Cattle Market Pulse

Fairview Sale Barn Cattle Special Market Report

Fairview, Illinois · USDA-reported Auction Livestock (Special)

Sale of Thursday, May 21, 2026

1,105 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Fairview Sale Barn Cattle Special report →

light 9-weight M&L 1 steers $343.63/cwt -3.62 vs last sale · ≈ $3,161/hd at 920 lb · 235 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $331.47/cwt -10.55 vs last sale · ≈ $2,768/hd at 835 lb · 76 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $411.79/cwt +10.03 vs last sale · ≈ $2,561/hd at 622 lb · 63 head
Fairview, IL 9-weight steers sold at $344/cwt, down $4 from the early May peak of $347. Receipts ran 1105 head. What this means — computed from this report and its neighbors

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,105 918 0
Feeder cattle 1,105 918 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Today at Fairview as compared to two weeks ago, feeder steers under 600lbs traded higher 15.00 with steers over 600lbs trading mostly steady to higher 3.00. Feeder heifers following the same trend, under 600lbs trading higher 15.00 with spots higher 21.00. Feeder heifers over 600lbs traded mostly steady with a higher undertone. Demand continues to be good, trade continues to be active.

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
290 290 1 635.00 $635.00 $1,842 —
310–332 327 4 610.00–620.00 $612.37 $2,002 +0.04
382–390 384 4 570.00–600.00 $592.38 $2,275 +14.13
400–434 432 14 535.00–562.50 $560.68 $2,422 +29.00
503–513 510 9 500.00–515.00 $511.16 $2,607 -6.39
600–642 629 59 445.00–487.50 $469.17 $2,951 +9.50
653–663 658 4 435.00 $435.00 $2,862 +12.85
705–735 719 23 375.00–392.50 $387.73 $2,788 -20.00
753–760 758 6 370.00–372.00 $370.66 $2,810 —
809–832 815 12 342.50–347.50 $346.22 $2,822 -19.58
874 874 7 342.50 $342.50 $2,993 -16.19
900–944 920 235 343.00–344.00 $343.63 $3,161 -3.62
953 953 55 345.00 $345.00 $3,288 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 595.00 $595.00 $1,755 +30.00
390–395 393 2 495.00–520.00 $507.58 $1,995 -27.58
405–440 429 8 430.00–512.50 $465.41 $1,997 -29.59
459–495 467 17 435.00–525.00 $499.96 $2,335 +0.93
500–538 520 12 422.50–480.00 $446.85 $2,324 -16.91
560–592 585 5 430.00–462.50 $451.74 $2,643 +3.45
650–688 665 9 357.50–410.00 $387.30 $2,576 -13.00
730–745 740 4 350.00–360.00 $356.28 $2,636 -16.82
756–795 771 35 330.00–362.50 $352.89 $2,721 -13.85
813–837 830 16 320.00–339.00 $330.90 $2,746 +1.58
1055 1055 1 272.50 $272.50 $2,875 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425 425 1 430.00 $430.00 $1,828 —
450–480 468 3 420.00–440.00 $428.43 $2,005 -6.18
510 510 1 335.00 $335.00 $1,708 —
590 590 2 372.50–395.00 $383.75 $2,264 +15.14
615 615 1 365.00 $365.00 $2,245 —
720–725 723 2 327.50–345.00 $336.28 $2,431 —
935 935 1 285.00 $285.00 $2,665 —
960 960 1 280.00 $280.00 $2,688 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455 455 1 460.00 $460.00 $2,093 —
960 960 1 297.50 $297.50 $2,856 —
1085 1085 3 307.50 $307.50 $3,336 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 1 410.00 $410.00 $1,804 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 1 615.00 $615.00 $1,353 —
275 275 1 630.00 $630.00 $1,732 —
340 340 1 485.00 $485.00 $1,649 -24.74
360–375 364 9 465.00–515.00 $500.60 $1,822 -7.23
405–440 419 9 470.00–530.00 $498.97 $2,091 +5.74
452–498 468 46 430.00–502.50 $476.72 $2,231 +11.43
508–548 536 20 425.00–485.50 $445.22 $2,386 +1.26
557–598 571 26 405.00–442.50 $429.95 $2,455 +28.32
600–647 622 63 375.00–425.00 $411.79 $2,561 +10.03
658–659 658 16 388.00–390.00 $388.63 $2,557 +10.29
730–745 739 31 342.50–352.50 $345.53 $2,553 -10.78
755–795 763 58 337.50–342.50 $338.27 $2,581 +0.77
808–838 835 76 331.00–342.50 $331.47 $2,768 -10.55
855 855 1 325.00 $325.00 $2,779 -12.08
903 903 2 320.00 $320.00 $2,890 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 545.00 $545.00 $1,526 +45.00
365–385 373 3 435.00–455.00 $444.96 $1,660 -5.04
435 435 1 420.00 $420.00 $1,827 +5.87
460–480 470 2 425.00–430.00 $427.45 $2,009 +25.20
535–540 538 5 395.00–410.00 $405.49 $2,182 -1.76
560–595 580 3 375.00–400.00 $389.89 $2,261 -10.52
666–695 678 16 337.50–367.50 $363.30 $2,463 +3.30
720 720 1 360.00 $360.00 $2,592 +10.00
888 888 10 316.00 $316.00 $2,806 —
950 950 1 312.50 $312.50 $2,969 —
1015 1015 2 282.50–295.00 $288.75 $2,931 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 1 375.00 $375.00 $1,669 —
495 495 1 390.00 $390.00 $1,930 —
540 540 1 362.50 $362.50 $1,958 —
575–590 582 3 335.00–365.00 $353.19 $2,056 -26.75
670 670 1 375.00 $375.00 $2,512 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 1 465.00 $465.00 $1,860 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 unweaned 340 1 560.00 $560.00 $1,904 —
468 468 4 460.00 $460.00 $2,153 +55.00
505–535 520 2 385.00–415.00 $399.57 $2,078 -29.05
575 575 1 370.00 $370.00 $2,128 —
660–695 678 7 337.50–365.00 $346.68 $2,350 -41.42
797 797 3 307.50 $307.50 $2,451 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 2 620.00 $620.00 $2,077 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
790 790 2 240.00 $240.00 $1,896 —

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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.