Cattle Market Pulse

Winter Livestock Market Report

Dodge City, Kansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 13, 2023

2,296 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $260.65/cwt +11.56 vs last sale · ≈ $1,638/hd at 628 lb · 178 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $323.40/cwt +12.56 vs last sale · ≈ $1,543/hd at 477 lb · 128 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $238.87/cwt +7.16 vs last sale · ≈ $1,375/hd at 576 lb · 121 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,296 3,630 3,021
Feeder cattle 1,746 3,240 2,442
Slaughter cattle 320 340 410
Replacement cattle 230 50 169

Market comments — USDA reporter

**Final** Compared to last week, Steer and Heifer Calves sold unevenly steady. Yearling Feeder Steers and Heifers sold 3.00 to 9.00 higher. Slaughter cows and Bulls sold steady. Demand was good.

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
322 unweaned 322 4 313.00 $313.00 $1,008 —
416–422 421 24 305.00–316.50 $314.13 $1,322 -2.69
430 unweaned 430 4 302.50 $302.50 $1,301 —
455–493 477 128 303.00–332.00 $323.40 $1,543 +12.56
534 534 7 280.00 $280.00 $1,495 +2.84
557–560 559 51 268.00–269.50 $269.18 $1,505 -8.02
597 unweaned 597 10 246.00 $246.00 $1,469 —
614–644 628 154 259.00–267.50 $263.48 $1,655 +14.39
631 unweaned 631 24 242.50 $242.50 $1,530 —
666 666 15 226.00 $226.00 $1,505 -7.68
670 unweaned 670 5 216.50 $216.50 $1,451 —
710–745 unweaned 713 66 206.00–223.00 $221.65 $1,580 —
719 719 5 227.50 $227.50 $1,636 —
764–798 781 63 219.50–231.00 $228.01 $1,781 +8.65
826–836 827 77 218.50–221.75 $221.58 $1,832 -3.42
861–889 882 107 210.00–221.00 $213.53 $1,883 +3.27
916–930 917 60 201.00–207.25 $206.93 $1,898 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 4 297.00 $297.00 $1,322 +14.00
473 473 16 260.00–272.00 $269.00 $1,272 +7.98
500 500 4 259.00 $259.00 $1,295 —
591–593 592 20 242.00–254.00 $250.39 $1,482 +16.98
630 630 4 236.00 $236.00 $1,487 +7.48
672 unweaned 672 13 226.00 $226.00 $1,519 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
999 999 9 187.00 $187.00 $1,868 —
1025 1025 16 190.00 $190.00 $1,948 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
343 343 3 292.50 $292.50 $1,003 —
399 399 20 286.00 $286.00 $1,141 -11.67
445 445 32 293.00 $293.00 $1,304 -3.40
450 unweaned 450 5 234.00 $234.00 $1,053 —
458–480 462 37 267.50–276.00 $274.33 $1,267 +18.38
519–540 525 58 231.00–248.00 $243.17 $1,277 +2.17
558–582 unweaned 574 30 222.50–225.00 $223.31 $1,282 —
576 576 91 244.00 $244.00 $1,405 +12.29
611–625 615 23 221.50 $221.50 $1,362 +3.43
651–691 unweaned 687 51 203.00–208.25 $207.76 $1,427 —
706–734 730 54 203.00–213.50 $210.15 $1,534 +7.79
730 unweaned 730 9 190.00 $190.00 $1,387 —
760 760 11 211.50 $211.50 $1,607 —
806–836 812 71 198.00–209.00 $206.61 $1,678 +14.35
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415–442 423 15 233.00–278.00 $254.20 $1,075 —
496 496 7 231.00 $231.00 $1,146 —
498 unweaned 498 4 229.00 $229.00 $1,140 —
512–538 520 10 220.00–221.00 $220.69 $1,148 -8.91
633 unweaned 633 19 213.00 $213.00 $1,348 —
645 645 12 208.00 $208.00 $1,342 -21.25
866 866 20 180.00 $180.00 $1,559 -2.50
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1077 1077 6 168.00 $168.00 $1,809 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
393 unweaned 393 3 267.50 $267.50 $1,051 —
477 477 6 285.00 $285.00 $1,359 —
526 unweaned 526 3 249.00 $249.00 $1,310 —
597 unweaned 597 21 222.00 $222.00 $1,325 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1096–1550 1305 80-85% 151 90.00–100.00 $94.22 $1,230 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
866–1313 1127 85-90% 23 63.00–80.00 $70.70 $797 —
820–1336 1136 85-90% 81 81.00–91.00 $87.37 $993 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1355–1870 1478 75-80% 27 96.00–101.00 $98.24 $1,452 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1675–1715 1702 3 83.00–100.00 $88.58 $1,508 -3.38
1775–2140 1938 6 101.00–109.00 $105.92 $2,053 —
2005–2310 2158 2 117.00–122.00 $119.68 $2,583 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1122–1237 1141 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 20 110.00–115.00 $113.25 $1,292

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1255 1255 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 2,110.00 $2,110.00
1275–1372 1285 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 48 1,675.00–2,150.00 $2,058.87
1365 1365 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 6 1,550.00 $1,550.00
1386 1386 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 1,550.00 $1,550.00
1321–1429 1398 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 14 1,700.00–1,900.00 $1,753.99
1462 1462 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 2 1,775.00 $1,775.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1212 1212 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 12 2,925.00 $2,925.00
1325 1325 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 9 2,550.00 $2,550.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
948–1016 985 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 13 2,300.00–2,375.00 $2,333.33
937–1026 993 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 48 2,200.00–2,410.00 $2,378.23

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1332 1332 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 9 2,700.00 $2,700.00 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1300 1300 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,725.00 $1,725.00 —
1501 1501 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 3 1,650.00 $1,650.00 —
1642 1642 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,850.00 $1,850.00 —

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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.