Cattle Market Pulse

Cleveland County Agriculture & Livestock Exchange Market Report

Shelby, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, April 28, 2026

473 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $415.99/cwt -13.49 vs last sale · ≈ $1,768/hd at 425 lb · 29 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $402.34/cwt -5.61 vs last sale · ≈ $1,923/hd at 478 lb · 29 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 bulls $439.83/cwt -34.02 vs last sale · ≈ $2,080/hd at 473 lb · 20 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 473 624 494
Feeder cattle 392 474 389
Slaughter cattle 56 112 83
Replacement cattle 25 38 22

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week slaughter cattle were 2.00 to 4.00 lower, while feeder cattle were 2.00 to 4.00 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
235 235 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,175 —
255 255 1 520.00 $520.00 $1,326 -40.47
300–320 310 3 560.00–580.00 $569.89 $1,767 +46.53
350–395 374 7 490.00–545.00 $514.55 $1,924 -11.01
410–445 426 7 450.00–482.50 $464.54 $1,979 -43.64
451–457 454 8 470.00–477.50 $473.73 $2,151 +0.07
500–545 520 13 420.00–462.50 $437.63 $2,276 -9.14
555–595 578 7 400.00–442.50 $409.84 $2,369 -25.17
605–630 615 3 370.00–395.00 $381.54 $2,346 -4.32
660–685 675 7 357.50–377.50 $363.55 $2,454 -3.95
758–785 765 4 310.00–325.00 $313.85 $2,401 -6.15
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490–495 493 2 350.00–420.00 $385.18 $1,899 -32.88
585 585 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,843 -35.00
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,304 -20.00
415 415 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,328 -14.91

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 230 1 510.00 $510.00 $1,173 -24.12
280–285 282 3 470.00–530.00 $489.88 $1,381 -21.62
300–345 315 3 450.00–500.00 $471.43 $1,485 -16.77
352 value added 352 4 507.50 $507.50 $1,786 —
355–380 366 9 420.00–470.00 $447.29 $1,637 +9.11
400–445 425 29 395.00–445.00 $415.99 $1,768 -13.49
455–495 478 29 370.00–427.50 $402.34 $1,923 -5.61
500–545 519 10 370.00–420.00 $402.43 $2,089 +19.28
554 value added 554 6 407.50 $407.50 $2,258 —
550–585 565 13 340.00–402.50 $373.01 $2,108 +21.57
600–645 622 9 320.00–372.50 $355.22 $2,209 +46.23
658 value added 658 4 372.50 $372.50 $2,451 —
690 690 1 315.00 $315.00 $2,174 -25.00
705–722 716 3 325.00–347.50 $340.12 $2,435 +46.09
840 840 2 315.00 $315.00 $2,646 —
860 860 1 315.00 $315.00 $2,709 +50.00
955 955 1 220.00 $220.00 $2,101 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235–240 238 2 400.00–420.00 $409.89 $976 —
250–290 270 2 400.00 $400.00 $1,080 +3.31
315–345 331 4 370.00–430.00 $399.77 $1,323 -10.39
350–380 365 2 370.00–390.00 $379.59 $1,386 -22.72
405–440 421 6 320.00–380.00 $356.85 $1,502 -13.44
465–485 475 2 325.00–350.00 $337.24 $1,602 -33.49
500–530 513 4 335.00–350.00 $346.27 $1,776 +8.23
560–575 566 4 280.00–330.00 $302.38 $1,711 +14.22
615–640 628 2 300.00–305.00 $302.45 $1,899 +27.45
670 670 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,541 -30.00
700 700 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,260 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 390.00 $390.00 $936 —
310–330 320 2 290.00–350.00 $320.94 $1,027 +30.94
385–395 392 5 290.00–350.00 $326.17 $1,279 +50.66
450–480 465 2 270.00–280.00 $274.84 $1,278 -15.34
540 540 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,485 -15.06
565–595 580 3 250.00–295.00 $265.39 $1,539 +30.39

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 620.00 $620.00 $1,488 +56.52
260–295 283 6 540.00–590.00 $560.27 $1,586 +40.75
305–345 327 13 510.00–580.00 $539.71 $1,765 +24.71
350–395 371 11 475.00–535.00 $509.18 $1,889 -2.68
400–440 422 17 430.00–495.00 $460.52 $1,943 -37.37
450–495 473 20 410.00–470.00 $439.83 $2,080 -34.02
505–545 519 12 400.00–465.00 $442.49 $2,297 +3.20
550–590 566 8 395.00–445.00 $416.01 $2,355 +5.11
605–645 623 8 380.00–412.50 $395.86 $2,466 -5.18
655–695 675 2 350.00–387.50 $368.19 $2,485 +28.67
720 720 1 325.00 $325.00 $2,340 +22.36
760 760 1 305.00 $305.00 $2,318 -18.83
945 945 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,937 -25.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210 210 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,050 +35.00
295 295 1 460.00 $460.00 $1,357 +19.73
300–335 312 7 440.00–500.00 $468.90 $1,463 +9.17
370–385 376 4 420.00–450.00 $437.54 $1,645 -9.26
435–445 441 4 380.00–420.00 $405.16 $1,787 -31.55
485–495 490 2 345.00–405.00 $374.69 $1,836 -42.26
525 525 2 305.00–310.00 $307.50 $1,614 -65.52
585–595 590 2 305.00–330.00 $317.61 $1,874 -25.61
635–640 638 2 315.00–335.00 $324.96 $2,073 -10.16
650–675 663 3 270.00–295.00 $281.82 $1,868 +31.82
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 410.00 $410.00 $984 —
260–285 273 2 380.00–410.00 $394.31 $1,076 +19.18
330 330 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,188 -11.05
355–395 375 2 320.00–370.00 $346.33 $1,299 +11.65
420–440 430 2 310.00–330.00 $320.23 $1,377 -33.28
515 515 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,365 -45.14
560–570 565 2 250.00–270.00 $260.09 $1,470 -25.05

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930–1355 1075 85-90% 3 110.00–130.00 $120.14 $1,292 -28.01
705–1690 1107 85-90% 11 130.00–157.00 $145.20 $1,607 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070–1205 1138 80-85% 2 182.50–197.50 $190.45 $2,167 —
1015–1455 1297 80-85% 10 158.00–175.00 $167.94 $2,178 -22.36
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1400–1815 1635 75-80% 3 154.00–160.00 $157.18 $2,570 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1115–1995 1417 6 180.00–195.00 $185.88 $2,634 —
1185–2485 1702 3 160.00–172.00 $163.37 $2,781 —
1940 1940 1 225.00 $225.00 $4,365 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
790–840 815 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 2,150.00–2,400.00 $2,278.83
960–1275 1106 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 6 2,500.00–3,500.00 $2,857.20
1060–1365 1180 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 2,800.00–3,150.00 $3,032.42
1310 1310 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 3,250.00 $3,250.00
1320 1320 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,200.00 $2,200.00
1440 1440 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,900.00 $2,900.00

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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
760–1065 921 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 8 2,525.00–3,300.00 $2,842.91 +79.00
1010 1010 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,350.00 $2,350.00 -500.00
1110 1110 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 4,350.00 $4,350.00 +596.93

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Dairy Heifers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 200.00 $200.00 $680 —
435 435 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,153 —
585 585 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,228 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290–295 293 2 250.00–300.00 $274.79 $805 —
530 530 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,272 —

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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.