Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were not tested this week as todays sale featured bred cows. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand today for moderate offerings. Demand for cows was stronger today as packers try to buy offerings for the upcoming holiday. Packers showed good demand for both slaughter and short term feeding cows this week. Very few cows were purchased to send to immediate harvest this week. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Short term feeding cows sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher. High quality cows suitable to feed to premium white sold steady to 2.00 higher. Quality was most average to attractive as many cows were tested open cows or blemished cows off of bred cow consignments. Slaughter bulls sold steady to firm in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mostly average. Cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on mostly good demand. Young age offerings sold generally steady. A large offering of bred cows sold today. Bred cow offerings sold on mostly moderate demand and offerings. Quality was mostly plain to average with a limited offering of attractive cows seen. Quality on young cows was mostly plain to average with better quality seen on older cows this sale. Most bred cows sold pre cwt were thin or blemished in some way. Market activity was mostly moderate to active.
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: Feeder cattle were not tested this week as todays sale featured bred cows. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand today for moderate offerings. Demand for cows was stronger today as packers try to buy offerings for the upcoming holiday. Packers showed good demand for both slaughter and short term feeding cows this week. Very few cows were purchased to send to immediate harvest this week. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Short term feeding cows sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher. High quality cows suitable to feed to premium white sold steady to 2.00 higher. Quality was most average to attractive as many cows were tested open cows or blemished cows off of bred cow consignments. Slaughter bulls sold steady to firm in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mostly average. Cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on mostly good demand. Young age offerings sold generally steady. A large offering of bred cows sold today. Bred cow offerings sold on mostly moderate demand and offerings. Quality was mostly plain to average with a limited offering of attractive cows seen. Quality on young cows was mostly plain to average with better quality seen on older cows this sale. Most bred cows sold pre cwt were thin or blemished in some way. Market activity was mostly moderate to active.