light 6-weight N/N/A heifers$306.00/cwt≈ $1,916/hd at 626 lb · 20 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
774
817
—
Feeder cattle
595
638
—
Slaughter cattle
179
179
—
Market comments — Decatur Livestock Market
Widespread rain and flooding in places made it a little tough for some to get their cattle out of the pasture. Market on 3-5 weight steers and heifers was quite a bit higher. Feeder steers were steady while feeder heifers were higher. 85 weaned calves off one ranch sold like hotcakes - strong demand for weaned calves. Bred cows were higher as well with several really nice cows offered.
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.
Widespread rain and flooding in places made it a little tough for some to get their cattle out of the pasture. Market on 3-5 weight steers and heifers was quite a bit higher. Feeder steers were steady while feeder heifers were higher. 85 weaned calves off one ranch sold like hotcakes - strong demand for weaned calves. Bred cows were higher as well with several really nice cows offered.