Cattle Market Pulse

Alabama Daily Cattle Auction Summary

Alabama Daily Auction Summary, Alabama · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, December 18, 2023

2,457 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Alabama Daily Cattle Auction Summary report →

heavy 3-weight M&L 2 heifers $225.63/cwt -6.44 vs last sale · ≈ $853/hd at 378 lb · 45 head
light 4-weight M&L 2 heifers $219.95/cwt -3.81 vs last sale · ≈ $937/hd at 426 lb · 41 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $235.48/cwt +1.83 vs last sale · ≈ $1,455/hd at 618 lb · 40 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,457 2,163 3,204
Feeder cattle 1,925 1,599 2,372
Slaughter cattle 333 397 485
Replacement cattle 199 167 347

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to one week ago: Slaughter cows sold 1.00 to 4.00 higher and slaughter bulls sold steady. Feeder steers and feeder bulls sold 2.00 to 6.00 higher, feeder heifers sold 1.00 to 3.00 higher. Trade active with good to very good demand on feeder cattle. Replacement cows sold mostly 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
370 value added 370 1 295.00 $295.00 $1,092 —
375 375 2 268.00 $268.00 $1,005 —
480 480 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,272 -0.26
505–518 514 14 250.00–260.00 $255.35 $1,312 +1.32
550–592 579 4 230.00–240.00 $235.06 $1,361 -12.94
615–625 618 40 232.00–237.00 $235.48 $1,455 +1.83
655 655 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,441 -8.00
715 715 4 205.00–210.00 $208.75 $1,493 —
765–770 770 10 192.00–195.00 $192.30 $1,481 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–345 331 12 270.00–282.00 $276.35 $915 -2.02
355–380 368 17 260.00–272.00 $265.23 $976 -1.93
405–430 423 9 252.00–265.00 $259.94 $1,100 -2.40
450–495 479 12 245.00–260.00 $251.36 $1,204 -5.30
510–545 530 14 234.00–250.00 $242.96 $1,288 +2.43
555–580 574 5 224.00–242.00 $232.33 $1,334 -5.93
625–645 632 3 215.00–225.00 $218.40 $1,380 -5.91
720–745 732 3 185.00–192.00 $189.03 $1,384 -16.97
795 795 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,471 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 1 270.00 $270.00 $891 —
365–395 380 17 246.00–255.00 $250.46 $952 -4.34
460–495 481 4 236.00–247.00 $240.98 $1,159 +0.98
505–545 524 6 222.00–237.00 $230.00 $1,205 -2.14
565–585 575 4 212.00–222.00 $216.46 $1,245 —
605–635 620 5 206.00–215.00 $211.19 $1,309 +7.35
675 675 2 205.00 $205.00 $1,384 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–275 263 2 234.00–245.00 $239.24 $629 -4.39
305–345 324 28 230.00–250.00 $235.81 $764 +0.03
355–390 378 45 220.00–237.00 $225.63 $853 -6.44
405–440 426 41 212.00–230.00 $219.95 $937 -3.81
450–495 473 36 195.00–222.00 $212.70 $1,006 -1.09
500–545 521 31 185.00–212.00 $203.29 $1,059 +0.89
550–595 579 18 187.00–205.00 $194.82 $1,128 -1.59
605–645 631 13 177.00–186.00 $181.72 $1,147 -5.23
660–690 677 7 175.00–182.00 $177.81 $1,204 +6.83
715 715 12 177.00 $177.00 $1,266 +9.49
755 755 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,208 -10.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–325 321 6 257.00–265.00 $262.88 $844 +18.90
375–395 378 15 230.00–250.00 $243.25 $919 +2.42
405–445 416 11 224.00–242.00 $233.71 $972 +2.92
456 value added 456 4 232.50 $232.50 $1,060 —
450–485 460 18 217.00–232.00 $221.99 $1,021 -2.65
505–545 522 30 210.00–220.00 $215.66 $1,126 +2.16
525 fancy 525 2 232.00 $232.00 $1,218 —
555–595 565 15 200.00–216.00 $208.42 $1,178 +3.97
605–630 612 12 190.00–202.00 $195.32 $1,195 +1.37
614 value added 614 4 207.50 $207.50 $1,274 —
650 value added 650 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,332 —
680 680 1 187.00 $187.00 $1,272 —
730 730 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,314 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–345 326 10 220.00–227.00 $224.13 $731 +5.62
355–395 374 17 212.00–225.00 $219.30 $820 -1.53
400–445 425 31 180.00–217.00 $205.97 $875 -2.67
450–495 475 22 200.00–210.00 $205.36 $975 +5.95
500–545 518 10 190.00–200.00 $194.66 $1,008 +0.68
555–590 572 16 178.00–190.00 $183.95 $1,052 +3.09
635–645 640 2 174.00–176.00 $174.99 $1,120 +0.53
685–690 689 5 160.00–168.00 $164.81 $1,136 -10.19
735 735 1 164.00 $164.00 $1,205 +18.07
770–790 780 2 145.00–150.00 $147.47 $1,150 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 270.00 $270.00 $742 -9.37
305–340 331 6 264.00–270.00 $265.09 $877 -6.54
350–395 365 23 255.00–280.00 $266.59 $973 -4.54
400–440 420 24 245.00–260.00 $252.95 $1,062 -7.25
450–490 474 27 235.00–252.00 $242.66 $1,150 -13.35
507 value added 507 2 237.50 $237.50 $1,204 —
500–545 513 19 220.00–242.00 $234.53 $1,203 -2.23
560–590 566 19 212.00–230.00 $217.81 $1,233 -14.06
600–640 613 6 200.00–210.00 $205.01 $1,257 -8.23
655–675 666 4 190.00–200.00 $194.23 $1,294 -1.79
710–720 714 4 185.00–192.00 $188.50 $1,346 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–345 326 14 252.00–277.00 $262.95 $857 -5.66
355–395 378 25 245.00–262.00 $252.24 $953 -8.73
405–445 425 18 235.00–250.00 $242.87 $1,032 -6.55
450–490 470 22 222.00–240.00 $232.26 $1,092 -5.58
500–540 521 14 210.00–227.00 $217.58 $1,134 -2.96
550–585 567 10 205.00–220.00 $208.85 $1,184 -1.50
600–640 619 12 195.00–206.00 $199.50 $1,235 -1.50
655–690 673 5 185.00–195.00 $188.93 $1,271 -2.33
740 740 1 172.00 $172.00 $1,273 -6.39
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200–220 212 3 260.00–270.00 $266.61 $565 +6.61
260–280 268 3 255.00–260.00 $258.26 $692 +3.26
300–335 322 11 240.00–250.00 $245.56 $791 -5.13
365–395 384 8 235.00–248.00 $240.74 $924 -0.76
420–440 427 11 225.00–238.00 $233.33 $996 -5.97
455–490 476 22 215.00–225.00 $220.00 $1,047 -8.82
505–545 523 9 195.00–210.00 $203.35 $1,064 -6.65
570–580 576 4 180.00–195.00 $188.76 $1,087 -8.87
600–640 625 4 170.00–192.00 $184.18 $1,151 -9.82
655–690 673 3 162.00–180.00 $168.86 $1,136 +0.53

