Cattle Market Pulse

Stockmen's Livestock Exchange Market Report

Dickinson, North Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 5, 2024

3,658 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 $315.15/cwt +4.45 vs last sale · ≈ $1,967/hd at 624 lb · 364 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $329.35/cwt +5.87 vs last sale · ≈ $1,892/hd at 574 lb · 307 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $351.72/cwt +9.64 vs last sale · ≈ $1,822/hd at 518 lb · 281 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,658 4,150 2,937
Feeder cattle 3,658 4,150 2,937

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to 2 weeks ago: Steers 400-500 lbs. 10-15 higher, Steers 500-600 5-10 higher, Steers over 600 lbs. 5 higher. Heifers 400-500 5-10 lower, Heifers 500-600 lbs. 5-10 higher. Steers under 400 lbs. steady to 5 higher. Heifers under 400 lbs. 5-8 lower. The order buyers demand was very good. The local feeders were few in attendance, most of the light weight feeders went to the order buyers. The market activity was active from start to finish. The quality of the feeder cattle continues to be very attractive. The flesh condition is moderate. This sale had a good number of weaned calves carrying a fleshy condition. The next USDA reported sale at Stockmen's is December, 12.

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
338–346 343 10 480.00–490.00 $486.06 $1,667 +13.42
373–397 394 71 435.00–450.00 $437.74 $1,725 -7.09
407–439 430 42 397.00–411.00 $404.87 $1,741 +17.03
466–469 fancy 468 60 391.00–395.00 $393.61 $1,842 -1.39
451–495 479 143 362.00–402.00 $375.49 $1,799 +7.40
500–549 518 281 336.00–368.00 $351.72 $1,822 +9.64
557 fancy 557 110 342.00 $342.00 $1,905 —
559–597 584 197 304.00–333.00 $322.28 $1,882 -1.20
600–647 624 364 301.50–320.00 $315.15 $1,967 +4.45
652–688 670 202 291.50–305.75 $297.90 $1,996 +10.85
706–735 722 72 265.50–281.00 $275.63 $1,990 —
735 735 18 283.00 $283.00 $2,080 —
770 770 30 267.00 $267.00 $2,056 —
831 fancy 831 70 249.00 $249.00 $2,069 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
963 963 63 242.50 $242.50 $2,335 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
336 336 8 349.00 $349.00 $1,173 -27.89
350–394 381 44 341.00–360.00 $348.89 $1,329 -7.39
405 fancy 405 41 360.00 $360.00 $1,458 —
407–449 435 95 327.00–348.00 $334.81 $1,456 -12.19
456–489 471 102 320.00–340.00 $331.63 $1,562 +2.04
514–524 fancy 520 56 324.00–328.50 $325.91 $1,695 —
509–546 530 143 306.00–319.00 $312.67 $1,657 -0.20
555–594 565 132 281.00–309.00 $300.55 $1,698 +12.43
603–614 606 146 279.00–283.75 $282.63 $1,713 —
630 630 87 304.75 $304.75 $1,920 —
711 711 23 238.00–249.50 $246.00 $1,749 —
764–767 765 81 243.00–250.50 $244.39 $1,870 —
835 835 8 242.50 $242.50 $2,025 —
874 874 17 241.00 $241.00 $2,106 —

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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.