Cattle Market Pulse

Low Country Livestock Exchange Market Report

Darlington, South Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, May 18, 2021

278 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Low Country Livestock Exchange report →

heavy 3-weight S 1-2 steers $118.73/cwt -0.21 vs last sale · ≈ $444/hd at 374 lb · 11 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 278 280 438
Feeder cattle 169 115 231
Slaughter cattle 31 20 56
Replacement cattle — 3 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

No comparisons made this week due to limited comparable sales. Average offerings of average to plain quality cattle with active buyer participation.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205–225 215 2 130.00 $130.00 $280 —
250–295 279 7 120.00–130.00 $123.95 $346 -3.68
300–330 318 3 120.00–127.50 $124.06 $395 —
350–395 374 11 115.00–125.00 $118.73 $444 -0.21
430 430 1 117.50 $117.50 $505 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205–240 224 4 160.00–175.00 $167.26 $375 +12.37
225 fancy 225 1 200.00 $200.00 $450 +20.00
255–285 273 3 150.00–153.00 $151.02 $412 -6.64
340–345 343 2 150.00–170.00 $159.93 $549 +4.82
360 360 1 165.00 $165.00 $594 —
400 400 1 150.00 $150.00 $600 —
455–490 470 3 145.00–151.00 $147.28 $692 —
560 560 1 143.00 $143.00 $801 —
615 615 1 137.00 $137.00 $843 +4.00
745 745 1 117.00 $117.00 $872 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 143.00 $143.00 $415 +5.56
325–330 328 2 140.00 $140.00 $459 —
350–390 367 3 135.00–140.00 $138.41 $508 -4.98
415 415 1 130.00 $130.00 $540 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
560 560 1 105.00 $105.00 $588 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255–280 268 2 120.00–122.50 $121.19 $325 —
415–440 429 6 111.00–117.00 $114.69 $492 +0.43
450–465 458 2 110.00–115.00 $112.46 $515 -1.51
515–540 528 2 110.00–114.00 $111.95 $591 +0.88
550–555 553 2 110.00–117.00 $113.52 $628 -0.14
625–640 630 4 103.00–108.00 $106.00 $668 —
680 680 1 114.00 $114.00 $775 —
700–720 710 2 100.00–101.00 $100.49 $713 —
760 760 1 92.00 $92.00 $699 -2.57
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 1 135.00 $135.00 $297 —
295 295 1 135.00 $135.00 $398 +5.00
315–345 330 2 132.50–135.00 $133.81 $442 +2.87
350–390 367 3 131.00–137.00 $134.24 $493 —
405–440 427 5 123.00–138.00 $128.15 $547 -1.85
450–490 473 4 122.00–130.00 $126.02 $596 +1.31
505–540 526 4 124.00–130.00 $126.68 $666 +4.19
555 555 1 124.00 $124.00 $688 +2.02
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400–435 418 3 100.00–105.00 $101.67 $425 —
500–515 508 2 100.00–105.00 $102.46 $520 —
560–580 570 2 100.00–105.00 $102.54 $584 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–335 328 3 109.00–111.00 $109.99 $361 -0.50
365–390 378 2 108.00–110.00 $108.97 $412 -1.03

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400–435 420 4 140.00–145.00 $141.96 $596 -8.13
450–490 467 8 135.00–144.00 $139.33 $651 -3.95
500–535 515 3 133.00–135.00 $134.34 $692 —
555–580 562 5 127.00–133.00 $129.00 $725 -1.00
600–615 608 2 130.00–131.00 $130.51 $794 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430–435 433 2 124.00–125.00 $124.50 $539 —
455–490 470 7 120.00–130.00 $121.86 $573 -6.03
500–530 515 4 115.00–125.00 $121.31 $625 +1.29
650 650 1 110.00 $110.00 $715 +2.59
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
515–530 523 2 93.00 $93.00 $486 +0.06
600 600 1 92.50 $92.50 $555 —
655–690 672 3 90.00–91.00 $90.33 $607 —
705 705 1 95.00 $95.00 $670 —
795 795 1 90.00 $90.00 $716 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420–445 433 3 110.00–115.00 $112.28 $486 —
460 460 1 111.00 $111.00 $511 —
515 515 1 108.00 $108.00 $556 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1350 1161 80-85% 14 60.00–74.00 $66.52 $772 +11.52
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
760–995 856 85-90% 6 40.00–53.00 $48.28 $413 —
805–975 881 85-90% 5 58.00–64.00 $60.32 $531 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1280 1280 1 84.00 $84.00 $1,075 —
1640 1640 1 98.00 $98.00 $1,607 —

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Barrows & Gilts

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
105–155 119 7 82.50–125.00 $97.36 $116 +22.24
200–285 243 2 75.00–80.00 $77.06 $187 -12.18
435 435 1 60.00 $60.00 $261 —

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Boars

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 37.50 $37.50 $103 —

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Bucks Billies

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
70 70 3 140.00–145.00 $141.67 —
80 80 2 167.50–170.00 $168.75 —
120 120 1 275.00 $275.00 —
160 160 1 330.00 $330.00 +65.00

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Families

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
50 50 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 150.00 $150.00 —
60 60 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 180.00 $180.00 —
80 80 Middle Aged (4-6 yrs)Open 1 185.00 $185.00 —

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Kids

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
20 20 10 100.00–105.00 $101.25 -23.30
30 30 9 80.00–90.00 $82.78 -41.77
30–35 33 7 120.00–135.00 $127.50 +2.95
40 40 3 145.00 $145.00 -2.00
60 60 2 170.00 $170.00 -3.33

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Nannies Does

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
50 50 2 140.00 $140.00 -9.00
60 60 3 150.00 $150.00 -15.00
80 80 1 95.00 $95.00 -30.00
80 80 3 160.00–165.00 $161.67 +36.67
115–140 128 2 175.00–255.00 $215.00 -18.33
165 165 1 295.00 $295.00 -21.25

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Pigs

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
45 45 2 50.00 $50.00 +7.50
57 57 2 67.50 $67.50 +10.00
65 65 1 75.00 $75.00 -15.00
77 77 2 85.00 $85.00 -6.02
100 100 1 87.50 $87.50 —

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Sows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 52.00 $52.00 $156 —

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Wethers

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
80 80 2 225.00 $225.00 —
110–140 125 2 255.00–305.00 $280.00 —

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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.