Cattle Market Pulse

Low Country Livestock Exchange Market Report

Darlington, South Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, April 9, 2024

406 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 $258.70/cwt -7.93 vs last sale · ≈ $1,226/hd at 474 lb · 14 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 2 bulls $302.30/cwt +4.85 vs last sale · ≈ $1,146/hd at 379 lb · 11 head
light 6-weight M&L 2 bulls $236.57/cwt ≈ $1,464/hd at 619 lb · 11 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 406 376 220
Feeder cattle 244 201 123
Slaughter cattle 74 72 30
Replacement cattle 5 23 15

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week no comparisons on feeder steers and feeder bulls, feeder heifers 4.00 lower, slaughter cows 2.50 lower, slaughter bulls too few to trend. Moderate 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
240 240 1 300.00 $300.00 $720 —
270 270 1 310.00 $310.00 $837 —
315 315 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,008 +40.00
350–370 360 2 315.00–325.00 $320.14 $1,153 —
437–440 438 4 301.00–302.00 $301.25 $1,319 +8.84
478 478 9 272.50 $272.50 $1,303 -2.50
590–595 594 8 260.00–275.00 $261.86 $1,555 -18.14
670 670 3 245.00 $245.00 $1,642 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,023 —
425–430 428 2 312.50–325.00 $318.71 $1,364 +6.36
460–470 462 9 300.00 $300.00 $1,386 —
500–540 520 2 295.00 $295.00 $1,534 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 1 270.00 $270.00 $972 —
430 430 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,161 —
450 450 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,215 —
715 715 4 205.00 $205.00 $1,466 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 295.00 $295.00 $723 —
250–290 270 4 295.00–315.00 $306.00 $826 +7.21
300–325 313 4 290.00–312.50 $301.37 $943 +1.93
315 fancy 315 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,008 —
405–444 438 7 282.50 $282.50 $1,237 +1.06
473–490 474 14 255.00–259.00 $258.70 $1,226 -7.93
500–532 526 7 242.50–247.50 $246.47 $1,296 -11.66
575–595 590 10 235.00–245.00 $240.99 $1,422 -5.37
670 670 3 200.00 $200.00 $1,340 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210–230 220 2 270.00–275.00 $272.39 $599 —
270 270 1 255.00 $255.00 $688 -22.46
310 310 1 260.00 $260.00 $806 —
375–395 385 2 260.00–275.00 $267.31 $1,029 -2.83
400–440 421 6 250.00–265.00 $257.58 $1,084 -0.69
495 495 2 237.50 $237.50 $1,176 -17.50
530 530 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,219 -13.49
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400–440 420 2 210.00–215.00 $212.62 $893 -29.88
510 510 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,071 -11.90
615 615 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,230 —
650–675 663 2 202.50–205.00 $203.73 $1,351 -6.27

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230–245 238 2 305.00–320.00 $312.26 $743 -0.24
255–295 274 4 310.00–320.00 $317.67 $870 -8.57
330 330 1 317.50 $317.50 $1,048 -6.40
355–390 379 11 300.00–315.00 $302.30 $1,146 +4.85
402–410 404 4 300.00–302.50 $300.63 $1,215 -6.61
450–494 485 5 265.00–285.00 $268.71 $1,303 -29.27
505 505 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,364 +14.01
602–626 619 11 234.00–237.50 $236.57 $1,464 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
255–260 258 2 280.00–285.00 $282.48 $729 +32.48
335 335 1 290.00 $290.00 $972 +19.05
350–385 366 5 230.00–295.00 $259.96 $951 -22.54
515 515 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,236 -22.55
560–595 578 2 230.00–240.00 $235.15 $1,359 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–280 265 2 330.00–335.00 $332.36 $881 —
350–355 353 2 322.00–322.50 $322.25 $1,138 -10.23
405–425 415 2 320.00–322.50 $321.22 $1,333 -2.51
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1000 1000 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 1,475.00 $1,475.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
945–1055 1000 80-85% 2 112.00–117.00 $114.36 $1,144 —
920–1350 1142 80-85% 22 120.00–135.00 $127.20 $1,453 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
655–950 807 85-90% 6 97.50–116.00 $106.77 $862 —
925–930 928 85-90% 2 123.00–125.00 $124.00 $1,151 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1295–1525 1445 75-80% 4 120.00–138.00 $129.36 $1,869 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070–1370 1189 5 140.00–149.00 $145.42 $1,729 —
1140–1815 1515 10 153.00–165.00 $158.66 $2,404 —

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Barrows & Gilts

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
155 155 2 75.00 $75.00 $116 —
215 215 1 75.00 $75.00 $161 +21.96

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Boars

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
223–230 226 5 35.00 $35.00 $79 —
350 350 1 5.00 $5.00 $18 —

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Bucks Billies

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
20 20 Kids (<1 yr)N/A 6 90.00–95.00 $90.83 —
40 40 Kids (<1 yr)N/A 2 125.00–135.00 $130.00 —
60 60 —— 3 65.00–70.00 $66.67 +21.67
150 150 —— 2 220.00–240.00 $230.00 +97.50

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1020 1020 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,100.00 $2,100.00 —
Small 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
880 880 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,225.00 $1,225.00 —
Small 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
630 630 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 725.00 $725.00 —
Small 3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
735 735 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 575.00 $575.00 —

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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 1 180.00 $180.00 +65.00
50 50 Aged (>6yrs)Open 1 100.00 $100.00 -15.00
60 60 Middle Aged (4-6 yrs)Open 1 190.00 $190.00 +75.00
100 100 Middle Aged (4-6 yrs)Open 1 260.00 $260.00 —

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Kids

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
20 20 4 52.50 $52.50 +15.00
30 30 17 60.00–65.00 $62.65 +37.65
40 40 5 72.50–77.50 $74.50 +49.50
50 50 3 100.00–110.00 $106.67 +49.17
60 60 4 125.00 $125.00 +70.00

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Nannies Does

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
20 20 Kids (<1 yr)Open 1 160.00 $160.00 —
50 50 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 190.00 $190.00 +135.00
50 50 —— 2 100.00–110.00 $105.00 +50.00
50 50 —— 4 140.00–150.00 $142.50 +87.50
80 80 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 210.00–220.00 $215.00 +158.75
80 80 —— 3 170.00–172.50 $170.83 +114.58
80 80 —— 3 120.00–125.00 $123.33 +67.08
140 140 —— 1 170.00 $170.00 —

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Sows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430 430 1 50.00 $50.00 $215 —
505 505 1 57.00 $57.00 $288 —

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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.