Compared to last week, slaughter cows and bulls traded 2.00-4.00 higher. Demand was very good on slaughter animals and moderate on replacement cattle. The supply of slaughter animals was heavy while the supply of bred cows and pairs was light. The USDA's Cold Storage Report released last week reported that total pounds of beef in freezers were up 4 percent from the previous month and up 1 percent from last year. We continue to see a lot of good cows going to slaughter as packers are willing to pay more for them than most producers can afford.
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 and bulls traded 2.00-4.00 higher. Demand was very good on slaughter animals and moderate on replacement cattle. The supply of slaughter animals was heavy while the supply of bred cows and pairs was light. The USDA's Cold Storage Report released last week reported that total pounds of beef in freezers were up 4 percent from the previous month and up 1 percent from last year. We continue to see a lot of good cows going to slaughter as packers are willing to pay more for them than most producers can afford.