Cattle Market Pulse

Fairview Sale Barn Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Fairview, Illinois · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, October 17, 2023

385 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 385 292 342
Slaughter cattle 385 292 342

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, slaughter steers and heifers traded steady. Slaughter cows sold mixed, with Breakers 8.00 higher, Boners steady, and Leans 2.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold 4.00 higher. Trade was active with good demand.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030–1270 1165 4 110.00–140.00 $132.18 $1,540 —
1125–1350 1243 6 165.00–181.00 $176.18 $2,190 —
1185–1515 1306 5 175.00–182.50 $179.22 $2,341 —
1155–1627 1460 157 183.00–193.00 $188.69 $2,755 -0.12
1560 1560 1 194.50 $194.50 $3,034 —
1750 1750 1 160.00 $160.00 $2,800 —

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1280 1173 6 170.00–182.00 $177.22 $2,079 —
1135–1590 1327 55 182.50–193.50 $188.80 $2,505 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
955–1090 1035 80-85% 3 101.00–140.00 $124.49 $1,288 —
1060–1540 1251 80-85% 11 75.50–88.50 $84.13 $1,052 —
1005–1605 1301 80-85% 27 89.00–100.50 $94.25 $1,226 +11.48
1070–1640 1388 80-85% 5 105.00–119.00 $109.65 $1,522 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
805–835 820 85-90% 2 100.00–170.00 $135.64 $1,112 —
840–1395 1061 85-90% 13 60.00–73.50 $68.01 $722 —
730–1380 1103 85-90% 18 74.50–85.50 $80.76 $891 +12.83
1075–1195 1140 85-90% 5 88.00–93.00 $89.56 $1,021 +21.63
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1865 1499 75-80% 21 108.00–119.00 $113.90 $1,707 —
1435–1780 1571 75-80% 6 100.00–106.50 $103.26 $1,622 —
1435–2030 1728 75-80% 3 120.00–126.00 $123.95 $2,142 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305 1305 65-75% 1 165.00 $165.00 $2,153 —
1335 1335 65-75% 1 146.00 $146.00 $1,949 —
1550 1550 65-75% 1 114.50 $114.50 $1,775 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
900–2090 1362 14 93.00–121.00 $110.34 $1,503 —
1325–2065 1748 10 123.50–133.00 $128.08 $2,239 —
1550–2330 1837 3 137.00–146.00 $141.63 $2,602 —

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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.