124.99 $969 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
423 423 18 152.00 $152.00 $643 —
461–488 473 26 142.00–153.00 $148.57 $703 -3.19
500–549 525 99 140.00–154.00 $148.03 $777 -2.48
551–596 581 63 134.00–146.50 $138.81 $806 -3.77
608–645 622 190 126.00–136.50 $133.63 $831 -7.37
675–699 692 144 129.00–136.25 $133.44 $923 -14.56
701–746 741 133 125.00–129.25 $126.74 $939 -2.96
774–790 780 62 124.50–130.00 $128.02 $999 —
807–833 811 43 125.50–126.50 $126.36 $1,025 +2.89
851 851 66 125.50 $125.50 $1,068 —
909 909 11 121.50 $121.50 $1,104 -4.50

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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.