Cattle Market Pulse

Arab Livestock Market Report

Arab, Alabama · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, August 15, 2023

729 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Arab Livestock Market report →

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $229.75/cwt +5.78 vs last sale · ≈ $1,304/hd at 568 lb · 21 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 steers $265.25/cwt ≈ $1,170/hd at 441 lb · 18 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1 heifers $247.08/cwt +3.03 vs last sale · ≈ $934/hd at 378 lb · 17 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 729 728 685
Feeder cattle 564 539 599
Slaughter cattle 115 167 81
Replacement cattle 50 22 5

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to one week ago: Slaughter cows sold 3.00 to 5.00 lower, slaughter bulls sold steady to 3.00 higher. Feeder steers and bulls sold 3.00 to 6.00 lower, feeder heifers sold 2.00 to 4.00 lower. Trade active with good demand on feeder cattle. Replacement cattle sold 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
320 320 1 285.00 $285.00 $912 —
400–443 441 18 265.00–270.00 $265.25 $1,170 —
550–561 560 12 248.00 $248.00 $1,389 +6.00
660 660 1 228.00 $228.00 $1,505 -4.65
780 780 1 207.00 $207.00 $1,615 -6.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
500–545 524 4 242.00–248.00 $244.53 $1,281 -2.48
585–590 588 2 232.00–239.00 $235.49 $1,385 -3.51
600–620 607 3 225.00–230.00 $227.33 $1,380 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435–445 443 4 245.00–247.00 $246.51 $1,092 —
555–585 570 2 225.00 $225.00 $1,282 —
615 615 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,322 -5.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–340 330 3 250.00–252.00 $251.31 $829 -3.69
350–382 378 17 244.00–248.00 $247.08 $934 +3.03
415–440 428 2 235.00–237.00 $235.97 $1,010 -0.23
455–475 466 6 227.00–234.00 $230.13 $1,072 -3.65
500–535 518 6 221.00–229.00 $226.14 $1,171 -0.69
567 value added 567 13 236.00 $236.00 $1,338 —
550–595 569 8 216.00–224.00 $219.60 $1,250 -2.86
620 620 2 207.00–213.00 $210.00 $1,302 -1.60
665–680 673 2 207.00 $207.00 $1,393 -2.43
740 740 1 192.00 $192.00 $1,421 -10.46
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 255.00 $255.00 $701 —
350–390 365 3 235.00–242.00 $238.34 $870 +0.63
400–435 419 6 225.00–230.00 $226.18 $948 -5.89
455–495 482 3 218.00–222.00 $219.60 $1,058 -6.48
505–545 522 3 212.00–215.00 $214.03 $1,117 -4.95
555 555 2 210.00–212.00 $211.00 $1,171 -3.39
605–635 620 2 197.00–200.00 $198.46 $1,230 -8.87
680 680 1 187.00 $187.00 $1,272 -14.00
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 250.00 $250.00 $600 —
280 280 1 245.00 $245.00 $686 —
320–345 333 2 235.00–240.00 $237.41 $791 -1.00
385–395 390 3 222.00–230.00 $225.68 $880 —
405–445 432 3 220.00–222.00 $220.69 $953 -4.32
455–460 458 2 210.00–215.00 $212.51 $973 -4.98
505–545 520 4 205.00–210.00 $208.04 $1,082 -3.60
580 580 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,131 -11.32

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–345 325 2 275.00 $275.00 $894 -5.00
325 value added 325 1 292.00 $292.00 $949 —
360–385 value added 373 2 282.00–287.00 $284.58 $1,061 -17.92
365–380 373 2 265.00–269.00 $267.04 $996 -9.12
410–435 422 3 257.00–265.00 $261.74 $1,105 -3.26
425–435 value added 432 3 267.00–277.00 $272.30 $1,176 —
455 value added 455 1 257.00 $257.00 $1,169 —
465–470 468 3 242.00–245.00 $242.99 $1,137 -12.22
500–525 518 4 232.00–238.00 $235.97 $1,222 -5.04
565–590 579 5 222.00–230.00 $226.81 $1,313 -5.38
605–645 623 4 215.00–225.00 $218.66 $1,362 -8.84
685 685 1 212.00 $212.00 $1,452 -6.98
735 735 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,507 -7.78
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 265.00 $265.00 $782 -5.00
305–330 318 2 252.00–257.00 $254.60 $810 -8.97
360–370 365 2 240.00–250.00 $245.07 $895 -5.96
400–440 408 5 235.00–240.00 $235.98 $963 -7.69
480–485 483 3 220.00–224.00 $221.99 $1,072 -11.47
500–540 514 4 212.00–220.00 $216.84 $1,115 -6.13
560–570 563 3 202.00–210.00 $206.67 $1,164 -10.49
740 740 1 172.00 $172.00 $1,273 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–330 323 2 266.00–270.00 $267.95 $865 -2.05
375–380 378 2 252.00–255.00 $253.49 $958 —
400–430 413 6 242.00–252.00 $245.78 $1,015 -5.88
465–480 473 2 232.00–240.00 $235.94 $1,116 -10.03
535–545 540 2 227.00–231.00 $229.02 $1,237 -4.56
565–590 576 4 215.00–220.00 $218.77 $1,260 -6.24
630–645 638 2 210.00–214.00 $211.98 $1,352 -7.01

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
960–1475 1194 80-85% 15 103.00–108.00 $105.44 $1,259 +0.77
975–1520 1205 80-85% 22 96.00–102.00 $99.32 $1,197 -10.60
1035–1560 1264 80-85% 7 110.00–116.00 $112.52 $1,422 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
785–910 845 85-90% 4 80.00–84.00 $81.08 $685 —
830–1245 985 85-90% 20 85.00–90.00 $88.03 $867 +0.90
770–1380 1044 85-90% 17 91.00–96.00 $93.46 $976 -7.60
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1230–1410 1342 75-80% 3 108.00–109.00 $108.35 $1,454 —
1345–1390 1368 75-80% 3 110.00–112.00 $111.01 $1,519 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1510–1790 1608 3 115.00 $115.00 $1,849 —
1670–2030 1785 7 120.00–125.00 $122.81 $2,192 —
1685–2060 1884 4 127.00–133.00 $130.55 $2,460 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
— fancy — Young (2-4 yrs)Open 7 1,006.00–1,275.00 $1,098.57
— — Young (2-4 yrs)Open 10 760.00–954.00 $853.80

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
— fancy — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 1,319.00–1,492.00 $1,405.50
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 3 1,025.00–1,170.00 $1,100.67
Medium and Large 3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
— — Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 994.00 $994.00
— — Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 888.00 $888.00
— — Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,190.00 $1,190.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
— — Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 3 1,150.00–1,225.00 $1,181.67

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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
— fancy — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,700.00 $1,700.00 —
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,325.00–1,600.00 $1,462.50 —

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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.