light 5-weight M&L 1 steers$298.39/cwt+27.39 vs last sale · ≈ $1,597/hd at 535 lb · 76 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers$268.13/cwt+25.72 vs last sale · ≈ $1,532/hd at 571 lb · 42 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers$291.05/cwt≈ $1,371/hd at 471 lb · 41 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
960
680
907
Feeder cattle
665
520
816
Slaughter cattle
245
120
85
Replacement cattle
50
40
6
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week, a much better test of calves sold with a firm to higher undertone. It was obvious that this week marked the start of the fall calf run with pastures and feed short and the highest calf prices seen in years making it an easy decision for several cow-calf producers to go ahead and market their calf crop, which provided some quantity and quality consignments. Most of the calves came in just off the cow or a few were weaned up to 30 days but most did have a couple rounds of shots. Demand was moderate to good. Slaughter cows sold 4.00-10.00 lower, except for the fleshier cows holding up much better and sold steady to firm.
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, a much better test of calves sold with a firm to higher undertone. It was obvious that this week marked the start of the fall calf run with pastures and feed short and the highest calf prices seen in years making it an easy decision for several cow-calf producers to go ahead and market their calf crop, which provided some quantity and quality consignments. Most of the calves came in just off the cow or a few were weaned up to 30 days but most did have a couple rounds of shots. Demand was moderate to good. Slaughter cows sold 4.00-10.00 lower, except for the fleshier cows holding up much better and sold steady to firm.