heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers$158.69/cwt+0.99 vs last sale · ≈ $757/hd at 477 lb · 488 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers$164.44/cwt+0.55 vs last sale · ≈ $937/hd at 570 lb · 332 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers$185.01/cwt+5.13 vs last sale · ≈ $894/hd at 483 lb · 321 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
4,838
6,040
4,990
Feeder cattle
4,265
5,107
4,990
Slaughter cattle
370
478
0
Replacement cattle
203
455
0
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week: Yearlings were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for yearlings was moderate to good. Steer calves under 350 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, higher to sharply higher undertones were noticed. 350-499 lbs steers sold 3.00-9.00 higher, 500-599 lbs sold steady to firm, steer calves over 600 lbs sold steady to 5.00 lower. Heifer calves under 400 lbs sold mostly 6.00-12.00 higher, 400-499 lbs heifers sold steady to 3.00 higher, heifers over 500 lbs sold mostly 3.00-5.00 lower. Quality this week was average to attractive. Demand for calves remains slightly uneven as transportation remains the biggest factor limiting demand. Buyers focused on buying front end calves, especially ones with two rounds of vaccinations and passed or discounted average quality calves or calves with only spring shots. After buyers exhausted the trucks they had available many exited the market. Prices declined as the sale waned causing large price spreads at times. The best demand this week was for light weight calves suitable to develop into yearlings. This class of calves was especially active today. The August feeder cattle contract settled at 173.30, making yearling type calves very attractive to buyers. Pen conditions were muddy both at the yards and in the country as rain and snow fell earlier in the week. Many sets of calves were dirty this week. Market activity was moderate to active today. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand for light to moderate offerings. Packers continue to show light demand for slaughter cows this sale as heavy supplies continue to be seen across the upper plains. Lean and boning cows sold 2.00-7.00 lower than last Thursdays sale in a narrow comparison. Breaking cows were not tested as all sold to feeding buyers this week. Feeding cows sold 1.00-3.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Cows were very full this sale and offered buyers mostly below average weigh up conditions. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady in a very narrow test. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 10.00 lower on a lower quality offering than was seen last week. Demand was mostly light to moderate. Fewer buyers were actively bidding on this class of cows this week.
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.
Cattle Market
Compared to last week: Yearlings were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for yearlings was moderate to good. Steer calves under 350 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, higher to sharply higher undertones were noticed. 350-499 lbs steers sold 3.00-9.00 higher, 500-599 lbs sold steady to firm, steer calves over 600 lbs sold steady to 5.00 lower. Heifer calves under 400 lbs sold mostly 6.00-12.00 higher, 400-499 lbs heifers sold steady to 3.00 higher, heifers over 500 lbs sold mostly 3.00-5.00 lower. Quality this week was average to attractive. Demand for calves remains slightly uneven as transportation remains the biggest factor limiting demand. Buyers focused on buying front end calves, especially ones with two rounds of vaccinations and passed or discounted average quality calves or calves with only spring shots. After buyers exhausted the trucks they had available many exited the market. Prices declined as the sale waned causing large price spreads at times. The best demand this week was for light weight calves suitable to develop into yearlings. This class of calves was especially active today. The August feeder cattle contract settled at 173.30, making yearling type calves very attractive to buyers. Pen conditions were muddy both at the yards and in the country as rain and snow fell earlier in the week. Many sets of calves were dirty this week. Market activity was moderate to active today. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand for light to moderate offerings. Packers continue to show light demand for slaughter cows this sale as heavy supplies continue to be seen across the upper plains. Lean and boning cows sold 2.00-7.00 lower than last Thursdays sale in a narrow comparison. Breaking cows were not tested as all sold to feeding buyers this week. Feeding cows sold 1.00-3.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Cows were very full this sale and offered buyers mostly below average weigh up conditions. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady in a very narrow test. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 10.00 lower on a lower quality offering than was seen last week. Demand was mostly light to moderate. Fewer buyers were actively bidding on this class of cows this week.