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
845–1465 1179 80-85% 47 82.00–93.00 $86.49 $1,020 —
915–1700 1203 80-85% 51 88.00–99.00 $93.24 $1,122 +2.01
1145–1525 1262 80-85% 11 96.00–104.00 $100.36 $1,267 +4.02
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
760–1195 992 85-90% 21 64.00–82.00 $73.39 $728 —
765–1285 1016 85-90% 30 71.00–86.00 $80.19 $815 +8.58
940–1120 1048 85-90% 27 78.00–93.00 $87.32 $915 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1310–1565 1419 75-80% 6 92.00–100.00 $96.56 $1,370 +7.65
1525 1525 75-80% 1 109.00 $109.00 $1,662 +15.05
1475–1690 1583 75-80% 2 90.00–91.00 $90.53 $1,433 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150–1770 1540 20 99.00–110.00 $102.66 $1,581 —
1190–1835 1547 9 110.00–116.00 $113.08 $1,749 —
1455–2030 1803 9 118.00–125.00 $121.43 $2,189 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
— — Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 756.00–838.00 $799.67
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 12 400.00–580.00 $475.00

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 16 1,000.00–1,475.00 $1,190.63
— fancy — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 1,450.00 $1,450.00
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 11 675.00–1,125.00 $821.36
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 28 820.00–1,375.00 $1,116.43
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 925.00 $925.00
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 6 700.00–1,000.00 $870.83
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 825.00–975.00 $918.75
Medium and Large 3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
— — Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 5 900.00–1,050.00 $940.00
— — Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 850.00 $850.00
— — Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,100.00 $1,100.00

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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
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 8 1,000.00–1,300.00 $1,137.50 —
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 12 1,200.00–1,450.00 $1,322.92 —

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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.