Cattle Market Pulse

Winter Livestock Market Report

Pratt, Kansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 14, 2023

1,998 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $197.98/cwt -2.25 vs last sale · ≈ $1,532/hd at 774 lb · 97 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $227.89/cwt -6.34 vs last sale · ≈ $1,313/hd at 576 lb · 71 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $193.00/cwt +8.01 vs last sale · ≈ $1,629/hd at 844 lb · 65 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,998 3,531 4,956
Feeder cattle 760 3,237 4,671
Slaughter cattle 453 263 220
Replacement cattle 785 31 65

Market comments — USDA reporter

**Final** Compared to last week, Not a good comparison on Feeder Steers, higher undertone noted. Heifer Calves sold 3.00 to 6.00 lower and yearling Heifers sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher. Demand is good. Slaughter Cows and Bulls sold steady.

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
311 311 7 334.00 $334.00 $1,039 —
370–390 372 28 331.00–359.00 $355.86 $1,324 +46.86
405–433 427 29 310.00–346.00 $338.94 $1,447 +6.17
456–460 thin fleshed 458 6 345.00–347.50 $346.24 $1,586 -16.76
497 497 13 315.00 $315.00 $1,566 +8.46
521–527 522 11 297.00–302.00 $297.92 $1,555 +28.11
557–591 581 41 264.00–282.00 $272.90 $1,586 +14.85
619–642 634 31 255.00–259.00 $255.95 $1,623 +7.35
688 688 8 238.00 $238.00 $1,637 +5.82
762–792 778 28 212.00–217.00 $213.91 $1,664 -7.05
849 849 11 210.50 $210.50 $1,787 +5.41
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
544 544 11 268.00 $268.00 $1,458 —
565–585 580 15 231.00–250.00 $235.94 $1,368 +0.94
627 627 7 239.50 $239.50 $1,502 +3.66
655 655 3 221.00 $221.00 $1,448 +6.11
711–725 717 5 214.00–217.00 $215.21 $1,543 +4.58
926 926 4 194.00 $194.00 $1,796 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
313–332 325 8 292.00 $292.00 $949 —
381 381 12 305.00 $305.00 $1,162 —
441 441 4 273.00 $273.00 $1,204 -12.00
467–493 482 28 255.00–264.00 $258.02 $1,244 -14.87
501–546 528 15 225.00–238.00 $230.85 $1,219 -21.32
553–584 576 71 225.00–240.00 $227.89 $1,313 -6.34
607 607 5 212.00 $212.00 $1,287 -1.66
771–783 774 97 193.00–199.00 $197.98 $1,532 -3.89
844 844 65 193.00 $193.00 $1,629 +8.01
860 860 61 191.75 $191.75 $1,649 +3.91
931 931 38 193.25 $193.25 $1,799 +3.68
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
381–391 388 13 258.00–270.00 $261.63 $1,015 -3.37
440 440 6 242.00 $242.00 $1,065 —
470 470 5 225.00 $225.00 $1,058 -17.00
505 505 9 227.00 $227.00 $1,146 —
651 651 5 198.00 $198.00 $1,289 +6.68
702 702 7 183.00 $183.00 $1,285 -4.00
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1043 1043 17 163.25 $163.25 $1,703 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1016–1527 1203 80-85% 140 86.00–98.00 $92.58 $1,114 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
845–1375 1004 85-90% 11 62.00–78.00 $74.98 $753 -7.74
858–1280 1044 85-90% 62 78.00–91.50 $86.53 $903 +3.81
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1260–1755 1488 75-80% 37 91.00–101.00 $98.86 $1,471 —
1481–1775 1563 75-80% 5 103.50–108.00 $105.44 $1,648 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1490–1735 1622 3 80.00–94.00 $86.07 $1,396 -1.43
1695–2125 1834 4 104.00–113.50 $109.12 $2,001 +1.47

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1140–1355 1162 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 58 2,000.00–2,800.00 $2,703.52
1190 1190 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 2,150.00 $2,150.00
1200–1250 1208 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 36 2,550.00–2,850.00 $2,798.28
1009–1314 1210 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 38 1,975.00–2,375.00 $2,181.54
1197–1495 1261 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 29 2,075.00–2,350.00 $2,316.02
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
972–1120 1039 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 12 1,500.00–1,925.00 $1,781.23
1021–1157 1070 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 9 1,350.00–1,625.00 $1,550.54
1075 1075 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,425.00 $1,425.00
1062–1340 1181 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 9 1,425.00–1,700.00 $1,540.43
1057–1450 1188 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 6 1,450.00–1,925.00 $1,643.25
1218 1218 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 4 1,350.00 $1,350.00
1057–1486 1270 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 18 1,625.00–1,925.00 $1,752.28
1187–1466 1292 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 27 1,350.00–1,425.00 $1,407.59
1317–1354 1343 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 10 1,440.00–1,550.00 $1,472.36
1346–1435 1365 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 29 1,475.00–1,750.00 $1,621.50
1486 1486 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 1,900.00 $1,900.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
954–1176 1041 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 216 2,000.00–2,350.00 $2,237.63
997–1179 1079 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 86 2,000.00–2,225.00 $2,153.66
1096 1096 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 7 2,400.00 $2,400.00
1082–1131 1107 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 87 2,500.00 $2,500.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
902 902 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 24 1,950.00 $1,950.00
937 937 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 36 1,950.00 $1,950.00
998 998 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 3 1,850.00 $1,850.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1500 1500 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 3 1,950.00 $1,950.00 —

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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.