light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers$245.47/cwt≈ $1,527/hd at 622 lb · 151 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers$242.74/cwt+9.88 vs last sale · ≈ $1,418/hd at 584 lb · 132 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers$256.70/cwt+12.70 vs last sale · ≈ $1,589/hd at 619 lb · 88 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
1,177
894
1,222
Feeder cattle
1,134
738
1,096
Slaughter cattle
27
123
15
Replacement cattle
16
33
111
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers traded mostly 3.00 to 5.00 higher on comparable sales. Steer and heifer calves were too lightly tested last week for a market trend but a sharply higher undertone was noted on all classes. Trading activity was active on very good buyer demand. Slaughter cows and bulls traded mostly 3.00 to 5.00 lower on a light test. A notable improvement in the quality of the offerings was observed today, with consistency of the cattle maintained throughout the majority of the sale. Improved prices were due in part to quality and larger bunches of cattle trading allowing buyers to fill loads more readily.
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 3.00 to 5.00 higher on comparable sales. Steer and heifer calves were too lightly tested last week for a market trend but a sharply higher undertone was noted on all classes. Trading activity was active on very good buyer demand. Slaughter cows and bulls traded mostly 3.00 to 5.00 lower on a light test. A notable improvement in the quality of the offerings was observed today, with consistency of the cattle maintained throughout the majority of the sale. Improved prices were due in part to quality and larger bunches of cattle trading allowing buyers to fill loads more readily.