Cattle Market Pulse

Low Country Livestock Exchange Market Report

Darlington, South Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 5, 2023

445 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 2 heifers $190.00/cwt -8.41 vs last sale · ≈ $922/hd at 485 lb · 11 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 445 711 612
Feeder cattle 192 388 348
Slaughter cattle 71 115 62
Replacement cattle 23 40 3

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week no comparisons made on feeder cattle due to limited comparable sales, slaughter cows 5.00 lower, slaughter bulls 6.00 higher. Moderate offering of average quality cattle with active buyer participation.

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
270 270 1 240.00 $240.00 $648 —
320–330 325 2 220.00 $220.00 $715 —
395 395 1 240.00 $240.00 $948 +9.00
405–435 420 2 220.00–230.00 $225.18 $946 -2.31
510–530 520 2 222.50–230.00 $226.32 $1,177 —
713 713 3 198.00 $198.00 $1,412 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370 370 1 250.00 $250.00 $925 +7.50
410 410 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,025 +7.50
500 500 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,150 —
577 577 3 230.00 $230.00 $1,327 -5.00
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 1 200.00 $200.00 $440 ±0.00
375 375 1 195.00 $195.00 $731 —
470 470 1 205.00 $205.00 $964 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 195.00 $195.00 $507 -7.15
315–330 323 3 200.00 $200.00 $646 +3.33
378 378 6 195.00 $195.00 $737 +0.70
400–440 417 5 190.00–202.50 $195.45 $815 +2.03
460–491 485 11 190.00 $190.00 $922 -8.41
535 535 3 185.00 $185.00 $990 -5.56
586 586 4 200.00 $200.00 $1,172 —
635 635 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,143 -8.00
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–325 317 3 180.00–190.00 $183.42 $581 +1.76
360–390 372 6 180.00–187.50 $182.46 $679 +1.55
410 410 1 185.00 $185.00 $758 +5.47
470–475 474 4 180.00–185.00 $183.12 $868 +4.85
525–540 533 4 170.00–185.00 $176.23 $939 +0.52
560–575 568 2 170.00–180.00 $174.93 $994 —
600–635 622 3 170.00–172.50 $170.84 $1,063 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 225.00 $225.00 $619 -9.55
300–335 318 3 215.00–230.00 $224.74 $715 -6.71
365–395 377 3 220.00–240.00 $228.16 $860 +0.68
425 425 1 230.00 $230.00 $978 +4.96
450–480 466 4 200.00–220.00 $206.05 $960 -8.68
503 503 3 207.50 $207.50 $1,044 +3.11
565–595 586 5 185.00–195.00 $192.99 $1,131 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205 205 1 210.00 $210.00 $430 +10.00
260 260 1 200.00 $200.00 $520 ±0.00
320 320 1 195.00 $195.00 $624 —
365 365 2 190.00 $190.00 $694 -10.00
485–495 490 2 195.00 $195.00 $956 -6.43
505 505 1 195.00 $195.00 $985 —
555–590 579 7 170.00–180.00 $174.60 $1,011 —
615 615 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,076 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1310 1092 80-85% 11 70.00–86.00 $82.06 $896 —
1045–1525 1181 80-85% 12 89.00–98.00 $92.43 $1,092 +5.57
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
715–995 891 85-90% 15 70.00–84.00 $76.22 $679 —
785–995 927 85-90% 5 87.50–90.00 $88.90 $824 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1310–1565 1438 75-80% 3 89.00–96.00 $92.79 $1,334 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035 1035 1 111.00 $111.00 $1,149 —
1485–2150 1833 4 118.00–124.00 $121.57 $2,228 —

↑ Back to top

Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
880–980 938 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 4 1,225.00–1,500.00 $1,402.93
1050–1295 1134 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 7 1,450.00–2,100.00 $1,838.88
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
695–730 713 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 1,000.00 $1,000.00
845–950 898 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 900.00–1,025.00 $966.16

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Small 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
805–860 838 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 775.00–825.00 $791.90
995 995 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,000.00 $1,000.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1090 1090 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,075.00 $1,075.00
1070–1195 1133 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 900.00–1,100.00 $1,005.52

↑ Back to top

Barrows & Gilts

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
115–153 134 9 60.00–77.50 $70.16 $94 +0.16
100–195 139 50 80.00–140.00 $95.07 $132 +25.07
203–263 229 9 87.50–130.00 $100.95 $231 —
255 255 2 70.00 $70.00 $178 -22.50
325 325 1 100.00 $100.00 $325 —

↑ Back to top

Boars

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 1 35.00 $35.00 $82 —

↑ Back to top

Bucks Billies

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
70 70 1 100.00 $100.00 +47.50
80 80 2 80.00 $80.00 -68.33
80 80 1 175.00 $175.00 +26.67
150–170 160 2 240.00–270.00 $255.00 +155.00

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Small 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
600 600 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 650.00 $650.00 —

↑ Back to top

Kids

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
20 20 5 37.50–45.00 $41.50 +16.50
30 30 4 50.00–55.00 $51.25 +10.00
40 40 6 95.00–105.00 $100.00 +72.50
40 40 4 42.50–50.00 $46.25 +18.75
50 50 2 120.00–125.00 $122.50 +1.25
60 60 1 150.00 $150.00 +68.00

↑ Back to top

Nannies Does

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
50 50 9 50.00–80.00 $63.33 +3.33
50 50 4 140.00–150.00 $145.00 +85.00
50 50 1 100.00 $100.00 +40.00
80 80 6 120.00–130.00 $123.33 +54.16
140 140 1 240.00 $240.00 +99.17

↑ Back to top

Pigs

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
25 25 13 30.00 $30.00 -5.00
40 40 2 42.50 $42.50 +2.54
65–67 66 3 42.50–60.00 $54.28 -18.22
85–87 86 3 52.50–72.50 $59.06 -25.94
90 90 1 72.50 $72.50 -12.50
95–96 96 5 80.00–95.00 $92.03 +7.03

↑ Back to top

Sows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 45.00 $45.00 $182 —
425–465 445 2 67.50–72.50 $69.89 $311 —
585 585 1 42.50 $42.50 $249 —
860 860 1 52.00 $52.00 $447 —

↑ Back to top

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.