Cattle Market Pulse

Empire Livestock Sale Market Report

Bath, New York · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 21, 2026

290 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Empire Livestock Sale report →

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 290 180 218
Feeder cattle 8 5 10
Slaughter cattle 148 71 88

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week's sale slaughter cows sold 1.00 to 2.00 lower. Holstein bull calves sold 30.00 to 60.00 lower. Beef cross bull calves sold 10.00 to 40.00 higher.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1194 1194 1 242.00 $242.00 $2,889 —
1112–1784 1406 9 226.00–236.00 $230.52 $3,241 —
1330–1524 1427 2 240.00–245.00 $242.67 $3,463 —
1426–1436 1431 2 200.00–210.00 $205.02 $2,934 —
1314–1632 1463 8 245.00–255.00 $247.32 $3,618 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
664 664 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,992 —

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
69 69 1 2,180.00 $2,180.00 $1,504 +1,090.00
71 71 1 800.00 $800.00 $568 -290.00
72–76 74 3 2,200.00–2,440.00 $2,334.66 $1,728 +167.58
82 82 1 970.00 $970.00 $795 +170.00
80–86 83 5 1,980.00–2,190.00 $2,061.83 $1,711 +1,261.83
83–87 85 2 1,800.00–1,810.00 $1,805.12 $1,534 -361.66
90 90 1 1,260.00 $1,260.00 $1,134 -540.00
91–96 94 7 1,800.00–2,040.00 $1,937.34 $1,821 +12.20
96 96 1 890.00 $890.00 $854 -1,035.14
100–107 104 2 1,720.00–1,870.00 $1,792.46 $1,864 -32.49
106 106 1 1,680.00 $1,680.00 $1,781 -144.95
117 117 1 1,550.00 $1,550.00 $1,814 -160.00
121–124 123 2 1,180.00–1,600.00 $1,387.43 $1,707 -322.57
1110 1110 1 230.00 $230.00 $2,553 —
1104–1218 1148 6 234.00–239.00 $236.04 $2,710 —
1154–1296 1225 2 242.00–245.00 $243.41 $2,982 —
1252–1306 1279 2 250.00 $250.00 $3,198 —
1148–1462 1330 5 240.00–245.00 $243.94 $3,244 —
1380 1380 1 236.00 $236.00 $3,257 —

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Feeder Bulls

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
64–68 66 2 1,300.00–1,500.00 $1,396.97 $922 -3.03
69 69 1 2,200.00 $2,200.00 $1,518 +800.00
70 70 1 2,380.00 $2,380.00 $1,666 +980.00
76 76 1 500.00 $500.00 $380 -1,600.00
77 77 1 1,600.00 $1,600.00 $1,232 -500.00
78–79 79 2 1,420.00–1,490.00 $1,455.22 $1,150 +65.22
80–88 84 8 2,100.00–2,360.00 $2,167.94 $1,821 +603.68
82–89 85 7 1,340.00–1,600.00 $1,497.03 $1,272 -67.23
85 85 1 1,960.00 $1,960.00 $1,666 +395.74
86 86 1 260.00 $260.00 $224 -1,304.26
93 93 1 1,600.00 $1,600.00 $1,488 -440.00
93 93 1 280.00 $280.00 $260 -1,760.00
90–99 94 18 1,800.00–2,090.00 $1,968.74 $1,851 -71.26
91–98 95 10 1,390.00–1,500.00 $1,444.37 $1,372 -29.87
95 95 1 1,360.00 $1,360.00 $1,292 -114.24
100–107 102 12 1,340.00–1,540.00 $1,380.51 $1,408 +17.35
101–108 106 4 1,720.00–1,890.00 $1,810.95 $1,920 +41.11
109 109 1 1,180.00 $1,180.00 $1,286 +20.00
110 110 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00 $1,320 +40.00
110 110 1 1,300.00 $1,300.00 $1,430 +140.00
111–115 113 3 1,690.00–1,750.00 $1,723.02 $1,947 +436.45
113 113 1 1,670.00 $1,670.00 $1,887 +383.43
122 122 1 1,160.00 $1,160.00 $1,415 -551.52

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1430–1854 1590 75-80% 3 171.00–175.00 $173.13 $2,753 +0.29
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1066 1066 85-90% 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,492 —
1080 1080 85-90% 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,728 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1816 1816 1 185.00 $185.00 $3,360 —

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Beef Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1166–1556 1394 5 231.00–235.00 $233.74 $3,258 —
1388–1668 1532 4 236.00–237.00 $236.24 $3,619 —
1616 1616 1 226.00 $226.00 $3,652 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1234–1400 1301 3 223.00–230.00 $227.41 $2,959 —
1232–1788 1513 10 233.00–236.00 $234.45 $3,547 —
1632 1632 1 235.00 $235.00 $3,835 —
1658–1716 1683 3 237.00–242.00 $239.64 $4,033 —
1562–1862 1732 3 225.00–231.00 $228.55 $3,958 —

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Dairy Cows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1038–1334 1186 85-90% 2 100.00 $100.00 $1,186 —
1032–1366 1200 85-90% 8 111.00–122.00 $117.85 $1,414 —
1130–1708 1374 85-90% 7 141.00–152.00 $146.47 $2,012 -23.62
1142–1604 1376 85-90% 13 129.00–140.00 $134.66 $1,853 -35.43
1116–1672 1420 80-85% 10 154.00–160.00 $157.55 $2,237 -2.00
1432–1446 1439 80-85% 2 150.00–152.00 $151.00 $2,173 -8.55
1518 1518 75-80% 1 178.00 $178.00 $2,702 +28.00
1418–1858 1600 75-80% 5 156.00–159.00 $157.76 $2,524 —
1610–1900 1763 75-80% 8 161.00–175.00 $168.05 $2,963 —

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Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180 1180 1 196.00 $196.00 $2,313 —
1316 1316 1 211.00 $211.00 $2,777 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
532 532 1 145.00 $145.00 $771 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1142 1142 1 186.00 $186.00 $2,124 —

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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.