Very similar run of total head compared to last week, slightly lower run of feeder cattle but made numbers up by an increase in replacement cattle. Colder weather from the past two weeks stunting pasture growth and grass availability lower than average for this time of year. Despite this, feeders sold well underscoring continuing demand and the quality of the offering. Five weight Steers up $5-20 per cwt from last week, six weights up $10. No market test on Feeder Heifers or Bulls. Similar volume run of Slaughter Cattle this week, demand trend remaining high overall. Breaker Cows up $8 per cwt, Lean Cows slightly lower by $4 per cwt, Boner Cows and Bulls sold steady. Heiferettes: $84-$99 per cwt. Small run of Slaughter Hogs, $70-$82.50 per cwt.
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
Very similar run of total head compared to last week, slightly lower run of feeder cattle but made numbers up by an increase in replacement cattle. Colder weather from the past two weeks stunting pasture growth and grass availability lower than average for this time of year. Despite this, feeders sold well underscoring continuing demand and the quality of the offering. Five weight Steers up $5-20 per cwt from last week, six weights up $10. No market test on Feeder Heifers or Bulls. Similar volume run of Slaughter Cattle this week, demand trend remaining high overall. Breaker Cows up $8 per cwt, Lean Cows slightly lower by $4 per cwt, Boner Cows and Bulls sold steady. Heiferettes: $84-$99 per cwt. Small run of Slaughter Hogs, $70-$82.50 per cwt.