Cattle Market Pulse

Low Country Livestock Exchange Market Report

Darlington, South Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 12, 2023

459 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 2 bulls $226.62/cwt +20.57 vs last sale · ≈ $1,099/hd at 485 lb · 10 head
light 4-weight M&L 2 heifers $200.76/cwt +5.31 vs last sale · ≈ $859/hd at 428 lb · 10 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 459 445 527
Feeder cattle 244 192 203
Slaughter cattle 67 71 55
Replacement cattle 7 23 13

Market comments — USDA reporter

No comparisons made this week on all classes of feeder cattle due to limited comparable sales. Slaughter cows were 3.00 higher, slaughter bulls 1.00 lower. There was an average offering of average to plain 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
358–395 378 8 240.00–245.00 $244.35 $924 +4.35
470 470 1 205.00 $205.00 $964 —
515 515 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,133 -6.32
585–594 592 5 210.00 $210.00 $1,243 —
620 620 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,364 —
660–680 670 2 190.00–195.00 $192.46 $1,289 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415–435 430 4 240.00–247.50 $241.81 $1,040 -8.19
476–495 480 7 240.00–250.00 $242.34 $1,163 —
590 590 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,357 ±0.00
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 210.00 $210.00 $682 —
660 660 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,254 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 210.00 $210.00 $556 +15.00
332 332 2 212.50 $212.50 $706 +12.50
363–384 377 7 195.00–202.50 $200.44 $756 +5.44
412–448 428 10 195.00–205.00 $200.76 $859 +5.31
468 468 2 197.50 $197.50 $924 +7.50
505–525 513 3 192.50–197.50 $195.84 $1,005 +10.84
635 635 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,143 ±0.00
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265–290 280 3 190.00 $190.00 $532 —
340 340 1 192.50 $192.50 $654 +9.08
375–380 378 2 185.00–190.00 $187.48 $709 +5.02
475–480 477 3 182.50–190.00 $187.48 $894 +4.36
515–545 532 3 175.00–185.00 $179.94 $957 +3.71
582 582 2 172.50 $172.50 $1,004 -2.43
663 663 2 172.50 $172.50 $1,144 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415–448 440 4 210.00–212.50 $211.91 $932 —
460 460 1 205.00 $205.00 $943 —
518 518 4 208.00 $208.00 $1,077 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
328–330 329 3 230.00 $230.00 $757 +5.26
355–390 374 4 230.00–240.00 $234.49 $877 +6.33
405–440 419 4 220.00–230.00 $224.96 $943 -5.04
460–495 485 10 220.00–231.00 $226.62 $1,099 +20.57
500–535 517 5 190.00–217.50 $203.89 $1,054 -3.61
580–595 588 3 192.50–200.00 $197.49 $1,161 +4.50
605–625 615 2 200.00–201.00 $200.49 $1,233 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 215.00 $215.00 $516 +5.00
260 260 1 215.00 $215.00 $559 +15.00
340 340 1 210.00 $210.00 $714 +15.00
398 398 3 220.00 $220.00 $876 +30.00
425–440 433 2 210.00 $210.00 $909 —
450–495 465 6 190.00–205.00 $196.72 $915 +1.72
575 575 2 185.00–187.50 $186.25 $1,071 +11.65
640 640 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,152 +5.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 355 1 250.00 $250.00 $888 —
412–420 415 3 247.50 $247.50 $1,027 —
483 483 4 241.00 $241.00 $1,164 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045–1130 1081 80-85% 4 84.00–86.00 $84.75 $916 +2.69
965–1550 1197 80-85% 22 90.00–111.00 $99.66 $1,193 +7.23
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
760–960 864 85-90% 4 90.00–93.00 $91.16 $788 +14.94
680–995 867 85-90% 18 70.00–86.00 $78.72 $683 +2.50
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1365–1465 1415 75-80% 2 95.00–101.00 $98.11 $1,388 +5.32

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030–1525 1211 4 97.00–112.00 $106.43 $1,289 —
1305–1535 1420 5 115.00–125.00 $120.18 $1,707 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
720–815 781 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 4 1,045.00–1,170.00 $1,130.86
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1072 1072 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 170.00 $170.00 $1,822

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Barrows & Gilts

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
105–155 132 6 60.00–75.00 $70.11 $93 -0.05
108–198 147 31 80.00–135.00 $102.15 $150 +7.08
210–250 230 3 80.00–90.00 $84.71 $195 -16.24
215–250 236 5 37.50–40.00 $39.09 $92 -61.86
205–295 250 2 75.00 $75.00 $188 +5.00
343 343 2 72.50 $72.50 $249 -27.50
415 415 1 70.00 $70.00 $290 —
435 435 1 87.50 $87.50 $381 —

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Bucks Billies

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
70 70 2 160.00–170.00 $165.00 +65.00
70 70 2 100.00–110.00 $105.00 +5.00
80 80 2 125.00–130.00 $127.50 +47.50
80 80 2 80.00–85.00 $82.50 +2.50
80 80 3 180.00–190.00 $185.00 +105.00
120 120 1 230.00 $230.00 —
175 175 1 380.00 $380.00 +125.00

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Kids

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
20 20 2 27.50–30.00 $28.75 -12.75
30 30 1 40.00 $40.00 -11.25
30 30 4 50.00–70.00 $60.00 +8.75
30 30 2 20.00 $20.00 -31.25
40 40 4 90.00–110.00 $95.00 -5.00
50 50 8 120.00–130.00 $126.25 +3.75
60 60 2 140.00 $140.00 -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 4 120.00–135.00 $126.25 +62.92
80 80 4 150.00–155.00 $152.50 +29.17
100 100 1 170.00 $170.00 —

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Pigs

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
20 20 9 35.00 $35.00 +5.00
50 50 1 55.00 $55.00 +0.72
68 68 3 67.50 $67.50 +13.22
70–76 75 5 52.50–75.00 $60.31 +6.03
77 77 4 40.00 $40.00 -19.06
85 85 1 65.00 $65.00 +5.94
90 90 1 82.50 $82.50 +10.00

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Sows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345–350 348 2 35.00–42.50 $38.72 $135 —
395 395 1 67.50 $67.50 $267 —
410 410 1 62.50 $62.50 $256 +17.50
425–475 444 4 77.50–82.50 $79.93 $355 +10.04
565 565 1 40.00 $40.00 $226 -2.50

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Wethers

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
60 60 4 140.00–150.00 $142.50 —
80 80 3 180.00–190.00 $183.33 —
140 140 1 360.00 $360.00 —

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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.