Cattle Market Pulse

Winter Livestock Market Report

Dodge City, Kansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 15, 2021

4,145 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $174.61/cwt +5.38 vs last sale · ≈ $1,077/hd at 617 lb · 243 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $209.51/cwt +12.86 vs last sale · ≈ $991/hd at 473 lb · 231 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $160.73/cwt +2.73 vs last sale · ≈ $1,313/hd at 817 lb · 223 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,145 5,128 1,940
Feeder cattle 3,621 4,640 1,337
Slaughter cattle 335 385 171
Replacement cattle 189 103 432

Market comments — USDA reporter

*** Final Report *** Compared to last week, yearling and feeder steers and heifers 500 lb to 900 lb sold steady to 1.00 higher. Thin grass cattle in limited supply. Most cattle carrying moderate flesh. Steer and heifer calves 300 lb to 500 lb sold steady with a premium being paid on weaned calves. Demand was good. Slaughter cows and bull sold steady to 2.00 higher.

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
276 276 14 217.00 $217.00 $599 —
343 343 8 211.00 $211.00 $724 -1.00
345 unweaned 345 4 186.00 $186.00 $642 —
365 fancy 365 11 202.00 $202.00 $737 —
380 380 14 221.00 $221.00 $840 +11.46
425 425 14 195.00 $195.00 $829 -5.91
456–487 472 46 188.00–200.50 $195.24 $922 -1.41
469–485 fancy 473 185 212.00–214.00 $213.06 $1,008 —
508–542 526 105 177.50–181.00 $179.54 $944 -10.64
527–544 fancy 541 78 195.00–198.00 $197.55 $1,069 -6.63
556–597 579 42 163.00–170.00 $165.77 $960 -18.85
613–640 617 243 168.00–176.25 $174.61 $1,077 +10.79
670 fancy 670 99 171.00 $171.00 $1,146 —
656–697 690 100 160.00–169.00 $166.50 $1,149 +0.49
711–749 727 218 156.00–165.50 $164.30 $1,194 +0.17
766–797 790 111 155.50–162.00 $159.00 $1,256 +0.31
806–831 fancy 816 169 161.00–163.00 $162.15 $1,323 —
809–840 820 54 150.00–159.00 $156.29 $1,282 -1.71
872–886 879 106 154.10–155.00 $154.55 $1,358 -5.71
922–924 922 70 152.25–153.85 $153.51 $1,415 -6.40
961 fancy 961 89 152.50 $152.50 $1,466 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
461 unweaned 461 3 162.00 $162.00 $747 —
488–493 490 15 178.00–184.00 $180.01 $882 —
602 602 6 153.00 $153.00 $921 —
704–732 720 47 139.00–148.00 $144.26 $1,039 -5.04
867 867 2 122.00 $122.00 $1,058 -20.50
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045 1045 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,463 -3.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 59 205.00 $205.00 $687 +11.90
371 371 3 197.50 $197.50 $733 +19.31
368–396 unweaned 387 22 177.00–185.75 $183.10 $709 +20.60
410–438 424 10 162.00–163.00 $162.52 $689 -11.67
471–495 477 26 161.50–164.00 $163.72 $781 -10.88
485 fancy 485 12 169.00 $169.00 $820 —
508–540 519 105 152.00–159.00 $154.10 $800 -11.44
502–536 fancy 528 22 162.50–165.00 $163.04 $861 —
574 fancy 574 91 164.75 $164.75 $946 +0.12
580–596 585 52 145.50–152.00 $150.05 $878 -25.95
619–644 fancy 628 173 155.00–160.60 $158.57 $996 -2.50
623–647 639 34 135.25–146.00 $138.49 $885 -9.19
668–669 669 35 152.50–153.50 $152.99 $1,024 -1.51
697 fancy 697 40 157.00 $157.00 $1,094 —
704–706 fancy 705 99 156.50–157.75 $157.37 $1,109 —
712–737 730 45 152.85–153.00 $152.89 $1,116 -0.08
791 791 47 151.10 $151.10 $1,195 -12.40
827–828 828 72 146.25–149.85 $149.05 $1,234 -5.69
851 851 15 148.25 $148.25 $1,262 +2.76
857 fancy 857 62 150.50 $150.50 $1,290 —
901–902 901 15 139.50–140.50 $140.03 $1,262 +5.03
903 fancy 903 61 148.00 $148.00 $1,336 —
967 967 2 124.50 $124.50 $1,204 -8.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
387–395 389 5 145.00–149.00 $145.81 $567 —
539 539 18 147.00 $147.00 $792 -5.00
572 572 4 147.00 $147.00 $841 +4.47
627 627 2 123.00 $123.00 $771 -15.89
672 672 11 142.00 $142.00 $954 +4.00
702 702 8 130.50 $130.50 $916 —
768–780 779 32 123.00–140.50 $138.88 $1,082 +7.88
856 856 5 134.00 $134.00 $1,147 —
999 999 7 108.00 $108.00 $1,079 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005 1005 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,306 -5.00
1065 1065 2 125.00 $125.00 $1,331 —
1123–1135 1126 4 112.50–125.00 $121.85 $1,372 +31.04
1150 1150 2 121.00 $121.00 $1,392 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
483–492 488 8 152.00–163.00 $157.55 $769 -6.45
887 887 9 115.00 $115.00 $1,020 —
925 925 8 112.00 $112.00 $1,036 —
986 986 8 106.00 $106.00 $1,045 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1760 1314 75-80% 200 60.00–69.50 $65.33 $858 —
1260–1705 1492 75-80% 19 70.00–77.00 $75.68 $1,129 +5.44
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1058–1665 1219 80-85% 41 50.00–59.50 $56.14 $684 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1430 1175 85-90% 6 41.00–49.00 $45.93 $540 -9.84

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1800–2145 1917 3 91.00–94.50 $93.03 $1,783 —
1660–2260 1961 6 73.00–79.00 $76.91 $1,508 —
1660–2580 2096 10 81.00–89.00 $85.72 $1,797 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1095–1320 1229 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 14 850.00–1,400.00 $1,058.20
1280 1280 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 810.00 $810.00
1303 1303 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 13 1,200.00 $1,200.00
1195–1360 1308 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 56 710.00–1,385.00 $1,310.31
1265–1328 1311 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 37 900.00–1,510.00 $1,444.80
1325 1325 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 835.00 $835.00
1338 1338 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 9 1,350.00 $1,350.00
1435 1435 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,425.00 $1,425.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1199 1199 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 14 1,500.00 $1,500.00
1218 1218 (<2 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 5 1,135.00 $1,135.00
1264 1264 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 7 1,250.00 $1,250.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1100 1100 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 10 1,725.00 $1,725.00 —
1200 1200 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00 —
1200 1200 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 2 1,000.00–1,010.00 $1,005.00 —

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Heifer Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1100 1100 (<2 yrs)Open 1 1,175.00 $1,175.00 —

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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.