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Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock · usually sells Thursdays

Sale of Thursday, July 16, 2026

253 head sold ·Official USDA report · Past reports (268)

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $341.33/cwt -41.95 vs last sale · ≈ $1,976/hd at 579 lb · 17 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $383.73/cwt -36.27 vs last sale · ≈ $2,199/hd at 573 lb · 14 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $376.40/cwt -43.32 vs last sale · ≈ $1,773/hd at 471 lb · 13 head
Smithfield's 5-weight heifers sold at $343/cwt, running $27/cwt below the NC average ($370) and $65/cwt under Siler City, NC ($408). The class is down $12 from its early July peak of $371. What this means — computed from this report and its neighbors

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 253 298 357
Feeder cattle 216 260 303
Slaughter cattle 34 36 30
Replacement cattle 3 2 24

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, slaughter cattle were mostly steady. Feeder cattle were sharply lower. Demand was moderate; market activity and buyer interest were moderate. Offerings of cattle were light. Cattle quality was average.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380–394 387 2 440.00–465.00 $452.27 $1,750 -47.73
404–443 429 10 420.00–460.00 $429.50 $1,843 -15.50
498 498 4 414.00 $414.00 $2,062 —
520–524 522 3 412.50–425.00 $420.01 $2,192 -9.99
552–580 573 14 370.00–400.00 $383.73 $2,199 -36.27
608–632 619 11 340.00–380.00 $355.77 $2,202 +5.77
656–660 658 2 330.00–389.00 $359.59 $2,366 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
864 864 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,506 —
936 936 1 270.00 $270.00 $2,527 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
436 436 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,744 —
476 476 1 370.00 $370.00 $1,761 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
222 222 1 430.00 $430.00 $955 -22.16
276 276 1 410.00 $410.00 $1,132 —
312 312 1 410.00 $410.00 $1,279 -36.23
356–398 383 3 380.00–420.00 $407.60 $1,561 -20.21
404–448 425 10 375.00–415.00 $402.24 $1,710 -19.52
450–488 471 13 345.00–400.00 $376.40 $1,773 -38.62
502–544 524 9 320.00–390.00 $345.50 $1,810 +0.50
552–598 579 17 320.00–377.50 $341.33 $1,976 -41.95
604–638 622 5 310.00–340.00 $327.15 $2,035 -27.85
656–682 669 2 315.00–330.00 $322.65 $2,159 +2.65
762 762 1 265.00 $265.00 $2,019 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
392 392 1 370.00 $370.00 $1,450 -19.68
442 442 2 355.00 $355.00 $1,569 -31.28
478 478 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,625 —
556 556 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,668 —
662 662 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,655 —
746 746 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,977 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
388 388 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,474 —
418–420 419 2 375.00–385.00 $379.99 $1,592 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
232–236 234 2 435.00–445.00 $439.96 $1,030 —
250–288 271 5 440.00–470.00 $449.75 $1,219 -35.25
302–322 312 2 455.00–465.00 $459.84 $1,435 -28.09
352–394 379 4 427.50–445.00 $438.04 $1,660 -31.91
406–448 422 7 385.00–427.50 $417.34 $1,761 -48.01
456–496 479 5 390.00–425.00 $405.70 $1,943 -43.49
508–544 521 10 360.00–390.00 $371.36 $1,935 -35.04
556–570 561 6 345.00–377.50 $367.47 $2,062 -15.51
608–618 613 3 320.00–330.00 $326.69 $2,003 -20.81
708 708 1 295.00 $295.00 $2,089 -11.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
264–298 281 2 415.00–420.00 $417.65 $1,174 —
362–394 379 4 415.00–420.00 $418.75 $1,587 +20.43
402–444 420 6 380.00–415.00 $394.64 $1,657 -5.36
504 504 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,663 -50.00
566–576 571 2 300.00–335.00 $317.65 $1,814 —
762 762 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,905 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
282 282 1 300.00 $300.00 $846 -45.00
356–374 365 2 330.00–350.00 $339.75 $1,240 +24.75

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
878–1142 1038 85-90% 11 145.00–157.00 $152.19 $1,580 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
934–1414 1120 80-85% 7 157.00–175.00 $163.74 $1,834 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1268–1536 1415 75-80% 3 165.00–180.00 $174.16 $2,464 +3.23

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1046 1046 1 176.00 $176.00 $1,841 —
1604–1754 1672 4 200.00–205.00 $202.03 $3,378 —
1734–1892 1813 2 210.00–212.50 $211.30 $3,831 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
842 842 (<2 yrs)Open 1 250.00 $250.00 $2,105
976 976 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,952

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1172 1172 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,900.00 $2,900.00 —

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Price trend

high 467.47 low 305.00 Aug 2025 Jul 2026

550–599 lb Medium and Large 1 steers — head-weighted average $/cwt by sale date, last 12 months.

Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

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.

← Previous sale (Jul 9, 2026)

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