Compared to last week: Slaughter cows going to the packers very lightly tested and 3.00-8.00 higher. Slaughter bulls steady in a light test. Replacement/stock cow buyers and slaughter buyers were aggressive for numbers. A few bred cows and pairs and these continue to sell to good demand. Overall demand very good.
→ Slaughter bulls: Slaughter bulls steady in a light test
▲ Slaughter cows: Slaughter cows going to the packers very lightly tested and 3.00-8.00 higher
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 going to the packers very lightly tested and 3.00-8.00 higher. Slaughter bulls steady in a light test. Replacement/stock cow buyers and slaughter buyers were aggressive for numbers. A few bred cows and pairs and these continue to sell to good demand. Overall demand very good.