Compared to last week, slaughter cows traded 3.00-6.00 higher and slaughter bulls traded steady. Demand was very good on slaughter animals and moderate on replacement cattle. The supply was light as winter weather moved into the area. Ringside was made up of mostly slaughter buyers as most stocker and bred cows were sent to packing plants instead of pastures.
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 traded 3.00-6.00 higher and slaughter bulls traded steady. Demand was very good on slaughter animals and moderate on replacement cattle. The supply was light as winter weather moved into the area. Ringside was made up of mostly slaughter buyers as most stocker and bred cows were sent to packing plants instead of pastures.