light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers$224.73/cwt≈ $1,643/hd at 731 lb · 299 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 heifers$235.10/cwt≈ $1,528/hd at 650 lb · 84 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers$228.85/cwt≈ $2,030/hd at 887 lb · 44 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
1,442
984
2,482
Feeder cattle
1,087
714
2,258
Slaughter cattle
355
270
224
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to the last sale two weeks ago, steers and heifers traded in an uneven manner with very few true comparisons available. The cash market was very spotty with some six weight steers trading 10.00 to 15.00 higher but other spots, particularly in some heifer calves under 550 lbs, trading sharply lower. Slaughter cows were also uneven, from 2.00 lower to 2.00 higher. Several loads of yearlings were on offer and held up pretty well despite the wild ride the futures have taken this week, with one string of 229 head of 731 lb heifers bringing 225.10/cwt. Outside of the yearling load lots, there was a little bit of everything but not a lot of any one thing, and with overall less attractive quality on hand, buyers had to stretch at times to fill their orders. Supply and demand moderate.
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 the last sale two weeks ago, steers and heifers traded in an uneven manner with very few true comparisons available. The cash market was very spotty with some six weight steers trading 10.00 to 15.00 higher but other spots, particularly in some heifer calves under 550 lbs, trading sharply lower. Slaughter cows were also uneven, from 2.00 lower to 2.00 higher. Several loads of yearlings were on offer and held up pretty well despite the wild ride the futures have taken this week, with one string of 229 head of 731 lb heifers bringing 225.10/cwt. Outside of the yearling load lots, there was a little bit of everything but not a lot of any one thing, and with overall less attractive quality on hand, buyers had to stretch at times to fill their orders. Supply and demand moderate.