Cattle Market Pulse

Cleveland County Agriculture & Livestock Exchange Market Report

Shelby, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock · usually sells Tuesdays

Sale of Tuesday, July 21, 2026

362 head sold ·Official USDA report · Past reports (267)

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $383.74/cwt -13.83 vs last sale · ≈ $1,834/hd at 478 lb · 25 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $399.30/cwt -32.67 vs last sale · ≈ $1,711/hd at 429 lb · 17 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 bulls $413.62/cwt -7.96 vs last sale · ≈ $1,750/hd at 423 lb · 16 head
Shelby, NC 4-weight heifers sold at $390/cwt, which is $14/cwt below the NC average ($404) and $79/cwt under North Wilkesboro, NC ($469). NC 4-weight heifers are down $28/cwt from their late June peak of $399. What this means — computed from this report and its neighbors

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 362 468 434
Feeder cattle 279 402 373
Slaughter cattle 60 43 48
Replacement cattle 23 23 13

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week slaughter cattle were 1.00 to 2.00 higher, while feeder cattle were 8.00 to 10.00 lower. Trade and demand were moderate with moderate offerings. Quality of cattle was average. 9 head Baby Calves: 550.00- 900.00

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
285 285 2 480.00–500.00 $490.00 $1,396 -23.81
330 330 1 460.00 $460.00 $1,518 -51.91
380–398 394 4 460.00–500.00 $490.34 $1,932 -38.89
422 value added 422 9 487.50 $487.50 $2,057 —
415–430 423 3 422.50–475.00 $444.30 $1,879 -45.29
455–465 458 4 405.00–445.00 $434.84 $1,992 -8.41
515–535 525 8 397.50–413.00 $409.08 $2,148 +0.94
550–585 560 8 360.00–387.50 $364.85 $2,043 -37.23
610 610 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,013 -39.61
685 685 1 342.50 $342.50 $2,346 -4.45
700–712 708 3 310.00–340.00 $319.89 $2,265 -21.32
835 835 2 310.00 $310.00 $2,588 -10.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,224 -97.61
415–435 425 2 405.00–410.00 $407.44 $1,732 -21.48

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200–240 227 3 450.00–500.00 $467.65 $1,062 +17.30
250–290 270 3 460.00 $460.00 $1,242 +8.73
320–340 328 4 400.00–440.00 $424.73 $1,393 -6.98
350–390 373 7 395.00–445.00 $420.62 $1,569 -16.87
400–445 424 10 367.50–410.00 $380.29 $1,612 -51.68
434–437 value added 435 7 420.00–435.00 $426.45 $1,855 —
450–495 478 25 350.00–415.00 $383.74 $1,834 -13.83
500–540 523 15 330.00–367.50 $346.84 $1,814 -18.65
570–595 579 7 320.00–342.50 $332.54 $1,925 -27.61
600–640 624 4 320.00–337.50 $328.84 $2,052 -21.73
655 655 1 322.50 $322.50 $2,112 -3.52
745 745 1 301.00 $301.00 $2,242 -23.79
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 320.00 $320.00 $800 -80.79
340 340 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,292 -5.60
350–360 355 2 370.00–380.00 $374.93 $1,331 +6.66
410–425 420 3 350.00–355.00 $351.69 $1,477 -23.17
455–495 481 4 325.00–340.00 $331.39 $1,594 -15.61
575–585 580 2 280.00–290.00 $284.96 $1,653 -25.04
750 750 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,388 —
815 815 1 168.00 $168.00 $1,369 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–390 380 3 250.00–280.00 $266.32 $1,012 -33.68
500 500 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,425 +120.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235–240 238 3 500.00–530.00 $509.86 $1,213 —
250–295 271 6 480.00–530.00 $499.17 $1,353 -33.45
300–345 321 6 430.00–530.00 $466.69 $1,498 +0.61
360–395 377 7 440.00–485.00 $458.96 $1,730 +6.52
400–440 423 16 390.00–445.00 $413.62 $1,750 -7.96
450–495 473 14 355.00–400.00 $379.94 $1,797 -40.20
500–540 518 13 340.00–390.00 $352.88 $1,828 -38.92
550–595 572 9 335.00–375.00 $344.89 $1,973 -25.15
600–645 620 4 320.00–342.50 $331.81 $2,057 -4.75
660–690 674 4 310.00–327.50 $321.80 $2,169 -4.74
715 715 2 300.00–325.00 $312.50 $2,234 —
750 750 1 310.00 $310.00 $2,325 -7.48
800–810 805 2 245.00–287.50 $266.38 $2,144 —
940 940 1 245.00 $245.00 $2,303 +19.61
955 955 1 217.50 $217.50 $2,077 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 440.00 $440.00 $1,078 +40.00
275 275 1 430.00 $430.00 $1,182 -20.00
380–385 383 2 385.00–420.00 $402.39 $1,541 +7.33
405–440 426 4 350.00–370.00 $365.25 $1,556 -12.06
475 475 1 342.50 $342.50 $1,627 -8.33
640 640 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,632 —
745 745 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,825 —
765 765 1 202.50 $202.50 $1,549 —
925 925 1 188.00 $188.00 $1,739 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
630 630 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,040 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
910–1560 1236 80-85% 23 164.00–181.00 $172.72 $2,135 —
1070–1630 1303 80-85% 6 184.00–191.00 $185.70 $2,420 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
700–1010 878 85-90% 3 115.00–125.00 $122.34 $1,074 —
835–1135 973 85-90% 6 140.00–155.00 $147.72 $1,437 —
905–1050 976 85-90% 5 158.00–162.50 $160.37 $1,565 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1500–1705 1603 75-80% 2 155.00 $155.00 $2,485 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1510 1510 1 228.00 $228.00 $3,443 —
1340–2120 1871 5 196.00–212.00 $207.83 $3,888 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
675–1185 921 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 7 1,300.00–2,550.00 $1,836.59
950 950 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,650.00 $1,650.00
935–1075 1005 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 2,200.00–2,400.00 $2,306.97
1085 1085 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,000.00 $2,000.00
920–1330 1140 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 1,850.00–2,850.00 $2,407.46
1030–1330 1182 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 2,000.00–2,750.00 $2,400.78
1190 1190 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,600.00 $2,600.00

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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
705 705 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,325.00 $2,325.00 —
1035 1035 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,950.00 $2,950.00 —
1080–1115 1098 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 3,150.00 $3,150.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 2 140.00–170.00 $155.00 $535 —
355 355 1 167.50 $167.50 $595 —
495 495 1 173.00 $173.00 $856 —

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Price trend

high 474.50 low 338.41 Jul 2025 Jul 2026

500–549 lb Medium and Large 1 steers — head-weighted average $/cwt by sale date, last 12 months.

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.

← Previous sale (Jul 14, 2026)

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