Cattle Market Pulse

Cleveland County Agriculture & Livestock Exchange Market Report

Shelby, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, May 19, 2026

377 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $404.69/cwt -2.23 vs last sale · ≈ $1,911/hd at 472 lb · 20 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $392.99/cwt -13.90 vs last sale · ≈ $1,670/hd at 425 lb · 14 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 bulls $448.59/cwt -1.53 vs last sale · ≈ $2,090/hd at 466 lb · 13 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 377 510 724
Feeder cattle 299 442 564
Slaughter cattle 55 59 142
Replacement cattle 23 9 18

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week slaughter cattle were mostly steady to 1.00 higher, while feeder cattle were mostly steady. 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
310–345 332 5 510.00–535.00 $526.20 $1,747 -20.22
360–375 368 3 510.00–547.50 $525.57 $1,934 +4.88
410–445 433 6 450.00–505.00 $479.78 $2,077 -8.38
455–495 475 3 450.00–470.00 $463.33 $2,201 +7.66
510–545 526 5 430.00–467.50 $451.51 $2,375 +3.04
595 595 1 420.00 $420.00 $2,499 -5.62
600–645 622 7 350.00–390.00 $365.84 $2,276 -54.16
685 685 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,055 -94.82
720 720 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,376 -40.00
780 780 1 325.00 $325.00 $2,535 -18.78
805 805 2 305.00 $305.00 $2,455 -40.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490–495 493 2 400.00 $400.00 $1,972 —
515–535 525 2 342.00–345.00 $343.53 $1,804 -26.27
550 550 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,650 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
535–545 540 2 225.00–250.00 $237.62 $1,283 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215 215 1 590.00 $590.00 $1,268 -1.52
250–290 279 5 400.00–450.00 $413.80 $1,155 -110.94
305–335 323 7 400.00–455.00 $410.95 $1,327 -50.45
360–395 379 10 400.00–422.50 $404.32 $1,532 -36.25
400–440 425 14 370.00–420.00 $392.99 $1,670 -8.26
450–495 472 17 370.00–420.00 $398.90 $1,883 +0.69
473 value added 473 3 437.50 $437.50 $2,069 -2.50
500–535 515 12 370.00–410.00 $394.21 $2,030 +1.34
550–595 570 11 330.00–380.00 $353.10 $2,013 +5.88
610–645 629 11 300.00–335.00 $320.35 $2,015 +4.34
650–670 660 2 300.00–310.00 $305.08 $2,014 +2.65
830 830 1 295.00 $295.00 $2,448 +27.50
855 855 1 305.00 $305.00 $2,608 +65.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 400.00 $400.00 $980 —
290 290 1 370.00 $370.00 $1,073 —
310–345 332 6 340.00–385.00 $363.74 $1,208 -58.23
380–395 385 3 350.00–360.00 $354.94 $1,367 -18.17
405 405 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,377 -1.13
450–480 468 4 302.00–355.00 $337.22 $1,578 -11.71
515 515 2 340.00–355.00 $347.50 $1,790 +16.24
595 595 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,964 +27.46
650 650 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,658 —
700 700 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,225 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205 205 1 350.00 $350.00 $718 —
270 270 1 250.00 $250.00 $675 —
340 340 1 290.00 $290.00 $986 —
350–375 363 2 250.00–300.00 $274.14 $995 -51.06
480 480 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,440 -10.00
505 505 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,010 -100.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215–220 217 3 590.00–600.00 $596.69 $1,295 -6.01
250–295 275 4 500.00–560.00 $531.50 $1,462 -45.25
305–345 332 3 510.00–560.00 $535.73 $1,779 +32.59
350–395 377 7 480.00–525.00 $497.14 $1,874 -9.54
400–445 417 9 450.00–510.00 $476.63 $1,988 -8.10
450–490 466 13 415.00–467.50 $448.59 $2,090 -1.53
510–545 528 8 405.00–460.00 $438.05 $2,313 +2.71
550–595 575 7 370.00–410.00 $394.38 $2,268 -30.66
600–635 615 4 325.00–370.00 $342.23 $2,105 +7.73
660–675 668 2 300.00–320.00 $310.11 $2,072 —
710 710 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,414 +20.00
780 780 1 315.00 $315.00 $2,457 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285–290 288 2 460.00–470.00 $465.04 $1,339 -34.96
335–340 338 3 400.00–460.00 $436.60 $1,476 +7.56
360–391 382 6 380.00–420.00 $389.50 $1,488 -20.50
410–430 420 2 417.50–420.00 $418.78 $1,759 -12.12
450–485 465 4 350.00–405.00 $383.87 $1,785 -6.08
520–540 532 3 360.00–375.00 $368.43 $1,960 +10.13
555–595 580 5 300.00–335.00 $325.18 $1,886 -34.95
625–640 633 2 265.00–300.00 $282.29 $1,787 —
670 670 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,708 +15.00
710 710 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,420 —
775–795 785 2 230.00–250.00 $239.87 $1,883 —
820–835 828 2 205.00–230.00 $217.61 $1,802 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 230 1 340.00 $340.00 $782 —
255–290 273 2 300.00–370.00 $337.25 $921 -37.39
320 320 1 300.00 $300.00 $960 +10.00
355–360 358 2 350.00–360.00 $354.97 $1,271 +4.97
435–440 438 2 240.00–300.00 $270.17 $1,183 -9.83
485–490 488 2 200.00–250.00 $224.87 $1,097 -125.13
715–740 728 2 170.00–180.00 $175.09 $1,275 —
755 755 1 187.50 $187.50 $1,416 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
935 935 85-90% 1 131.00 $131.00 $1,225 —
825–1305 1096 85-90% 15 135.00–159.00 $151.88 $1,665 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1090–1440 1272 80-85% 11 158.00–167.00 $163.17 $2,076 -5.01
1305 1305 80-85% 1 180.00 $180.00 $2,349 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1420–1615 1485 75-80% 3 152.00–157.00 $155.09 $2,303 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1275 1275 1 174.00 $174.00 $2,218 —
1295–1910 1583 3 193.00–206.00 $202.46 $3,205 —
1835 1835 1 220.00 $220.00 $4,037 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
850 850 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,100.00 $2,100.00
895–970 945 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 2,550.00–2,750.00 $2,618.43
1120 1120 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,550.00 $2,550.00
1180 1180 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,600.00 $2,600.00
1255 1255 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,050.00 $2,050.00
1110–1690 1363 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 2,550.00–2,700.00 $2,659.29

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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
525–930 773 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 4 2,650.00–3,450.00 $2,996.60 —
825–970 896 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 4 2,800.00–3,700.00 $3,174.06 +428.53
860–1215 963 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 4 2,750.00–3,900.00 $3,476.69 —
995 995 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,900.00 $2,900.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 370.00 $370.00 $1,443 —
415 415 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,452 —
515 515 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,700 —
550 550 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,980 +85.00

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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.