Compared to last week, slaughter cows sold 2.00-4.00 higher and slaughter bulls sold 5.00-7.00 higher. Demand was good on a moderate supply. The slaughter cattle prices paid no attention to the Cattle Futures market and continued sell higher this week. The top slaughter bull sold for 188/cwt. and the top slaughter cow brought 144/cwt. A couple of herd sellouts, of good quality bred cows and pairs, were in the offering. The top bred cows brought 2250/head and the top pairs were short-bred cows with a 400 lb. calf on their side that brought 3100/pair.
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 sold 2.00-4.00 higher and slaughter bulls sold 5.00-7.00 higher. Demand was good on a moderate supply. The slaughter cattle prices paid no attention to the Cattle Futures market and continued sell higher this week. The top slaughter bull sold for 188/cwt. and the top slaughter cow brought 144/cwt. A couple of herd sellouts, of good quality bred cows and pairs, were in the offering. The top bred cows brought 2250/head and the top pairs were short-bred cows with a 400 lb. calf on their side that brought 3100/pair.