Cattle Market Pulse

Stockmen's Livestock Exchange Market Report

Dickinson, North Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 9, 2021

3,889 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $184.23/cwt +10.85 vs last sale · ≈ $1,155/hd at 627 lb · 377 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $166.40/cwt +4.69 vs last sale · ≈ $870/hd at 523 lb · 319 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $176.81/cwt +3.40 vs last sale · ≈ $1,183/hd at 669 lb · 301 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,889 3,530 3,738
Feeder cattle 3,889 3,530 3,738

Compared to last week: Feeder steers 350-400 lbs & 650-750 lbs 2.00-4.00 higher; 400-450 lbs 7.00 higher; 450-550 lbs 9.00 higher; 550-650 lbs 11.00 higher. Feeder heifers 350-400 & 550-600 lbs 1.00-2.00 higher; 500-550 & 600-650 lbs 3.00-4.00 higher; 450-500- lbs 7.00 higher; 400- 450lbs 10 higher. Very good demand for today's offering with buyers aggressively bidding for the offering. Feeders where in light to moderate flesh. Next sale is scheduled for December 16, 2021, this will be the last feeder calf sale of the year.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370–376 374 43 227.50–234.50 $229.59 $859 +4.76
401–443 433 85 210.00–225.00 $218.47 $946 +6.99
461–499 474 180 192.00–218.25 $212.23 $1,006 +8.77
502–547 532 277 187.00–209.00 $203.05 $1,080 +9.10
559–593 568 259 177.00–196.50 $189.70 $1,077 +10.27
603–647 627 377 172.00–189.00 $184.23 $1,155 +10.85
650–698 669 301 171.00–184.75 $176.81 $1,183 +3.40
704–716 707 152 171.00–177.00 $172.05 $1,216 +2.32
764–784 779 53 163.50–164.00 $163.88 $1,277 +1.53
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
407 407 7 205.50 $205.50 $836 +15.52
482–499 489 16 184.50–190.00 $187.55 $917 +3.55
524–546 537 69 181.00–183.00 $182.05 $978 +6.21
588–593 590 39 171.00–186.00 $179.72 $1,060 +20.72
687–692 688 34 162.00–162.50 $162.07 $1,115 +6.69

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
368–395 378 39 171.00–179.50 $175.24 $662 -1.67
401–435 429 133 175.00–180.25 $179.65 $771 +10.02
457–494 473 150 165.00–179.00 $173.62 $821 +6.96
500–548 523 319 162.00–170.00 $166.40 $870 +4.69
552–598 579 236 147.00–159.00 $154.23 $893 +0.84
605–645 615 163 141.00–157.00 $151.65 $933 +2.79
663–674 666 71 143.50–151.00 $147.72 $984 +4.34
719 719 48 147.00 $147.00 $1,057 +7.00

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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.