light 5-weight M&L 1 steers$366.16/cwt≈ $1,915/hd at 523 lb · 1,052 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers$332.69/cwt≈ $1,750/hd at 526 lb · 908 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers$333.31/cwt≈ $2,093/hd at 628 lb · 767 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
12,332
363
12,311
Feeder cattle
10,036
—
10,220
Slaughter cattle
761
298
741
Replacement cattle
1,535
65
1,350
Market comments — USDA reporter
First reported feeder cattle sales since before Christmas a market comparison is not applicable. However, a sharply higher undertone was noted throughout the week on calves and feeders. Compared to last Friday, slaughter and feeding cows sold 5.00 to 8.00 higher and slaughter bulls sold 2.00 higher. Quite a few of the cows went back to the country to be placed on feed or developed into rebreeds. Bulk of the bred cows going to out of state ranches as the weather pattern remains very dry with almost no snow accumulation across most of the state, except for higher elevations. Snowpack per NRCS for week Jan 6 is at 92% with basin high of 109% and basin low of 20% at the South Platte basin. Still quite a lot of hay sitting around the state that has not been spoken for.
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
First reported feeder cattle sales since before Christmas a market comparison is not applicable. However, a sharply higher undertone was noted throughout the week on calves and feeders. Compared to last Friday, slaughter and feeding cows sold 5.00 to 8.00 higher and slaughter bulls sold 2.00 higher. Quite a few of the cows went back to the country to be placed on feed or developed into rebreeds. Bulk of the bred cows going to out of state ranches as the weather pattern remains very dry with almost no snow accumulation across most of the state, except for higher elevations. Snowpack per NRCS for week Jan 6 is at 92% with basin high of 109% and basin low of 20% at the South Platte basin. Still quite a lot of hay sitting around the state that has not been spoken for.