Cattle Market Pulse

Tri-State Livestock Auction Market Report

McCook, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, May 20, 2024

525 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Tri-State Livestock Auction report →

heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $262.07/cwt ≈ $2,246/hd at 857 lb · 321 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $257.50/cwt ≈ $2,119/hd at 823 lb · 59 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $226.04/cwt ≈ $1,772/hd at 784 lb · 15 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 525 425 400
Feeder cattle 525 425 400

No comparable offerings from last week for a market comparison. Last test on a back-grounded 8 weight steer was two weeks ago and on Monday they sold 10.00 to 13.00 higher. Demand was good for the light supply on hand.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
426 426 9 364.00 $364.00 $1,551
531 531 6 320.00 $320.00 $1,699 -31.00
823 823 59 257.50 $257.50 $2,119
853–858 857 321 257.00–263.25 $262.07 $2,246

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
525 525 6 259.00 $259.00 $1,360 -42.00
664 664 6 249.00 $249.00 $1,653
769–791 784 15 222.00–228.00 $226.04 $1,772

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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.