light 9-weight M&L 1 heifers$229.72/cwt≈ $2,162/hd at 941 lb · 280 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1 steers$246.21/cwt≈ $2,359/hd at 958 lb · 158 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1 heifers$223.28/cwt≈ $2,173/hd at 973 lb · 93 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
2,217
1,971
629
Feeder cattle
1,225
—
334
Slaughter cattle
711
—
229
Replacement cattle
281
—
66
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week: The first test of yearling feeders was seen this week so no comparisons can be made. Demand was mostly good to very good. Several load lots and multiple load lots were seen. Demand for load lots was very good, with packages selling at a slight discount. Quality this week was mostly average to very attractive. CME positions traded slightly higher over the past week as lower corn and strong cash slaughter prices gave support to the feeder complex. The August feeder cattle contract closed Friday at 259.70, the September closed at 259.60, the October closed at 258.30. Market activity this week was mostly active, with a good crowd on hand. Cooperate packer buyers and private feeders both showed good demand for offerings as they bid aggressively, and the sale moved along rapidly. Weigh up cows and bulls sold on mostly moderate to good demand for light to moderate offerings. Cows have greened up as calves and competition with grasshoppers over forage are causing some cows to lose body condition scores. Cow quality was mostly lower this week as a result. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 lower on boning and lean cows, breaking cows sold fully steady. Packers and private feeders continue to show very good demand for feeding cows. However, western packer buyers which were regularly attending sales were absent this past week which allowed prices to slip slightly. Feeding cows sold steady to weak. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive but not as attractive as the previous week of sales. Weigh conditions were mostly average as body condition scores were mostly lighter this week and most offerings were showing moderate amounts of fill due to very hot weather. Slaughter bulls sold unevenly, with most sales steady to 8.00 lower. Feeding bull buyers forced packers to give more money for average dressing bulls this week while bulls too big or too fleshy to feed mostly sold lower. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand was good to very good for high quality offerings which buyers are looking to rebreed. Quality 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: The first test of yearling feeders was seen this week so no comparisons can be made. Demand was mostly good to very good. Several load lots and multiple load lots were seen. Demand for load lots was very good, with packages selling at a slight discount. Quality this week was mostly average to very attractive. CME positions traded slightly higher over the past week as lower corn and strong cash slaughter prices gave support to the feeder complex. The August feeder cattle contract closed Friday at 259.70, the September closed at 259.60, the October closed at 258.30. Market activity this week was mostly active, with a good crowd on hand. Cooperate packer buyers and private feeders both showed good demand for offerings as they bid aggressively, and the sale moved along rapidly. Weigh up cows and bulls sold on mostly moderate to good demand for light to moderate offerings. Cows have greened up as calves and competition with grasshoppers over forage are causing some cows to lose body condition scores. Cow quality was mostly lower this week as a result. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 lower on boning and lean cows, breaking cows sold fully steady. Packers and private feeders continue to show very good demand for feeding cows. However, western packer buyers which were regularly attending sales were absent this past week which allowed prices to slip slightly. Feeding cows sold steady to weak. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive but not as attractive as the previous week of sales. Weigh conditions were mostly average as body condition scores were mostly lighter this week and most offerings were showing moderate amounts of fill due to very hot weather. Slaughter bulls sold unevenly, with most sales steady to 8.00 lower. Feeding bull buyers forced packers to give more money for average dressing bulls this week while bulls too big or too fleshy to feed mostly sold lower. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand was good to very good for high quality offerings which buyers are looking to rebreed. Quality was average to attractive.