light 8-weight M&L 1-2 heifers$137.25/cwt≈ $1,143/hd at 833 lb · 58 head
light 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers$145.50/cwt≈ $1,321/hd at 908 lb · 48 head
light 3-weight M&L 1-2 heifers$169.93/cwt-29.07 vs last sale · ≈ $557/hd at 328 lb · 16 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
690
995
2,206
Feeder cattle
542
912
2,105
Slaughter cattle
48
76
35
Replacement cattle
100
7
66
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers traded mostly steady on limited comparable sales. Not enough comparable sales on steer or heifers for a market trend. Slaughter cows traded mostly 2.00 to 3.00 lower. Slaughter bulls were firm on a light test. Quality was mostly plain to average. The majority of the supply consisted of replacement cattle, and light weight calves straight off the cow. High winds accompanied by higher temperatures are further diminishing soil moisture conditions. According to the Cattle Market Report and Analysis, supplies of replacement cattle are dwindling, but the dry weather is forcing more cattle to market despite smaller numbers. Surveys of feeder cattle in central Texas, Oklahoma, and other regions usually supplying large quantities of replacement cattle to feedyards were reporting very few cattle to market for May delivery.
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.
Cattle Market
Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers traded mostly steady on limited comparable sales. Not enough comparable sales on steer or heifers for a market trend. Slaughter cows traded mostly 2.00 to 3.00 lower. Slaughter bulls were firm on a light test. Quality was mostly plain to average. The majority of the supply consisted of replacement cattle, and light weight calves straight off the cow. High winds accompanied by higher temperatures are further diminishing soil moisture conditions. According to the Cattle Market Report and Analysis, supplies of replacement cattle are dwindling, but the dry weather is forcing more cattle to market despite smaller numbers. Surveys of feeder cattle in central Texas, Oklahoma, and other regions usually supplying large quantities of replacement cattle to feedyards were reporting very few cattle to market for May delivery.