Cattle Market Pulse

North Carolina Graded Cattle Auction Market Report

North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock (Special Graded)

Sale of Thursday, September 28, 2023

1,222 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest North Carolina Graded Cattle Auction report →

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $268.53/cwt +0.78 vs last sale · ≈ $1,506/hd at 561 lb · 116 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $230.15/cwt -9.85 vs last sale · ≈ $1,098/hd at 477 lb · 106 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $255.44/cwt -8.56 vs last sale · ≈ $1,614/hd at 632 lb · 103 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,222 1,120 1,317
Feeder cattle 1,222 1,120 1,317

All consignments must be weaned at least 60 days, have two rounds of vaccinations, and one round of parasite control per market protocol; heifers guaranteed open (penalties apply)

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
453–468 459 36 268.00–280.00 $272.42 $1,250 -3.58
560–568 561 116 256.00–270.00 $268.53 $1,506 +0.78
627–648 632 103 230.00–263.00 $255.44 $1,614 -8.56
672 672 92 250.00 $250.00 $1,680 -5.64
722–739 725 87 231.00–242.00 $240.20 $1,741 +8.47
770 770 69 236.00 $236.00 $1,817 -8.95
808–838 836 81 199.00–227.50 $223.87 $1,872 -7.55
920 920 9 190.00 $190.00 $1,748 -30.00
1020 1020 1 186.00 $186.00 $1,897
1055 1055 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,688
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
540 540 28 234.00 $234.00 $1,264
644 644 10 221.00 $221.00 $1,423
658 658 3 200.00 $200.00 $1,316
920 920 5 183.00 $183.00 $1,684
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
454 454 5 233.00 $233.00 $1,058
547 547 16 224.00 $224.00 $1,225
623–630 624 11 200.00–215.00 $213.62 $1,333
734 734 10 196.00 $196.00 $1,439
805 805 1 153.00 $153.00 $1,232
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
347 347 3 223.00 $223.00 $774
473 473 2 210.00 $210.00 $993 -40.00
505–533 524 3 180.00–190.00 $186.79 $979 -57.41
582 582 3 219.00 $219.00 $1,275 -27.00
615 615 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,322 +3.66
705–743 729 11 182.00–192.00 $189.42 $1,381 +5.42
965 965 1 187.00 $187.00 $1,805
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370 370 1 202.00 $202.00 $747
445 445 1 190.00 $190.00 $846
665 665 3 170.00 $170.00 $1,130
705 705 2 166.00 $166.00 $1,170
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
540 540 1 216.00 $216.00 $1,166
555 555 1 180.00 $180.00 $999
680 680 1 181.00 $181.00 $1,231
880 880 1 158.00 $158.00 $1,390

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460–488 477 106 216.00–232.00 $230.15 $1,098 -9.85
520–549 540 35 190.00–217.00 $214.33 $1,157 -10.67
567–570 567 91 198.00–236.00 $235.58 $1,336 +6.84
624 624 81 239.00 $239.00 $1,491 +10.37
658–673 669 67 219.00–234.00 $229.59 $1,536 +5.59
732–743 741 65 211.00–228.50 $225.84 $1,673 +10.62
831 831 11 217.00 $217.00 $1,803 +37.00
865 865 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,730
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355–379 377 11 180.00–201.00 $199.20 $751 -0.80
475–488 484 3 180.00–200.00 $193.45 $936 -21.55
500–540 532 5 192.00–198.00 $193.13 $1,027 -22.87
580 580 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,102
610–645 627 3 155.00–179.00 $167.78 $1,052
664 664 4 213.00 $213.00 $1,414
710 710 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,136
755 755 2 187.00 $187.00 $1,412
925 925 1 173.00 $173.00 $1,600
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
457 457 8 180.00 $180.00 $823
545 545 2 151.00 $151.00 $823
565 565 1 157.00 $157.00 $887
618 618 2 167.00 $167.00 $1,032
730 730 1 155.00 $155.00 $1,132

↑ Back to top

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

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.