Cattle Market Pulse

Low Country Livestock Exchange Market Report

Darlington, South Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, May 14, 2024

298 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 298 336 709
Feeder cattle 139 184 354
Slaughter cattle 38 33 144
Replacement cattle 4 17 57

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week no comparisons made due to limited comparable sales. Light offering of average quality cattle due to wet conditions in the area 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
390 390 1 277.50 $277.50 $1,082 —
418 418 3 282.50 $282.50 $1,181 -10.00
495 495 1 277.50 $277.50 $1,374 —
580 580 6 267.50 $267.50 $1,552 —
605 605 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,543 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
323–335 329 4 260.00–275.00 $267.64 $881 —
493 493 2 252.50 $252.50 $1,245 +12.50
530 530 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,272 —
676 676 5 227.50 $227.50 $1,538 +20.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365–375 370 2 300.00 $300.00 $1,110 —
531 531 5 300.00 $300.00 $1,593 —
570 570 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,624 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 1 295.00 $295.00 $664 —
287 287 3 292.50 $292.50 $839 +19.95
323 323 2 285.00 $285.00 $921 —
325 value added 325 3 335.00 $335.00 $1,089 +45.00
407 407 2 260.00 $260.00 $1,058 -10.00
520–530 526 8 242.50 $242.50 $1,276 ±0.00
558 558 4 240.00 $240.00 $1,339 -2.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–270 257 3 262.50–265.00 $263.38 $677 +21.01
375–390 383 2 252.50–260.00 $256.18 $981 -1.32
435 435 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,088 +5.05
465 465 1 252.50 $252.50 $1,174 +5.15
520 520 1 227.50 $227.50 $1,183 -7.50
550–575 559 8 222.50–232.50 $228.11 $1,275 +5.32
600–610 605 2 200.00–212.50 $206.30 $1,248 -12.06
615 615 1 217.50 $217.50 $1,338 -0.86
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 230.00 $230.00 $644 —
385 385 1 225.00 $225.00 $866 +20.00
435–440 438 3 212.50–230.00 $223.31 $978 —
450–485 473 5 215.00–230.00 $223.10 $1,055 +10.73
580 580 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,160 -15.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
309 309 4 300.00 $300.00 $927 —
410 value added 410 3 280.00 $280.00 $1,148 —
460 460 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,196 -20.00
482 value added 482 7 262.50 $262.50 $1,265 —
515–547 535 4 230.00–240.00 $237.59 $1,271 -21.56
550 550 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,485 +28.50
670 670 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,407 —
705 705 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,410 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210 210 1 317.50 $317.50 $667 -2.50
280 fancy 280 4 362.00 $362.00 $1,014 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 262.50 $262.50 $788 +40.00
435 435 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,088 —
455 455 1 252.50 $252.50 $1,149 +0.04
595 595 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,309 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
935–1400 1111 80-85% 4 105.00–112.00 $108.89 $1,210 —
995–1380 1141 80-85% 15 118.00–135.00 $125.35 $1,430 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
850–970 909 85-90% 4 89.00–97.00 $92.79 $843 —
825–985 915 85-90% 6 100.00–112.00 $108.25 $990 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030 1030 75-80% 1 112.00 $112.00 $1,154 —
1475 1475 75-80% 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,918 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
750–1320 1066 4 117.50–130.00 $125.78 $1,341 —
1100–1495 1298 2 137.00–147.50 $141.45 $1,836 —
2205 2205 1 162.00 $162.00 $3,572 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
805 805 (<2 yrs)Open 1 1,429.00 $1,429.00
Medium and Large 3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
815 815 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 652.00 $652.00

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1220 1220 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,600.00 $1,600.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
845 845 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 930.00 $930.00

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Barrows & Gilts

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
119–195 146 25 80.00–90.00 $84.27 $123 +15.35
228–267 244 18 72.50–82.50 $77.84 $190 —

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Bucks Billies

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
50 50 Kids (<1 yr)N/A 1 120.00 $120.00 +37.50
60 60 —— 1 100.00 $100.00 +17.50
60 60 Kids (<1 yr)N/A 1 195.00 $195.00 +112.50
80 80 —— 1 100.00 $100.00 +17.50
80 80 Kids (<1 yr)N/A 1 235.00 $235.00 +152.50
80 80 —— 2 145.00 $145.00 +62.50
80 80 —— 1 125.00 $125.00 +42.50
100 100 —— 1 170.00 $170.00 +50.00
100 100 —— 1 260.00 $260.00 +140.00
100–120 107 —— 3 265.00–320.00 $288.33 +65.83
150 150 —— 1 300.00 $300.00 +30.00

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Families

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
80 80 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 210.00 $210.00 +45.00
100 100 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 150.00 $150.00 -15.00

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Kids

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
10 10 1 55.00 $55.00 +10.00
20 20 1 50.00 $50.00 -5.00
30 30 6 60.00–65.00 $64.17 -10.21
40 40 1 100.00 $100.00 +32.50
50 50 3 130.00–145.00 $136.67 +60.67
50 50 3 75.00–85.00 $81.67 +5.67
60 60 1 100.00 $100.00 -55.00
60 60 1 160.00 $160.00 +5.00
80 80 1 150.00 $150.00 +45.00

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Nannies Does

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
50 50 —— 1 75.00 $75.00 -37.50
80 80 Yearlings (1-2 yrs)Open 1 170.00 $170.00 +88.75
80 80 —— 1 125.00 $125.00 +43.75
80 80 —— 2 80.00 $80.00 -1.25
100 100 —— 1 130.00 $130.00 ±0.00
100 100 Yearlings (1-2 yrs)Open 4 140.00–190.00 $170.00 +40.00
100 100 —— 3 75.00–80.00 $76.67 -53.33
100 100 —— 1 105.00 $105.00 -25.00
100–120 110 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 210.00–240.00 $225.00 +95.00

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Pigs

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
23 23 3 30.00 $30.00 —
58 58 2 65.00 $65.00 +5.00
62 62 6 52.50–60.00 $53.75 -20.74
90 90 1 60.00 $60.00 -12.50

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Sows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210–260 227 3 40.00–47.50 $43.86 $100 —
365–387 376 4 50.00–55.00 $52.43 $197 -2.57
535 535 1 62.50 $62.50 $334 +13.61

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Wether Kids

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
40 40 1 75.00 $75.00 —

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Wethers

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
100 100 1 150.00 $150.00 —

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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.