Cattle Market Pulse

Low Country Livestock Exchange Market Report

Darlington, South Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, October 24, 2023

387 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 387 625 619
Feeder cattle 171 308 353
Slaughter cattle 116 129 105
Replacement cattle 22 31 23

Market comments — USDA reporter

No comparisons made this week on feeder calves due to limited comparable sales, slaughter cows 2.00 higher, slaughter bulls 1.00 higher. Moderate offering of average to plain quality cattle with active buyer participation.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 1 190.00 $190.00 $513 —
410–445 428 3 180.00–190.00 $183.35 $785 —
500 500 1 175.00 $175.00 $875 —
720–725 723 2 170.00–172.50 $171.25 $1,238 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435 435 1 205.00 $205.00 $892 -15.00
495 495 1 200.00 $200.00 $990 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205–210 208 2 182.50–195.00 $188.83 $393 —
320–345 333 2 177.50–185.00 $181.39 $604 -7.34
405–410 408 2 185.00 $185.00 $755 +5.00
450–490 463 3 176.00–180.00 $177.41 $821 -7.10
515–530 523 2 175.00–182.50 $178.70 $935 -5.39
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 1 200.00 $200.00 $440 ±0.00
315 315 1 200.00 $200.00 $630 —
370–395 383 4 190.00–200.00 $193.77 $742 -6.72
400–420 413 3 182.50–195.00 $190.77 $788 -7.44
450 450 1 195.00 $195.00 $878 -0.87
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
515 515 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,030 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–325 313 2 190.00 $190.00 $595 -13.92
365 365 1 190.00 $190.00 $694 -12.69
405–445 422 5 180.00–185.00 $182.49 $770 —
458–470 464 2 180.00–190.00 $185.06 $859 -22.44
540 540 1 175.00 $175.00 $945 —
558–595 576 9 171.00–180.00 $174.35 $1,004 -20.03
600–605 603 3 170.00–185.00 $175.01 $1,055 -19.99
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265–280 273 2 210.00–225.00 $217.29 $593 -20.30
376 376 5 205.00 $205.00 $771 -19.83
435–440 438 2 205.00–210.00 $207.49 $909 -12.31
450–482 474 4 198.00–200.00 $198.47 $941 -21.53
500–530 508 4 187.50–205.00 $192.46 $978 -17.54
575 575 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,150 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025–1385 1152 80-85% 15 73.00–87.00 $80.18 $924 -10.96
1025–1475 1227 80-85% 19 88.00–101.00 $94.51 $1,160 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
705–990 850 85-90% 12 70.00–85.00 $76.78 $653 —
840–950 909 85-90% 7 89.00–96.00 $90.70 $824 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1615–1640 1628 75-80% 2 91.00–97.00 $93.98 $1,530 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185–1855 1512 5 109.00–114.00 $110.52 $1,671 —
1670–1795 1720 3 118.00–125.00 $120.44 $2,072 —

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Stock Cows

Small 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
765–995 872 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 5 705.00–850.00 $750.49
Small 3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
695–825 765 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 3 620.00–660.00 $647.89

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Bred Cows

Small 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
695–980 847 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 9 700.00–850.00 $782.74
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1120 1120 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 900.00 $900.00
1130 1130 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 975.00 $975.00
Small 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
725 725 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 650.00 $650.00
Small 3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
705 705 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 575.00 $575.00

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Barrows & Gilts

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
112–165 143 9 77.50–105.00 $89.68 $128 —
355–395 370 3 52.50–67.50 $62.16 $230 —
460 460 1 55.00 $55.00 $253 —

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Boars

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 20.00 $20.00 $60 —

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Bucks Billies

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
70 70 2 130.00 $130.00 -10.00
150 150 1 300.00 $300.00 -90.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Small 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
870 870 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,050.00 $1,050.00 —

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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 2 155.00 $155.00 —

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Kids

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
30 30 3 50.00–60.00 $56.67 +14.17
30 30 3 25.00–30.00 $28.33 -14.17
40 40 2 40.00 $40.00 +2.50
40 40 2 130.00 $130.00 +92.50
60 60 1 120.00 $120.00 +42.00

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Nannies Does

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
50 50 6 100.00–130.00 $116.67 -23.33
50 50 6 50.00–80.00 $63.33 -76.67
80 80 5 140.00–150.00 $146.00 +85.37
100 100 1 180.00 $180.00 +31.67
140 140 1 260.00 $260.00 —

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Pigs

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
25 25 1 30.00 $30.00 -16.25
35 35 2 37.50 $37.50 -8.75
43 43 3 57.50 $57.50 +11.25
67 67 6 85.00 $85.00 —
95 95 2 105.00 $105.00 —

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Sows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470–490 480 2 42.50–50.00 $46.17 $222 +2.93
545 545 1 40.00 $40.00 $218 —
625 625 1 45.00 $45.00 $281 —

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Wethers

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
80 80 1 210.00 $210.00 +30.00
100–120 107 3 240.00–295.00 $258.33 +28.33

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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.