light 5-weight M&L 1 steers$328.29/cwt-3.74 vs last sale · ≈ $1,727/hd at 526 lb · 811 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers$358.52/cwt+15.05 vs last sale · ≈ $1,703/hd at 475 lb · 705 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 steers$394.99/cwt+20.81 vs last sale · ≈ $1,679/hd at 425 lb · 614 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
11,540
14,712
4,899
Feeder cattle
7,364
8,483
2,083
Slaughter cattle
1,910
3,725
737
Replacement cattle
2,266
2,504
2,079
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week steer calves less than 500 lbs sold sharply higher, 500 to 800 lbs sold 5.00 to 8.00 higher and over 800 lbs sold unevenly steady on a light test. Light weight heifer calves followed the same trend as their steer mates, sharply higher on the week. Over 500 lbs sold steady to 5.00 higher. Slaughter cows and bulls sold mostly steady except breaker cows sold 8.00 to 10.00 lower. With a lot of cows going back to feed or make rebreeds from the younger looking cows. Bred heifers and cows sold with a higher undertone than previous week. Demand was good for calves, feeders and bred stock with moderate to good demand for slaughter cattle. With rain in the Southern Plains, wheat fields are starting to grow and the producers that graze out wheat have picked up the pace in buying light weight cattle to fill these pastures. This increased demand has really helped the light calf market in a big area of the Northern Plains.
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.
Cattle Market
Compared to last week steer calves less than 500 lbs sold sharply higher, 500 to 800 lbs sold 5.00 to 8.00 higher and over 800 lbs sold unevenly steady on a light test. Light weight heifer calves followed the same trend as their steer mates, sharply higher on the week. Over 500 lbs sold steady to 5.00 higher. Slaughter cows and bulls sold mostly steady except breaker cows sold 8.00 to 10.00 lower. With a lot of cows going back to feed or make rebreeds from the younger looking cows. Bred heifers and cows sold with a higher undertone than previous week. Demand was good for calves, feeders and bred stock with moderate to good demand for slaughter cattle. With rain in the Southern Plains, wheat fields are starting to grow and the producers that graze out wheat have picked up the pace in buying light weight cattle to fill these pastures. This increased demand has really helped the light calf market in a big area of the Northern Plains.