light 4-weight M&L 1 steers$213.87/cwt-3.21 vs last sale · ≈ $896/hd at 419 lb · 420 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers$180.88/cwt-2.23 vs last sale · ≈ $754/hd at 417 lb · 346 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1 heifers$184.43/cwt-0.22 vs last sale · ≈ $712/hd at 386 lb · 261 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
4,670
2,487
1,307
Feeder cattle
3,218
2,099
1,044
Slaughter cattle
616
286
223
Replacement cattle
836
102
40
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week: Yearling steers were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Steer calves sold steady to weak. Yearling heifers sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher. Heifer calves under 350 lbs sold 5.00-10.00 lower, heifer calves over 350 lbs sold steady to 2.00 lower. Demand for yearlings was mostly good, while demand for calves was mostly moderate. Quality this week was average to very attractive. Yearlings were offered in mostly moderate size packages with many heifers in the offering. Calves were offered in moderate to load lot size packages. All cattle continue to sell in light flesh as drought conditions have cattle selling early, thin and light. Yearling heifers continue to be sold bred with consignors offering to pay to abort them if the buyer wishes to send them to feed. Several sets of attractive heifers were purchased as replacements this sale and are located as bred heifers (Per Cwt) in the report below. Market activity was moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand for heavy offerings. Packers continue to show lighter demand for slaughter cows as many are very thin and low yielding. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-3.00 lower on boning and lean cows, breaking cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend. Feeding cows sold unevenly steady. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 2.00 higher with stronger demand seen from feeding and trading buyers this week. A heavy offering of bred cows were seen this week. Cows are just getting far enough along to confirm pregnant. Cows confirmed bred sold per head and cows not far enough along sold as exposed and were sold per cwt. Many sets of exposed cows had their breeding percentage announced before selling. Demand for bred cows was mostly good to very good with a large buying pool actively bidding on offerings. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on good to very good demand. These offerings sold sharply higher as many buyers were actively bidding on these offerings.
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.
Cattle Market
Compared to last week: Yearling steers were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Steer calves sold steady to weak. Yearling heifers sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher. Heifer calves under 350 lbs sold 5.00-10.00 lower, heifer calves over 350 lbs sold steady to 2.00 lower. Demand for yearlings was mostly good, while demand for calves was mostly moderate. Quality this week was average to very attractive. Yearlings were offered in mostly moderate size packages with many heifers in the offering. Calves were offered in moderate to load lot size packages. All cattle continue to sell in light flesh as drought conditions have cattle selling early, thin and light. Yearling heifers continue to be sold bred with consignors offering to pay to abort them if the buyer wishes to send them to feed. Several sets of attractive heifers were purchased as replacements this sale and are located as bred heifers (Per Cwt) in the report below. Market activity was moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand for heavy offerings. Packers continue to show lighter demand for slaughter cows as many are very thin and low yielding. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-3.00 lower on boning and lean cows, breaking cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend. Feeding cows sold unevenly steady. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 2.00 higher with stronger demand seen from feeding and trading buyers this week. A heavy offering of bred cows were seen this week. Cows are just getting far enough along to confirm pregnant. Cows confirmed bred sold per head and cows not far enough along sold as exposed and were sold per cwt. Many sets of exposed cows had their breeding percentage announced before selling. Demand for bred cows was mostly good to very good with a large buying pool actively bidding on offerings. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on good to very good demand. These offerings sold sharply higher as many buyers were actively bidding on these offerings.