Cattle Market Pulse

Cleveland County Agriculture & Livestock Exchange Market Report

Shelby, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, March 31, 2026

447 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Cleveland County Agriculture & Livestock Exchange report →

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $386.37/cwt -14.20 vs last sale · ≈ $2,055/hd at 532 lb · 24 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 bulls $443.12/cwt -22.55 vs last sale · ≈ $2,087/hd at 471 lb · 23 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1 bulls $517.74/cwt -12.22 vs last sale · ≈ $1,926/hd at 372 lb · 22 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 447 526 454
Feeder cattle 370 402 353
Slaughter cattle 60 86 78
Replacement cattle 17 38 23

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week slaughter cattle were 1.00 to 2.00 lower, while feeder cattle were 10.00 to 12.00 lower. Trade and demand were moderate with moderate offerings. Quality of cattle was average.

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
380 380 1 515.00 $515.00 $1,957 -13.93
400–420 413 3 450.00–500.00 $466.13 $1,925 -8.76
450–495 475 11 405.00–450.00 $435.30 $2,068 -38.67
510–530 516 4 410.00–442.50 $427.63 $2,207 -13.41
565–595 579 5 380.00–425.00 $403.90 $2,339 -4.35
625–640 629 4 375.00–415.00 $395.50 $2,488 +10.50
650–675 668 7 360.00–442.50 $403.36 $2,694 —
735 735 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,572 -20.00
755–785 773 4 315.00–325.00 $321.22 $2,483 -26.28
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,940 —
565–585 575 2 347.50–350.00 $348.73 $2,005 —
640 640 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,920 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210–245 230 5 422.00–470.00 $447.99 $1,030 -107.26
250–295 279 5 440.00–480.00 $462.51 $1,290 -67.49
300–345 326 10 430.00–485.00 $456.33 $1,488 -71.70
350–382 369 12 430.00–495.00 $460.83 $1,700 -48.28
400–445 420 17 420.00–487.50 $464.32 $1,950 -15.93
450–495 473 19 397.50–465.00 $425.32 $2,012 -37.26
505–549 532 24 370.00–422.50 $386.37 $2,055 -14.20
550–595 573 17 350.00–400.00 $368.20 $2,110 -3.51
600–645 622 13 330.00–380.00 $354.10 $2,203 -0.80
660–670 664 5 305.00–345.00 $326.95 $2,171 -26.04
730 730 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,190 -18.62
760 760 1 285.00 $285.00 $2,166 -39.98
810 810 1 295.00 $295.00 $2,390 -2.45
895 895 1 260.00 $260.00 $2,327 -39.96
920 920 1 217.50 $217.50 $2,001 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–335 322 3 390.00–410.00 $403.06 $1,298 -36.94
360–395 378 3 400.00–415.00 $405.02 $1,531 -44.76
405–435 420 4 370.00–415.00 $396.65 $1,666 -17.58
470–490 481 7 355.00–390.00 $372.07 $1,790 -20.54
508–535 519 6 335.00–350.00 $346.61 $1,799 +34.11
620 620 1 310.00 $310.00 $1,922 -5.00
655 655 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,867 —
840 840 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,890 -2.50
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 300.00 $300.00 $705 —
280 280 1 300.00 $300.00 $840 -54.91
380 380 2 320.00–350.00 $335.00 $1,273 -45.00
490 490 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,225 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 2 580.00 $580.00 $1,711 +8.05
305–340 325 9 520.00–600.00 $555.73 $1,806 +13.26
350–395 372 22 490.00–540.00 $517.74 $1,926 -12.22
400–440 418 19 440.00–505.00 $470.53 $1,967 -11.96
450–496 471 23 420.00–455.00 $443.12 $2,087 -22.55
500–545 521 8 400.00–442.50 $416.77 $2,171 -34.29
555–595 571 8 370.00–420.00 $402.05 $2,296 -9.22
620–645 633 7 390.00–422.50 $404.92 $2,563 +15.00
650–690 664 8 335.00–387.50 $356.06 $2,364 -16.76
715–740 728 6 315.00–350.00 $333.32 $2,427 -8.72
755–780 767 3 315.00–342.50 $331.53 $2,543 +4.63
800 800 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,320 +40.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,175 —
285 285 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,140 -104.91
310–335 320 3 450.00–480.00 $466.82 $1,494 -9.29
395 395 1 465.00 $465.00 $1,837 +4.94
430–445 438 3 400.00–420.00 $406.77 $1,782 -25.54
505–530 522 3 310.00–380.00 $335.32 $1,750 -57.01
625 625 2 300.00–335.00 $317.50 $1,984 —
730 730 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,825 -45.00
795 795 1 265.00 $265.00 $2,107 +15.00
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,122 -90.00
360 360 1 240.00 $240.00 $864 -160.00
405–420 415 3 220.00–260.00 $243.61 $1,011 —
505 505 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,288 —
555 555 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,498 —
660 660 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,749 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
955–1450 1272 80-85% 16 152.00–167.00 $161.06 $2,049 -12.66
1285 1285 80-85% 2 193.00–195.00 $194.00 $2,493 +20.28
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
625–1215 858 85-90% 4 100.00–120.00 $111.09 $953 -11.41
965–1005 985 85-90% 2 160.00 $160.00 $1,576 +2.60
750–1345 988 85-90% 11 130.00–145.00 $141.10 $1,394 -16.30
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1360–1885 1526 75-80% 7 140.00–159.00 $152.98 $2,334 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180 1180 1 200.00 $200.00 $2,360 —
1385–1670 1532 3 205.00–217.00 $211.52 $3,240 +51.35

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
715 715 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,000.00 $2,000.00
675–860 768 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,700.00–2,300.00 $2,036.16
1045 1045 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,300.00 $2,300.00
1295 1295 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,350.00 $2,350.00
1420 1420 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 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
770–1090 930 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 3,625.00–4,250.00 $3,991.26 +641.26
930 930 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 3,000.00 $3,000.00 -350.00
980–1055 1021 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 4 2,600.00–4,250.00 $3,579.13 —
795–1210 1026 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 4 2,300.00–3,050.00 $2,716.08 —

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Dairy Heifers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
525 525 1 165.00 $165.00 $866 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,000 —
480 480 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,392 —

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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.