Cattle Market Pulse

Low Country Livestock Exchange Market Report

Darlington, South Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, January 16, 2024

516 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 3 steers $170.00/cwt ≈ $1,255/hd at 738 lb · 10 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 516 412 0
Feeder cattle 325 238 0
Slaughter cattle 114 72 0
Replacement cattle 2 14 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

No comparisons made this week on all classes of feeder cattle due to limited comparable sales. Slaughter cows were 4.00 higher, 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
315–335 328 4 250.00–260.00 $255.04 $837 +25.04
405–440 421 4 235.00–250.00 $239.84 $1,010 —
460–492 486 7 240.00–252.50 $250.37 $1,217 +31.41
530 530 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,246 +21.16
560 560 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,344 —
605–619 617 7 210.00–220.00 $218.60 $1,349 +7.60
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 fancy 340 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,020 —
340–345 343 2 275.00–280.00 $277.48 $952 —
355–385 369 4 270.00–280.00 $275.53 $1,017 —
415–445 428 4 265.00–270.00 $267.04 $1,143 -1.88
510–545 527 3 237.50–245.00 $240.78 $1,269 -6.72
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 1 225.00 $225.00 $788 —
535 535 1 180.00 $180.00 $963 ±0.00
640 640 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,088 —
738 738 10 170.00 $170.00 $1,255 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260–290 275 2 185.00–195.00 $189.73 $522 —
325 325 1 210.00 $210.00 $682 +29.88
370–390 378 4 185.00–190.00 $187.52 $709 +7.52
425–445 440 5 175.00–190.00 $180.90 $796 +3.43
450–480 465 2 180.00–185.00 $182.42 $848 +3.25
505–545 524 5 170.00–185.00 $178.08 $933 +1.95
555–575 565 2 170.00–175.00 $172.46 $974 -2.92
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210–235 223 2 210.00 $210.00 $468 —
295 295 2 195.00–200.00 $197.50 $583 -7.50
320–325 323 2 200.00–210.00 $204.96 $662 +12.40
400–440 415 3 195.00–210.00 $201.45 $836 +8.15
465–480 470 3 190.00–195.00 $191.70 $901 +4.34
665 665 2 170.00 $170.00 $1,130 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215–240 228 2 232.50–235.00 $233.68 $533 —
275–285 280 2 225.00–230.00 $227.46 $637 —
300–320 310 4 225.00–235.00 $228.67 $709 +6.75
355–370 363 2 225.00–230.00 $227.45 $826 —
425–435 430 2 225.00–230.00 $227.53 $978 +25.42

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210 210 1 260.00 $260.00 $546 —
265–294 281 3 240.00–265.00 $247.85 $696 +7.85
350–385 361 4 240.00–267.50 $255.33 $922 +11.85
400–440 423 3 250.00–260.00 $254.96 $1,078 +24.96
450–465 456 4 232.50–265.00 $248.26 $1,132 +23.38
535–540 538 2 220.00–225.00 $222.51 $1,197 +14.11
585–590 588 3 210.00–225.00 $217.52 $1,279 +8.13
610 610 4 190.00–202.50 $199.38 $1,216 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270–275 fancy 273 2 290.00–295.00 $292.52 $799 —
270–280 275 2 277.50–285.00 $281.18 $773 —
310–340 330 3 275.00–285.00 $280.00 $924 —
325–345 fancy 335 2 290.00–295.00 $292.43 $980 —
365–370 368 2 275.00–280.00 $277.52 $1,021 —
425–440 433 2 270.00–275.00 $272.54 $1,180 +19.22
450–480 458 5 250.00–262.50 $255.41 $1,170 +10.41
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275–295 285 2 200.00–215.00 $207.24 $591 —
315–325 322 3 205.00–215.00 $208.26 $671 +18.26
350 350 1 210.00 $210.00 $735 +15.00
415–425 417 5 185.00–200.00 $189.05 $788 —
510–515 513 3 185.00–200.00 $191.67 $983 +6.50
560–580 572 3 175.00–190.00 $183.29 $1,048 +13.29
605 605 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,089 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1300 1113 80-85% 6 84.00–91.00 $88.81 $988 -7.83
1000–1500 1192 80-85% 41 95.00–113.00 $102.97 $1,227 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
765–945 868 85-90% 7 78.00–89.00 $82.03 $712 —
810–995 917 85-90% 11 93.00–105.00 $98.70 $905 +6.66
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1195–1835 1424 75-80% 9 94.00–108.00 $101.90 $1,451 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045–1530 1367 3 96.00–114.00 $101.33 $1,385 —
1265–1935 1590 3 120.00–130.00 $125.12 $1,989 —

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Stock Cows

Small 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
785 785 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 945.00 $945.00

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Barrows & Gilts

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 72.50 $72.50 $221 —

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Boars

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 1 10.00 $10.00 $22 +4.00

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Bucks Billies

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
70 70 7 145.00–155.00 $150.71 +48.21
70 70 2 70.00–100.00 $85.00 -17.50
80 80 4 170.00–180.00 $175.00 -10.00
100–120 110 4 200.00–230.00 $215.00 +65.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1025 1025 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,425.00 $1,425.00 —

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Kids

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
20 20 3 30.00 $30.00 -42.50
30 30 7 65.00–75.00 $70.71 -1.79
30 30 2 40.00–45.00 $42.50 -30.00
40 40 5 95.00–110.00 $101.00 -9.00
50 50 6 120.00–130.00 $125.00 -18.33
50 50 1 220.00 $220.00 +76.67
60 60 3 150.00–180.00 $170.00 -2.14
60 60 1 265.00 $265.00 +92.86

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Nannies Does

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
50 50 2 140.00 $140.00 +10.00
50 50 3 110.00–120.00 $116.67 -13.33
70 70 4 70.00–75.00 $71.25 -91.25
100 100 2 135.00–140.00 $137.50 —

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Pigs

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
45 45 5 47.50 $47.50 +5.56
57 57 5 57.50 $57.50 —

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Wethers

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
70 70 4 180.00–195.00 $186.88 —
80 80 1 230.00 $230.00 —

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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.