Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand was mostly very good for very light offerings. Quality this sale was mostly plain. Most feeder cattle were offered as singles or in very small groups. Market activity was mostly active this week despite limited offerings. Weigh up cows comprised most of the offering today. Packers showed good to very good demand for both slaughter and feeding cows. Several packers or order buyers buying for packers were active this week in purchasing cows this week. Breaking and boning cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher, lean cows sold 5.00-8.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Packers were aggressive as they pushed to fill slaughter needs. Several loads of cows were purchased to feed to premium white as cow quality was attractive to very attractive this week. Feeding cows sold 4.00-5.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold fully steady. Demand for cows out paced bulls this week as several sets of high quality cows out sold bulls today. Weigh up conditions were average to above average early in the sale but deteriorated as the day progressed and cows tanked up in the heat. Young age cows sold 8.00-10.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Demand was mostly good for light offerings. Quality was mostly average to attractive this week and higher than last sale. Feeding buyers and rebreed buyers both showed good demand for offerings this week. Lower corn prices allowed feeding buyers to become more aggressive as they purchased young age cows for that purpose.
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: Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand was mostly very good for very light offerings. Quality this sale was mostly plain. Most feeder cattle were offered as singles or in very small groups. Market activity was mostly active this week despite limited offerings. Weigh up cows comprised most of the offering today. Packers showed good to very good demand for both slaughter and feeding cows. Several packers or order buyers buying for packers were active this week in purchasing cows this week. Breaking and boning cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher, lean cows sold 5.00-8.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Packers were aggressive as they pushed to fill slaughter needs. Several loads of cows were purchased to feed to premium white as cow quality was attractive to very attractive this week. Feeding cows sold 4.00-5.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold fully steady. Demand for cows out paced bulls this week as several sets of high quality cows out sold bulls today. Weigh up conditions were average to above average early in the sale but deteriorated as the day progressed and cows tanked up in the heat. Young age cows sold 8.00-10.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Demand was mostly good for light offerings. Quality was mostly average to attractive this week and higher than last sale. Feeding buyers and rebreed buyers both showed good demand for offerings this week. Lower corn prices allowed feeding buyers to become more aggressive as they purchased young age cows for that purpose.