Cattle Market Pulse

Low Country Livestock Exchange Market Report

Darlington, South Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 19, 2023

360 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $200.95/cwt -4.05 vs last sale · ≈ $955/hd at 475 lb · 10 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 360 459 527
Feeder cattle 111 244 203
Slaughter cattle 55 67 55
Replacement cattle 22 7 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 lower, slaughter bulls were steady. 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
555–595 575 3 215.00–225.00 $220.12 $1,266 +10.12
765 765 2 180.00 $180.00 $1,377 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
782 782 2 160.00 $160.00 $1,251 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,200 +7.66

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–320 315 2 185.00–190.00 $187.54 $591 -4.96
350–375 363 3 185.00–190.00 $187.44 $680 -0.04
405–445 425 3 185.00–190.00 $186.67 $793 —
455–480 470 4 175.00–185.00 $181.20 $852 -6.28
530 530 2 175.00–180.00 $177.50 $941 -2.44
595 595 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,071 +7.50
605 605 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,028 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410–445 420 5 200.00–210.00 $204.08 $857 -7.83
450–484 475 10 200.00–207.50 $200.95 $955 -4.05
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 200.00 $200.00 $570 -10.00
338 338 3 200.00 $200.00 $676 -12.50
375–395 383 3 197.50–202.50 $200.04 $766 -0.40
475–490 483 2 190.00–195.00 $192.54 $930 -4.96
515–520 518 2 190.00–195.00 $192.51 $997 -3.33

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260–270 265 2 200.00–210.00 $205.09 $543 -9.91
355–370 363 2 200.00–210.00 $205.10 $745 -14.90
525–540 533 2 170.00–185.00 $177.39 $945 —
570–590 582 3 170.00–180.00 $174.96 $1,018 -11.29
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,025 +2.50
460 460 1 252.50 $252.50 $1,162 +11.50
530–545 538 2 230.00–235.00 $232.47 $1,251 —
560 560 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,232 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 225.00 $225.00 $619 —
390 390 1 220.00 $220.00 $858 -14.49
495 495 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,089 -6.62
550–570 560 2 185.00–190.00 $187.46 $1,050 -10.03

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1210 1105 80-85% 5 77.00–86.00 $82.12 $907 —
1075–2015 1235 80-85% 22 90.00–106.00 $94.63 $1,169 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
670–980 865 85-90% 5 74.00–80.00 $75.96 $657 -15.20
780–995 888 85-90% 4 87.00–90.00 $88.52 $786 +9.80
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1370–1460 1399 75-80% 4 93.00–97.00 $94.23 $1,318 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180–1340 1260 2 109.00–112.00 $110.60 $1,394 —
1095–2075 1648 5 117.00–123.00 $120.84 $1,991 —

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Stock Cows

Small 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
635–800 737 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 600.00–875.00 $732.64

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Bred Cows

Small 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
810 810 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 730.00 $730.00
780–980 880 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 6 770.00–1,075.00 $930.04
910–980 942 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 820.00–1,005.00 $938.47
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1100–1440 1243 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,050.00–1,410.00 $1,204.93
1240–1430 1342 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 1,130.00–1,550.00 $1,348.23

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Barrows & Gilts

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
103–130 108 5 32.50–40.00 $34.30 $37 -35.81
106–140 117 6 80.00–85.00 $81.99 $96 +11.88
103–191 137 23 95.00–145.00 $106.53 $146 +36.42
200 200 1 115.00 $115.00 $230 +30.29
350 350 1 52.50 $52.50 $184 —
538–555 544 3 47.50–55.00 $52.45 $285 —
555 555 1 30.00 $30.00 $166 —

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Boars

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
525 525 1 12.50 $12.50 $66 —
635 635 1 15.00 $15.00 $95 —

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Bucks Billies

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
70 70 7 150.00–155.00 $153.57 -11.43
80 80 3 100.00 $100.00 -27.50
80 80 1 175.00 $175.00 +47.50
100 100 4 200.00–215.00 $207.50 -22.50

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1005 1005 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,300.00 $1,300.00 —
1315 1315 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,400.00 $1,400.00 —
Small 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
720 720 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 875.00 $875.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 123.00 $123.00 $400 —

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Kids

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
20 20 4 35.00–40.00 $38.75 +10.00
30 30 8 70.00–80.00 $76.25 +36.25
40 40 3 50.00 $50.00 -45.00
40 40 2 90.00–100.00 $95.00 ±0.00
50 50 3 130.00–140.00 $133.33 +7.08

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Nannies Does

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
50 50 1 60.00 $60.00 -66.25
50 50 2 55.00 $55.00 -71.25
50 50 5 150.00–160.00 $156.00 +29.75
50 50 10 125.00–135.00 $130.50 +4.25
60 60 1 145.00 $145.00 +18.75
80 80 5 80.00 $80.00 -72.50
80 80 5 172.50–180.00 $175.50 +23.00
110–120 115 4 210.00–230.00 $217.50 +47.50

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Pigs

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
24–29 28 29 30.00–55.00 $49.01 +14.01
45 45 1 55.00 $55.00 +20.00
63 63 3 52.50 $52.50 -15.00
70 70 5 60.00 $60.00 -7.50
75 75 2 80.00 $80.00 +19.69
85 85 1 70.00 $70.00 +5.00
91–96 93 7 92.50–95.00 $93.90 +11.40

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Sows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 40.00 $40.00 $136 +1.28
473 473 2 50.00 $50.00 $236 —
540 540 1 60.00 $60.00 $324 —

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Wether Kids

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
50 50 3 170.00–180.00 $176.67 —
60 60 1 220.00 $220.00 —

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Wethers

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
100 100 2 120.00–125.00 $122.50 —

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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.