Sale reports / Texas / Dalhart Livestock Auction / 2026-05-21

Dalhart Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Dalhart, Texas · Thu, May 21
● Final65 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1953
Feeder Cattle receipts
1,286 head
▲ 333 vs last sale 953▼ 6 vs year ago 1,292 · −0.5%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
461 head
▲ 228 vs last sale 233▲ 127 vs year ago 334 · +38.0%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: The market seemed to turn softer this week, particularly steer calves weighing up to 650. Heifers seemed to fare better, but there were too few comparable sales to determine a trend. Quality seemed to be plainer as drought conditions persist in the area. Slaughter cattle reporting was shorter this week, but the market fared positive on high yielding cows and bulls. A large supply of dries and late calvers were brought in off of droughty and burned out country. High yielding beef cows brought upwards of $1.90/lb for the first time this week, and high yielding, good flesh bulls remain over $2.00. Trade was mixed with the higher demand favoring the slaughter cattle market.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $418.26/cwt on 133 head, down $18.98 from the prior sale. That ranks 18 of 27 comparable sales and sits +21.12 against this barn's trailing median of $397.14.
Average price
$418.26
▼ 18.98 vs prior sale
133 head · 571 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,390
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$147
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 2
$20.88/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+8.77
vs TX average
−0.00 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1574421.452,418110
Medium and Large 1-2515419.002,1583thin
Medium and Large 2567400.572,27120
One grade step is worth $20.88/cwt here — about $147 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale133 hd
418.26
—
TX average5 barns · 281 hd
409.48
+8.77
National average175 barns · 12,602 hd
418.26
−0.00
This barn, trailing median27 sales
397.14
+21.12
A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

27 sales
459408357307median 397.1403/0504/3006/1809/0310/29
Heifers 500–600 lb: high $444.69, low $320.90, median $397.14 across 27 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Bulls—Average1,623215.403,4965thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,190184.402,19527
CowsBreaker 75-80%High1,603180.222,8889thin
HeifersChoiceHigh958298.592,86027

Every lot

65 lots · USDA AMS · Cattlemen's Livestock Auction - Dalhart, TX
Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added. Grouped by class and set lightest first; USDA files them in sale-ring order.
ClassWeightGrade / descriptionAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Feeder Cattle · Steers31 lots · lightest first
Steers150–200Medium and Large 11531,350.00/head1,350.00–1,350.001,3503
Steers200–250Medium and Large 12121,550.00/head1,550.00–1,550.001,5504
Steers250–300Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed2551,850.00/head1,850.00–1,850.001,8502
Steers300–350Medium and Large 2Thin Fleshed338555.00/cwt555.00–555.001,8769
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed360635.00/cwt635.00–635.002,2863
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed375560.00/cwt560.00–560.002,1003
Steers350–400Medium and Large 2Thin Fleshed390590.00/cwt590.00–590.002,3014
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1398542.50/cwt542.50–542.502,1594
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1433522.50/cwt522.50–522.502,2626
Steers400–450Medium and Large 2Thin Fleshed440500.00/cwt500.00–500.002,20028
Steers450–500Medium and Large 2458450.00/cwt450.00–450.002,0612
Steers450–500Medium and Large 2Thin Fleshed463445.00/cwt445.00–445.002,0604
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1471495.00/cwt495.00–495.002,33119
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2514480.00/cwt480.00–480.002,4677
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2553452.50/cwt452.50–452.502,5023
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1569482.50/cwt482.50–482.502,7458
Steers550–600Medium and Large 2Thin Fleshed570425.00/cwt425.00–425.002,4237
Steers550–600Medium and Large 2580418.98/cwt417.50–420.002,4305
Steers650–700Medium and Large 2672379.00/cwt379.00–379.002,5473
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1690390.00/cwt390.00–390.002,6915
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2691405.00/cwt405.00–405.002,7994
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1731385.00/cwt385.00–385.002,81469
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1760377.26/cwt365.00–382.502,86711
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1-2788352.21/cwt352.00–352.502,7757
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1804338.00/cwt338.00–338.002,7185
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1Fleshy844345.00/cwt345.00–345.002,91221
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1871339.37/cwt324.00–346.002,95610
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1900326.00/cwt326.00–326.002,9342
Steers950–1000Medium and Large 1968315.41/cwt302.50–317.003,05318
Steers1000–1050Medium and Large 1Fleshy1,028298.79/cwt297.00–299.003,07265
Steers1000–1050Medium and Large 11,048309.00/cwt309.00–309.003,2382
Feeder Cattle · Heifers22 lots · lightest first
Heifers150–200Medium and Large 11801,450.00/head1,450.00–1,450.001,4503
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed347495.00/cwt495.00–495.001,7183
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2Thin Fleshed370490.00/cwt490.00–490.001,81314
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2Full395362.50/cwt362.50–362.501,4322
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed398490.00/cwt490.00–490.001,9503
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1422456.61/cwt452.50–470.001,92713
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed471460.00/cwt460.00–460.002,1679
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1481452.76/cwt452.50–455.002,17819
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2Thin Fleshed493422.50/cwt422.50–422.502,0833
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1510430.00/cwt430.00–430.002,1937
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2515419.00/cwt419.00–419.002,1583
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2Thin Fleshed540410.00/cwt410.00–410.002,2142
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 2570399.52/cwt392.50–405.002,27718
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1578420.87/cwt420.00–427.502,433103
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed608420.00/cwt420.00–420.002,5547
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed641393.00/cwt393.00–393.002,5194
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1658369.32/cwt360.00–370.002,43047
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1731333.00/cwt333.00–333.002,4347
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1761334.27/cwt324.00–342.502,544184
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 2770307.00/cwt307.00–307.002,3642
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1859310.78/cwt310.25–312.002,67060
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1Fleshy904295.00/cwt295.00–295.002,6675
Feeder Cattle · Bulls4 lots · lightest first
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1370570.00/cwt570.00–570.002,1093
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1478462.50/cwt462.50–462.502,2114
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1502470.00/cwt470.00–470.002,3593
Bulls1050–1100Medium and Large 11,078240.00/cwt240.00–240.002,5872
Slaughter Cattle · Heifers1 lot · lightest first
Heifers—Choice958298.59/cwt290.00–306.002,86027
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,532221.00/cwt221.00–221.003,3863
Bulls——1,760207.00/cwt207.00–207.003,6432
Slaughter Cattle · Cows5 lots · lightest first
Cows—Boner 80-85%Light Weight945181.00/cwt181.00–181.001,7102
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,138169.93/cwt167.00–174.001,9347
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,238190.41/cwt187.00–194.002,35718
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,504186.00/cwt186.00–186.002,7975
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,726173.00/cwt173.00–173.002,9864

This sale against other markets

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.