Cattle Market Pulse

Meridian Stockyard Market Report

Meridian, Mississippi · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, December 16, 2024

301 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Meridian Stockyard report →

heavy 5-weight M&L 2 heifers $261.24/cwt ≈ $1,466/hd at 561 lb · 22 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $322.00/cwt +29.50 vs last sale · ≈ $1,420/hd at 441 lb · 14 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 301 362 574
Feeder cattle 255 247 527
Slaughter cattle 30 72 43
Replacement cattle 16 43 4

Market comments — USDA reporter

Good day, as compared to the last market feeder calves were 5-10 higher and slaughter cows steady and bulls a little higher. Reminder no sales the next two weeks enjoy Christmas and new years with your families.

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
255 255 1 378.00 $378.00 $964 —
325–345 335 2 358.00–375.00 $366.25 $1,227 —
350–385 364 5 353.00–376.00 $366.37 $1,334 —
405–445 420 5 320.00–340.00 $331.40 $1,392 —
489–490 489 9 332.00–335.00 $334.44 $1,635 —
565–585 573 3 286.00–299.00 $291.26 $1,669 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205–225 217 3 405.00–420.00 $411.42 $893 +14.79
250–280 267 3 403.00–430.00 $417.18 $1,114 +12.18
320–335 326 4 380.00–403.00 $391.48 $1,276 +6.48
350 350 1 383.00 $383.00 $1,340 -2.00
425–440 435 3 355.00–370.00 $361.23 $1,571 +28.80
515–534 530 5 325.00–326.00 $325.19 $1,724 —
565–590 578 2 315.00–320.00 $317.45 $1,835 —
640 640 2 258.00–262.00 $260.00 $1,664 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 1 348.00 $348.00 $1,079 —
390 390 1 346.00 $346.00 $1,349 —
475–495 489 6 305.00–311.00 $306.64 $1,499 —
555–560 558 2 272.00–279.00 $275.52 $1,537 +4.48
660 660 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,584 -3.68
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
612 612 3 277.00 $277.00 $1,695 +9.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220–235 230 3 363.00–370.00 $366.02 $842 —
360 360 1 298.00 $298.00 $1,073 —
485 485 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,285 —
550–585 561 22 252.00–271.00 $261.24 $1,466 —
620–625 623 2 228.00–234.00 $231.01 $1,439 +3.01
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 1 405.00 $405.00 $891 +22.99
340 340 1 312.00 $312.00 $1,061 -68.00
385–390 388 2 310.00 $310.00 $1,203 —
405–440 422 3 290.00–303.00 $296.44 $1,251 —
455–495 470 6 280.00–298.00 $293.02 $1,377 —
505–540 518 3 278.00–295.00 $286.65 $1,485 —
605–633 629 9 245.00–264.00 $248.66 $1,564 +2.83
720 720 1 232.00 $232.00 $1,670 +4.00
810 810 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,701 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
441 441 14 322.00 $322.00 $1,420 +29.50
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 340.00 $340.00 $816 —
260 260 1 320.00 $320.00 $832 —
490 490 1 256.00 $256.00 $1,254 —
525–530 528 2 239.00–245.00 $241.99 $1,278 —
580–585 583 2 240.00–241.00 $240.50 $1,402 -9.16
705 705 1 218.00 $218.00 $1,537 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420–430 427 3 326.00–330.00 $328.35 $1,402 +18.35
475–485 480 3 319.00–325.00 $321.35 $1,542 +3.85
540 540 2 298.00–309.00 $303.50 $1,639 +1.00
625–640 633 2 280.00–285.00 $282.53 $1,788 —
725 725 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,740 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 310.00 $310.00 $1,256 —
490 490 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,544 —
535 535 1 293.00 $293.00 $1,568 —
565 565 1 288.00 $288.00 $1,627 —
645 645 1 256.00 $256.00 $1,651 —
675 675 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,688 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
434 434 3 330.00 $330.00 $1,432 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
595 595 1 268.00 $268.00 $1,595 +28.00
730 730 1 218.00 $218.00 $1,591 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915–1465 1211 80-85% 7 114.00–119.50 $116.99 $1,417 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
785–1045 965 85-90% 4 106.00–110.00 $107.89 $1,041 +7.84
995 995 85-90% 1 102.50 $102.50 $1,020 +2.45
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300 1300 75-80% 1 117.50 $117.50 $1,528 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1805–2290 1987 3 152.50–156.00 $154.47 $3,069 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
970 970 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00
1065 1065 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,500.00 $1,500.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1330 1330 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 1,960.00 $1,960.00

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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.