Compared to last week (6-2-26): Feeder cattle were all scarcely tested today. Not enough sales to make any market trend. Demand for feeder cattle was mostly moderate to good for very light offerings. Most feeders were offered in very small packages or as singles. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. CME feeder cattle positions moved higher today with 2.00-3.00 gains seen on contracts from August through January 2027. Market activity was moderate with a small crowd on hand. Weigh up cows sold on good demand for moderate offerings. Feeding cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand. Feeding cows sold fully steady on all classes. Quality this week was mostly average to very attractive, and better overall compared to last week. Weigh up conditions were average to above average, but overall, not as good as last week. Demand for slaughter cows was lighter this week as packers tried to buy cows lower. Lighter demand from some feeding cow buyers allowed lower quality offerings to be purchased by slaughter buyers. However, very few cows were purchased for immediate harvest as the bulk of the offering continues to be purchased to feed in some capacity. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Packers showed demand for cows to hold for the 4th of July holiday as they purchased some offerings for that purpose. Many of these offerings were slightly lame or blemished in some way. Slaughter bulls sold 2.00-5.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Feeding bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Bull quality this week was average to very attractive. Young age cows sold generally steady. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. These offerings were met with good to very good demand.
▲ Feeder cattle: CME feeder cattle positions moved higher today with 2.00-3.00 gains seen on contracts from August through January 2027
▼ Slaughter bulls: Slaughter bulls sold 2.00-5.00 lower in a narrow comparison
▼ Slaughter cows: Demand for slaughter cows was lighter this week as packers tried to buy cows lower
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 (6-2-26): Feeder cattle were all scarcely tested today. Not enough sales to make any market trend. Demand for feeder cattle was mostly moderate to good for very light offerings. Most feeders were offered in very small packages or as singles. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. CME feeder cattle positions moved higher today with 2.00-3.00 gains seen on contracts from August through January 2027. Market activity was moderate with a small crowd on hand. Weigh up cows sold on good demand for moderate offerings. Feeding cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand. Feeding cows sold fully steady on all classes. Quality this week was mostly average to very attractive, and better overall compared to last week. Weigh up conditions were average to above average, but overall, not as good as last week. Demand for slaughter cows was lighter this week as packers tried to buy cows lower. Lighter demand from some feeding cow buyers allowed lower quality offerings to be purchased by slaughter buyers. However, very few cows were purchased for immediate harvest as the bulk of the offering continues to be purchased to feed in some capacity. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Packers showed demand for cows to hold for the 4th of July holiday as they purchased some offerings for that purpose. Many of these offerings were slightly lame or blemished in some way. Slaughter bulls sold 2.00-5.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Feeding bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Bull quality this week was average to very attractive. Young age cows sold generally steady. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. These offerings were met with good to very good demand.