light 7-weight N/N/A heifers$131.00/cwt+7.00 vs last sale · ≈ $924/hd at 705 lb · 15 head
heavy 5-weight N/N/A heifers$138.00/cwt≈ $789/hd at 572 lb · 15 head
light 8-weight N/N/A steers$133.50/cwt+3.00 vs last sale · ≈ $1,080/hd at 809 lb · 12 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
1,632
1,105
—
Feeder cattle
1,314
113
—
Slaughter cattle
318
276
—
Market comments — Decatur Livestock Market
Finally some good news to report! The market continued the upward trend that started last week with prices higher in every class on steers and heifers. Demand for weaned cattle still strong. Most of the bred cows and pairs were mid age to old so not many to go back home. Packer cows were $5/cwt cheaper and bulls were $2/cwt cheaper.
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.
Finally some good news to report! The market continued the upward trend that started last week with prices higher in every class on steers and heifers. Demand for weaned cattle still strong. Most of the bred cows and pairs were mid age to old so not many to go back home. Packer cows were $5/cwt cheaper and bulls were $2/cwt cheaper.