Cattle Market Pulse

Winter Livestock Auction Market Report

Riverton, Wyoming · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, October 15, 2024

2,931 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Winter Livestock Auction report →

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $288.33/cwt -1.78 vs last sale · ≈ $1,646/hd at 571 lb · 271 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $315.73/cwt +6.00 vs last sale · ≈ $1,648/hd at 522 lb · 264 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $342.96/cwt +7.87 vs last sale · ≈ $1,632/hd at 476 lb · 219 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,931 3,458 3,039
Feeder cattle 2,931 3,240 3,039
Slaughter cattle — 48 —
Replacement cattle — 170 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Tuesday sale (Oct 8th), steers calves under 500 lbs steady instances 2.00-8.00 higher, over 500 lbs unevenly steady with lower undertones instances 3.00-8.00 lower. Heifer calves under 500 lbs instances 5.00-7.00 higher, most advancement on 350 lbs instances 27.00 higher, calves under 500 lbs steady instances 2.00-3.00 lower, with 550 lb calves instances 30.00 higher. No packages yearling steers, yearling heifers not as many as last week instances 7.00-10.00 lower. Demand good to moderate with lower undertones noted as sale progress, Several new buyers in attendance and on internet.

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
313–348 322 20 382.50–407.00 $400.38 $1,289 -10.62
363–370 366 33 401.00–407.50 $404.91 $1,482 +7.51
402–441 427 201 362.50–390.00 $372.94 $1,592 +16.72
455–497 476 219 330.50–357.00 $342.96 $1,632 +7.87
504–536 522 264 310.00–324.50 $315.73 $1,648 +6.00
550–587 571 271 275.50–299.00 $288.33 $1,646 -1.78
604–639 631 41 261.00–270.00 $267.84 $1,690 -9.00
652–657 653 44 250.00–265.00 $261.91 $1,710 -1.12
833 833 7 244.50 $244.50 $2,037 -10.03
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
398 398 31 361.00 $361.00 $1,437 —
489 489 6 308.00 $308.00 $1,506 —
519–540 530 13 285.00–291.00 $288.29 $1,528 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 7 380.00 $380.00 $1,197 —
361–393 377 60 332.00–367.00 $350.10 $1,320 +10.79
403–441 428 132 300.00–330.00 $315.39 $1,350 -3.05
454–496 466 120 282.00–310.00 $295.23 $1,376 -8.03
506–543 520 120 260.50–282.50 $274.73 $1,429 -2.69
552–588 566 77 246.25–274.00 $260.89 $1,477 +19.22
656–679 661 63 232.00–249.50 $245.22 $1,621 -4.70
739 739 14 240.50 $240.50 $1,777 -0.52
770 770 37 231.00 $231.00 $1,779 -14.21
787 787 7 221.00 $221.00 $1,739 -23.00
843 843 8 221.00 $221.00 $1,863 -9.56
864 864 13 224.50 $224.50 $1,940 -6.70
979 979 5 210.50 $210.50 $2,061 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 29 330.00 $330.00 $1,304 —
420–434 430 27 275.00–290.00 $285.66 $1,228 +3.66
487–493 491 29 262.00–274.00 $270.31 $1,327 -3.70
552–575 562 20 237.50–248.00 $241.82 $1,359 —

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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.