Name: Lonestar Stockyards livestock auction prices — 2024-03-05
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-03-05

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steers traded mostly 2.00 to 4.00 lower on like kinds. Feeder heifers traded firm to 4.00 higher. Not enough comparable sales on steer or heifer calves but a higher undertone was noted. Slaughter cows traded 8.00 to 10.00 higher on a light test. Trading activity was moderate on moderate to good buyer demand. Four active wildfires are still burning across the Panhandle, with over 1.2 million acres burned and containment levels ranging from 37% to 80% contained. The winds had picked back up over the weekend, but more favorable conditions have returned to the area for the remainder of the week.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $260.36/cwt on 56 head. That ranks 1 of 30 comparable sales and sits −143.22 against this barn's trailing median of $403.58.

Average price

$260.36

56 head · 570 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,484

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$273

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 1-2

$39.48/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−0.83

vs TX average

−11.55 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	571	262.48	1,499	53
Medium and Large 1-2	550	223.00	1,227	3thin

One grade step is worth $39.48/cwt here — about $273 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

30 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $444.74, low $346.29, median $403.58 across 30 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale56 hd

260.36

—

TX average2 barns · 109 hd

261.19

−0.83

National average176 barns · 15,352 hd

271.91

−11.55

This barn, trailing median30 sales

403.58

−143.22

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt

Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	Average	1,100	105.00	1,155	1thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,310	107.42	1,407	3thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,164	106.98	1,245	19
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,010	91.62	925	15

Replacement cattle Per head

By class, stage and age

Bred stock and pairs are reported per head, not per hundredweight — these prices are never mixed with the $/cwt figures above.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,243	$1,875	2thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,070	$1,875	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,341	$1,600	7
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,248	$1,581	4thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,092	$2,528	30
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,230	$2,201	20
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,000	$2,200	2thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,020	$2,080	16
Cow-Calf Pairs	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,100	$1,700	2thin

Every lot, as filed

56 lots · USDA AMS · Lonestar Stockyards - Wildorado, TX

Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	650–700	684	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	1,587	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	480	343.23/cwt	331.00–372.00	1,648	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	463	294.63/cwt	294.25–298.50	1,364	45
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	550–600	577	253.00/cwt	253.00–253.00	1,460	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	514	274.33/cwt	272.00–280.00	1,410	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	629	274.31/cwt	270.00–284.00	1,725	103
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	405	372.00/cwt	372.00–372.00	1,507	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	814	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	1,921	14
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,258	2,562.91/head	2,400.00–2,600.00	2,563	6
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,150	2,300.00/head	2,300.00–2,300.00	2,300	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	377	329.71/cwt	322.00–331.00	1,243	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	780	223.68/cwt	222.00–224.25	1,745	67
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	619	247.95/cwt	246.00–248.50	1,535	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	721	227.54/cwt	225.50–230.00	1,641	45
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,080	2,573.61/head	2,525.00–2,650.00	2,574	25
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,020	2,079.98/head	1,775.00–2,125.00	2,080	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	690	243.00/cwt	243.00–243.00	1,677	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,100	1,700.00/head	1,700.00–1,700.00	1,700	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	394	374.00/cwt	374.00–374.00	1,474	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	580	261.21/cwt	261.00–261.50	1,515	43
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,265	1,850.00/head	1,850.00–1,850.00	1,850	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,341	1,600.00/head	1,600.00–1,600.00	1,600	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,440	115.88/cwt	111.50–119.00	1,669	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,005	95.00/cwt	95.00–95.00	955	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	909	91.07/cwt	86.00–94.00	828	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,039	101.39/cwt	101.00–101.50	1,053	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,200	108.61/cwt	106.50–112.50	1,303	16
Cows	Boner 80-85%Light Weight	—	955	99.90/cwt	95.00–104.50	954	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	483	272.50/cwt	272.50–272.50	1,316	30
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	890	76.87/cwt	75.00–78.50	684	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,050	90.50/cwt	90.50–90.50	950	1
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,100	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,155	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,150	72.50/cwt	72.50–72.50	834	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,240	92.90/cwt	92.00–94.00	1,152	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,243	1,875.00/head	1,875.00–1,875.00	1,875	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,000	2,200.00/head	2,200.00–2,200.00	2,200	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,242	1,491.81/head	1,475.00–1,500.00	1,492	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,218	2,045.45/head	1,850.00–2,125.00	2,045	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	550–600	550	223.00/cwt	223.00–223.00	1,227	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,070	1,875.00/head	1,875.00–1,875.00	1,875	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	650–700	685	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	1,589	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	600–650	643	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	1,524	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	357	362.34/cwt	360.00–369.00	1,294	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	401	377.00/cwt	377.00–377.00	1,512	21
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	500–550	518	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,321	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	600–650	632	261.00/cwt	261.00–261.00	1,650	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	750–800	756	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	1,784	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	800–850	831	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,911	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	850–900	897	178.00/cwt	178.00–178.00	1,597	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	593	260.57/cwt	252.00–267.00	1,545	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	350–400	395	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,264	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	650–700	676	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,453	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	533	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,759	24
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	540	306.00/cwt	306.00–306.00	1,652	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	783	241.14/cwt	241.00–241.50	1,888	49
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	730	249.50/cwt	249.00–251.00	1,821	16

How this sale compares

Texas weighted averages

One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every Texas auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.

Texas feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →