light 8-weight N/N/A steers$124.00/cwt≈ $1,044/hd at 842 lb · 18 head
light 4-weight N/N/A steers$169.00/cwt-15.00 vs last sale · ≈ $720/hd at 426 lb · 10 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
1,190
976
—
Feeder cattle
123
155
—
Slaughter cattle
249
286
—
Market comments — Decatur Livestock Market
Stocker Heifers, 319 Stocker Bulls/Steers, 120 Feeder Heifers, 168 Feeder Bulls/Steers. The market on most classes was $4-$6 lower. Still high demand for weaned steers/heifers to fill orders for grass grazing. Fat, juicy calves right off their mamas are being discounted some due to the ups and downs in the weather, which is typical for this time of the year. Bred cows and pairs steady compared to last week. Packer cows and bulls were steady to $2/cwt lower.
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.
Stocker Heifers, 319 Stocker Bulls/Steers, 120 Feeder Heifers, 168 Feeder Bulls/Steers. The market on most classes was $4-$6 lower. Still high demand for weaned steers/heifers to fill orders for grass grazing. Fat, juicy calves right off their mamas are being discounted some due to the ups and downs in the weather, which is typical for this time of the year. Bred cows and pairs steady compared to last week. Packer cows and bulls were steady to $2/cwt lower.