Cattle Market Pulse

Alabama Daily Cattle Auction Summary

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

Sale of Wednesday, January 17, 2024

660 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 2 heifers $218.13/cwt +0.21 vs last sale · ≈ $1,178/hd at 540 lb · 17 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $248.78/cwt +7.78 vs last sale · ≈ $1,600/hd at 643 lb · 17 head
light 4-weight M&L 2 heifers $231.58/cwt -2.81 vs last sale · ≈ $991/hd at 428 lb · 15 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 660 1,468 2,863
Feeder cattle 446 1,088 2,326
Slaughter cattle 142 204 268
Replacement cattle 72 176 269

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to one week ago: Slaughter cows sold 3.00 to 8.00 higher and slaughter bulls sold steady. Feeder steers sold 5.00 to 10.00 higher, feeder heifers and feeder bulls sold steady to 2.00 higher. Trade active with good demand on feeder cattle. Replacement cows sold mostly steady. Markets in North Alabama closed due to weather,

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
325–345 336 4 290.00–315.00 $300.21 $1,009 —
355–395 377 8 280.00–300.00 $289.29 $1,091 -6.85
410–425 420 3 270.00–280.00 $276.75 $1,162 -12.50
470–495 485 6 265.00–274.00 $267.78 $1,299 -16.20
505–530 519 10 258.00–268.00 $262.42 $1,362 -0.03
560–595 574 7 247.00–255.00 $249.40 $1,432 +8.68
615–645 643 17 245.00–249.00 $248.78 $1,600 +7.78
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 2 280.00 $280.00 $630 —
325 325 3 290.00–300.00 $296.67 $964 +6.59
365–385 375 2 270.00–272.00 $270.97 $1,016 -1.55
415–445 430 4 260.00–280.00 $268.17 $1,153 +0.99
455–490 475 3 260.00–263.00 $261.70 $1,243 +0.22
515–545 533 4 248.00–255.00 $251.82 $1,342 +8.90
555–595 575 4 230.00–245.00 $238.77 $1,373 +8.76
610–615 613 2 230.00–235.00 $232.51 $1,425 +2.27
685 685 4 230.00 $230.00 $1,576 +9.32
705–745 727 3 209.00–212.00 $210.31 $1,529 -0.93
795 795 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,550 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355–375 365 2 260.00–277.00 $268.27 $979 +2.95
540 540 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,323 +6.87
555 555 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,221 -12.19
665–680 673 2 210.00–215.00 $212.47 $1,430 +4.14
725 725 2 205.00 $205.00 $1,486 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–345 327 5 240.00–250.00 $242.51 $793 -7.63
360–385 379 5 230.00–237.00 $235.22 $891 -5.83
405–445 428 15 223.00–242.00 $231.58 $991 -2.81
475–480 478 6 218.00–224.00 $220.33 $1,053 -11.77
525–545 540 17 210.00–227.00 $218.13 $1,178 +0.21
560–575 571 6 203.00–225.00 $214.67 $1,226 +3.90
615 615 3 200.00 $200.00 $1,230 +1.67
715 715 2 167.00–183.00 $175.00 $1,251 -5.30
770–790 783 4 162.00–180.00 $167.18 $1,309 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335–340 338 5 243.00–245.00 $244.21 $825 -21.57
365–385 371 12 240.00–252.00 $243.64 $904 -10.82
405–445 427 10 232.00–242.00 $237.63 $1,015 -9.71
455–490 472 13 227.00–237.00 $232.09 $1,095 -0.99
505–545 526 6 224.00–230.00 $226.13 $1,189 -5.32
565–575 568 6 217.00–222.00 $218.67 $1,242 -2.33
625 625 1 222.00 $222.00 $1,388 +14.51
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 2 238.00 $238.00 $690 —
310–325 315 11 237.00–247.00 $240.75 $758 +9.77
415–445 430 2 217.00–220.00 $218.55 $940 -0.43
515–545 533 5 185.00–208.00 $197.70 $1,054 -7.08
595 595 1 201.00 $201.00 $1,196 +6.98

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270–280 277 3 288.00–290.00 $289.35 $801 —
340 340 3 282.00 $282.00 $959 -13.00
355–380 366 11 280.00–300.00 $285.93 $1,047 -1.70
405–445 420 8 257.00–287.00 $270.76 $1,137 -7.68
455–480 465 4 248.00–267.00 $255.71 $1,189 +0.66
510–515 513 2 233.00–235.00 $234.00 $1,200 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 2 280.00 $280.00 $826 —
305–345 323 3 275.00–290.00 $281.52 $909 -1.81
360–370 365 5 264.00–277.00 $270.16 $986 +20.16
435–445 443 4 248.00–250.00 $249.51 $1,105 -11.00
460–470 467 3 230.00–247.00 $238.39 $1,113 -12.36
545 545 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,199 -19.60
580 580 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,276 +1.85
610–640 623 4 200.00–220.00 $206.90 $1,289 -0.10
675–685 682 3 190.00–195.00 $191.65 $1,307 -15.87
735 735 1 188.00 $188.00 $1,382 —
760 760 1 187.00 $187.00 $1,421 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430 430 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,032 +10.00
465–475 470 2 220.00–227.00 $223.54 $1,051 —
525 525 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,102 -12.26
590 590 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,180 -18.32
640 640 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,216 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1280 1140 80-85% 17 93.00–98.00 $94.51 $1,077 —
935–1295 1142 80-85% 13 85.00–92.00 $89.27 $1,019 —
1085–1290 1180 80-85% 11 100.00–105.00 $103.05 $1,216 +11.71
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
850–1180 977 85-90% 17 70.00–87.00 $80.24 $784 -0.80
955–1225 1026 85-90% 7 87.00–96.00 $90.98 $933 —
910–1220 1029 85-90% 12 79.00–93.00 $85.02 $875 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1315–1380 1346 75-80% 4 105.00–109.00 $106.49 $1,433 —
1405–1740 1541 75-80% 4 98.00–103.00 $100.34 $1,546 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1500 1250 2 94.00–96.00 $95.20 $1,190 —
1150–1945 1568 12 103.00–114.00 $108.72 $1,705 —
1580–1635 1608 2 117.00–118.00 $117.49 $1,889 —

↑ Back to top

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) 6 1,100.00–1,450.00 $1,240.00
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 10 1,150.00–1,400.00 $1,290.00
— fancy — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,525.00 $1,525.00
— — Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 5 875.00–1,010.00 $932.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 4 800.00–975.00 $856.25
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,050.00–1,150.00 $1,091.67

↑ Back to top

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 1 1,150.00 $1,150.00 —
— — Aged (>8 yrs)Open 8 950.00–1,010.00 $980.00 —
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 6 1,050.00–1,125.00 $1,075.00 —

↑ Back to top

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.