Compared to last week: Slaughter cows to lightly tested to set a trend. Slaughter bulls 2.00 higher. Packers had a very difficult time gathering cattle today, as return-to-feed buyers were extremely aggressive on nearly everything that came through the ring. With rainfall over the past 10 days, some buyers are hoping to get 30 to 45 days of wheat grazing on these return-to-feed cows, adding weight before bringing them back to town.
▲ Slaughter bulls: Slaughter bulls 2.00 higher
→ Slaughter cows: Slaughter cows to lightly tested to set a trend
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: Slaughter cows to lightly tested to set a trend. Slaughter bulls 2.00 higher. Packers had a very difficult time gathering cattle today, as return-to-feed buyers were extremely aggressive on nearly everything that came through the ring. With rainfall over the past 10 days, some buyers are hoping to get 30 to 45 days of wheat grazing on these return-to-feed cows, adding weight before bringing them back to town.