light 5-weight M&L 1 steers$300.01/cwt+1.16 vs last sale · ≈ $1,561/hd at 520 lb · 464 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 steers$311.38/cwt-29.20 vs last sale · ≈ $1,355/hd at 435 lb · 319 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers$312.54/cwt-0.43 vs last sale · ≈ $1,482/hd at 474 lb · 307 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
5,796
3,144
3,113
Feeder cattle
4,036
1,915
2,719
Slaughter cattle
1,382
926
317
Replacement cattle
378
303
77
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week: Yearling steers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Steer calves under 450 lbs sold sharply lower with most sales 15.00-25.00 lower, steers over 450 lbs sold unevenly steady with front end calves selling higher and plain to average quality calves selling lower. Yearling heifers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Heifer calves under 450 lbs sold mostly 10.00 lower. Heifers over 450 lbs sold unevenly steady, with front end calves selling higher and plain to average quality calves selling lower. Quality was mostly attractive to very attractive this week and offered buyers some of the best quality of the fall for this auction. Many load lots were seen this week and demand was mostly good to very good for all cattle offered in load lot quantity. Calves suitable to go to grass sold on moderate demand this week, significantly lighter demand than has been seen in recent weeks. Fewer takers were seen for grass calves as some buyers took a week off from buying following sharply lower CME contract prices. Calves with two rounds of vaccinations sold with very good demand, especially for heifers and light weight steers. Very high quality calves sold on good demand regardless of vaccination status. CME positions traded with triple digit gains today on all contracts except the nearby November. The Nearby November closed at 230.05, 2.175 lower than last Tuesday, while the January closed at 229.00, 1.825 lower than last Tuesdays close. Market activity was mostly active today with a large buyer pool on hand of both ranchers and order buyers. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand and heavy offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was mostly light this week as all packers showed lighter demand for cows for immediate harvest. Heavy supplies of cows across the Northern tier of the country are being seen as many cows are testing open. Breaking slaughter cows were not well compared this week as most were purchased to feed. Boning cows were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Lean cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 lower on a lower yielding offering. A large portion of the cow offering was purchased to feed this week. High quality feeding cows, suitable to feed to premium white sold mostly 5.00-6.00 lower. Thin feeding or turn out cows sold steady to firm and got higher as the sale progressed as many buyers were looking for this class of cows to feed. Many thin low dressing or very low dressing cows seen this week. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on a poorer quality offering. Weigh up conditions were mixed this week. Young age cows sold fully steady. Quality this week was average to attractive.
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 too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Steer calves under 450 lbs sold sharply lower with most sales 15.00-25.00 lower, steers over 450 lbs sold unevenly steady with front end calves selling higher and plain to average quality calves selling lower. Yearling heifers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Heifer calves under 450 lbs sold mostly 10.00 lower. Heifers over 450 lbs sold unevenly steady, with front end calves selling higher and plain to average quality calves selling lower. Quality was mostly attractive to very attractive this week and offered buyers some of the best quality of the fall for this auction. Many load lots were seen this week and demand was mostly good to very good for all cattle offered in load lot quantity. Calves suitable to go to grass sold on moderate demand this week, significantly lighter demand than has been seen in recent weeks. Fewer takers were seen for grass calves as some buyers took a week off from buying following sharply lower CME contract prices. Calves with two rounds of vaccinations sold with very good demand, especially for heifers and light weight steers. Very high quality calves sold on good demand regardless of vaccination status. CME positions traded with triple digit gains today on all contracts except the nearby November. The Nearby November closed at 230.05, 2.175 lower than last Tuesday, while the January closed at 229.00, 1.825 lower than last Tuesdays close. Market activity was mostly active today with a large buyer pool on hand of both ranchers and order buyers. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand and heavy offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was mostly light this week as all packers showed lighter demand for cows for immediate harvest. Heavy supplies of cows across the Northern tier of the country are being seen as many cows are testing open. Breaking slaughter cows were not well compared this week as most were purchased to feed. Boning cows were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Lean cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 lower on a lower yielding offering. A large portion of the cow offering was purchased to feed this week. High quality feeding cows, suitable to feed to premium white sold mostly 5.00-6.00 lower. Thin feeding or turn out cows sold steady to firm and got higher as the sale progressed as many buyers were looking for this class of cows to feed. Many thin low dressing or very low dressing cows seen this week. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on a poorer quality offering. Weigh up conditions were mixed this week. Young age cows sold fully steady. Quality this week was average to attractive.