Cattle Market Pulse

Winter Livestock Auction Market Report

Riverton, Wyoming · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 10, 2024

1,750 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $338.66/cwt +2.06 vs last sale · ≈ $1,473/hd at 435 lb · 198 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $373.21/cwt +8.18 vs last sale · ≈ $1,795/hd at 481 lb · 116 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $321.37/cwt +17.69 vs last sale · ≈ $1,642/hd at 511 lb · 114 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,750 1,054 246
Feeder cattle 1,750 1,054 246

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, feeder steers unevenly steady with calves under 500 lbs lower undertones noted, 500 lb calves most advancement with instances 20.00 higher, over 600 lbs under pressure with instances 10.00 lower. Heifer calves weighing in 300 lbs most advancement and demand, under 600 lbs 3.00-8.00 higher, heifer calves over 600 lbs under pressure under pressure with lower undertones. Demand moderate to good with uneven activity.

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
309 309 15 460.00 $460.00 $1,421 +2.50
357–381 373 68 402.50–442.50 $409.80 $1,529 -27.91
419–434 428 57 390.00–409.00 $401.82 $1,720 -8.07
478–481 481 116 357.50–378.00 $373.21 $1,795 +8.18
506–541 510 103 352.00–378.00 $374.52 $1,910 +23.06
552–590 568 53 314.75–346.00 $331.93 $1,885 +2.43
606–640 619 88 285.00–311.50 $301.02 $1,863 -14.38
661–691 680 16 273.50–278.00 $275.14 $1,871 -13.36
727 727 59 262.50 $262.50 $1,908 -13.50
786 786 22 269.00 $269.00 $2,114 —
827 827 10 225.50 $225.50 $1,865 —
1006 1006 6 228.00 $228.00 $2,294 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
487–490 489 16 331.00–335.00 $332.74 $1,627 —
572–592 580 39 286.00–311.00 $301.18 $1,747 —
629 629 18 279.00 $279.00 $1,755 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
288 288 19 322.50 $322.50 $929 -87.70
332 332 10 381.00 $381.00 $1,265 —
357–386 374 98 351.00–385.00 $370.15 $1,384 +47.65
418–440 435 198 320.00–350.00 $338.66 $1,473 +2.06
477–480 478 22 265.00–272.50 $269.76 $1,289 -49.15
502 502 41 366.00 $366.00 $1,837 +62.32
502–526 516 73 286.00–300.00 $296.31 $1,529 -7.37
561–563 562 30 294.00–306.00 $301.21 $1,693 +12.16
600–604 602 15 250.00–251.00 $250.53 $1,508 -14.47
609 unweaned 609 10 265.00 $265.00 $1,614 —
655 655 13 245.00 $245.00 $1,605 -12.00
678 678 65 255.75 $255.75 $1,734 -9.75
756 thin fleshed 756 9 235.25 $235.25 $1,778 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
348 348 12 256.00 $256.00 $891 —
370 370 28 333.75 $333.75 $1,235 —
482 482 7 222.50 $222.50 $1,072 —
547 547 31 272.50 $272.50 $1,491 —

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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.