Cattle Market Pulse

Low Country Livestock Exchange Market Report

Darlington, South Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, September 12, 2023

492 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 3 heifers $186.46/cwt +1.46 vs last sale · ≈ $888/hd at 476 lb · 10 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 492 354 513
Feeder cattle 267 198 297
Slaughter cattle 60 65 95
Replacement cattle 8 30 16

Market comments — USDA reporter

No comparisons made this week due to limited comparable sales. Moderate offering of average to plain quality cattle. Light demand for cattle with excessive hair.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–320 315 2 210.00–220.00 $215.08 $678 —
412–445 420 4 210.00–220.00 $212.65 $893 —
460 460 1 200.00 $200.00 $920 —
528 528 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,162 -5.00
560–589 584 6 220.00 $220.00 $1,285 +2.43
615–620 617 3 195.00–203.00 $200.32 $1,236 -7.04
695 695 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,320 —
720 720 1 187.50 $187.50 $1,350 -10.50
790 790 1 196.00 $196.00 $1,548 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 1 230.00 $230.00 $816 —
501 501 4 235.00 $235.00 $1,177 —
587 587 3 240.00 $240.00 $1,409 +40.00
655–695 675 2 210.00–230.00 $219.70 $1,483 —
705 705 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,480 —
750–753 752 2 210.00 $210.00 $1,579 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 1 210.00 $210.00 $472 —
300–320 308 5 190.00–210.00 $202.05 $622 -2.95
355–380 372 3 205.00–210.00 $208.30 $775 +10.78
405–435 424 4 190.00–212.50 $199.99 $848 -3.53
460 460 1 205.00 $205.00 $943 -4.09
535–545 540 3 190.00–195.00 $192.48 $1,039 -5.92
556–590 564 6 192.50–195.00 $194.56 $1,097 -2.44
600–633 624 9 190.00–197.50 $193.20 $1,206 -4.30
695 695 2 185.00–190.00 $187.50 $1,303 -5.53
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
358–385 362 7 212.00–220.00 $218.78 $792 —
433 433 3 212.50 $212.50 $920 —
460–475 473 6 212.50 $212.50 $1,005 +2.50
575 575 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,208 —
620–640 630 2 202.50–210.00 $206.31 $1,300 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455–482 476 10 180.00–190.00 $186.46 $888 +1.46
523–545 530 3 180.00–187.50 $184.93 $980 +1.44
563–580 566 5 187.50–188.00 $187.90 $1,064 +9.30

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340–343 342 4 215.00–225.00 $220.02 $752 +3.33
385 385 2 235.00 $235.00 $905 +25.72
405–445 420 4 210.00–215.00 $211.21 $887 —
450–480 465 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,023 +5.01
500–540 520 4 195.00–202.50 $198.65 $1,033 -8.80
570–590 578 5 192.50–210.00 $201.94 $1,167 +6.94
725 725 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,341 +10.00
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 210.00 $210.00 $630 —
380–390 385 2 190.00 $190.00 $732 —
415–430 422 3 190.00–200.00 $193.28 $816 +10.78
455–480 468 2 185.00–190.00 $187.57 $878 +9.87
510 510 1 190.00 $190.00 $969 ±0.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 1 240.00 $240.00 $744 —
405–425 415 2 230.00–240.00 $235.12 $976 +3.99

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
995–1445 1076 80-85% 14 84.00–96.00 $91.05 $980 —
1065–1495 1190 80-85% 15 98.00–116.00 $105.18 $1,252 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
610–975 854 85-90% 12 75.00–94.00 $85.44 $730 —
930–970 955 85-90% 3 99.00–104.00 $101.02 $965 +16.63

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1225 1225 1 102.00 $102.00 $1,250 —
1095–2030 1683 6 126.00–136.00 $130.22 $2,192 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
640–710 685 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 1,030.00–1,130.00 $1,082.37
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
800–850 825 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 1,275.00–1,340.00 $1,306.52

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Barrows & Gilts

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
120–145 138 4 80.00–87.50 $82.95 $114 -3.90
150–195 179 11 56.00–72.50 $65.20 $117 —
210–245 222 3 50.00–67.50 $57.89 $129 —
230–240 235 3 82.50–90.00 $86.72 $204 —

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Boars

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215 215 3 50.00 $50.00 $108 —
480 480 1 2.00 $2.00 $10 —
530 530 1 5.00 $5.00 $26 —

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Bucks Billies

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
70 70 5 150.00–165.00 $155.00 +25.00
70 70 4 110.00–120.00 $117.50 -12.50
80 80 7 100.00–105.00 $102.86 -67.14
80 80 4 180.00–185.00 $181.25 +11.25
110–140 120 3 220.00–270.00 $243.33 +85.83
155 155 1 310.00 $310.00 +72.50

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
940–1065 1003 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 1,475.00–1,650.00 $1,567.96 -114.32
1060 1060 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,450.00 $1,450.00 —

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Families

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
50 50 Middle Aged (4-6 yrs)Open 1 95.00 $95.00 —

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Kids

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
20 20 8 27.50–37.50 $31.25 -48.75
30 30 17 50.00–70.00 $56.47 -23.53
30 30 2 30.00–35.00 $32.50 -47.50
40 40 4 140.00 $140.00 +60.00
40 40 18 80.00–110.00 $91.11 +11.11
50 50 14 120.00–140.00 $130.00 +10.00

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Nannies Does

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
50 50 8 140.00–150.00 $142.50 +62.50
50 50 6 70.00–80.00 $77.50 -2.50
80 80 6 100.00–105.00 $102.50 +22.50
100–140 120 4 200.00–270.00 $241.25 —

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Pigs

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
80 80 1 62.50 $62.50 -31.25
90–95 93 7 65.00–70.00 $67.92 -25.83

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Sows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
538 538 1 52.50 $52.50 $282 -1.50
660 660 1 57.50 $57.50 $380 —

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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.