Cattle Market Pulse

Stockmen's Livestock Exchange Market Report

Dickinson, North Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, January 28, 2021

2,757 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $149.76/cwt +3.05 vs last sale · ≈ $1,006/hd at 672 lb · 263 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $150.39/cwt +11.90 vs last sale · ≈ $856/hd at 569 lb · 244 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $133.55/cwt -1.28 vs last sale · ≈ $891/hd at 667 lb · 216 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,757 3,059 2,818
Feeder cattle 2,757 3,059 2,818

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers traded steady to 3.00 higher. Feeder heifers 550-600 lbs fully higher; 600-650 lbs 3.00 lower; 650-800 lbs steady to 1.00 lower. Demand was good to moderate on todays offering of feeder steers and heifers. Quality was mostly attractive with feeders in light to moderate flesh. Next sale is scheduled for February 4, 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
433–444 436 28 195.00–197.00 $195.51 $852 —
508–546 516 87 160.00–180.25 $175.37 $905 +3.80
552–598 563 141 156.75–175.25 $168.74 $950 +0.76
603–644 623 212 143.25–162.00 $157.40 $981 -0.68
654–694 672 263 143.00–153.50 $149.76 $1,006 +3.05
708–740 715 81 139.75–145.25 $143.67 $1,027 +1.91
764–794 776 164 132.00–143.50 $138.76 $1,077 -0.28
807–842 833 47 125.50–132.25 $130.58 $1,088 -1.36
867 867 39 132.25 $132.25 $1,147 +3.75
900 900 55 129.25 $129.25 $1,163 +6.25
1029 1029 58 127.50 $127.50 $1,312 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
615 615 13 133.25 $133.25 $819 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
427–430 428 22 156.50–160.50 $158.33 $678 +6.82
459–479 475 67 153.50–160.50 $155.33 $738 +2.42
523–527 525 18 156.00–156.50 $156.31 $821 +9.48
552–597 569 244 142.50–156.00 $150.39 $856 +11.90
604–648 623 112 134.50–144.50 $139.04 $866 -3.22
651–695 667 216 127.50–137.50 $133.55 $891 -1.28
706–749 733 71 126.50–132.00 $129.70 $951 -1.48
733 733 23 140.00 $140.00 $1,026 +8.82
773 773 29 120.50–128.00 $124.64 $963 +1.08
817 817 36 139.50 $139.50 $1,140 +24.05
824–835 829 27 114.50–120.00 $117.77 $976 +2.32
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
542 542 44 128.00 $128.00 $694 —
580 580 15 136.00 $136.00 $789 —
731 731 13 115.50 $115.50 $844 —

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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.