Cattle Market Pulse

Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, January 28, 2021

114 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Powell Livestock Market report →

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 114 369 662
Feeder cattle 97 279 553
Slaughter cattle 13 87 109
Replacement cattle 4 3 0

There were too few head to establish an adequate market comparison. Demand was good; market activity and buyer interest were active. Offerings of cattle were very light due to an overnight snowfall. Cattle quality was average.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
264–292 276 3 142.00–150.00 $146.79 $405 +4.79
300–310 305 3 137.00–147.00 $140.62 $429 -6.87
350–354 352 2 151.00–152.00 $151.50 $533 +3.71
414–430 422 3 138.00–150.00 $144.04 $608 -6.94
472 472 1 145.00 $145.00 $684 -1.64
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
304 304 1 84.00 $84.00 $255
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
288 288 1 106.00 $106.00 $305 ±0.00

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
292 292 1 120.00 $120.00 $350 +0.51
304 304 1 124.00 $124.00 $377 +6.30
350–390 363 5 114.00–124.00 $119.52 $434 -6.38
402–418 409 5 112.00–118.00 $115.22 $471 -5.09
474–478 476 2 114.00–116.00 $115.00 $547 -5.94
528 528 1 108.00 $108.00 $570 -4.23
552 552 1 110.00 $110.00 $607 -0.02
642 642 1 85.00 $85.00 $546 -23.61
1016 1016 1 88.00 $88.00 $894
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
274 274 1 112.00 $112.00 $307 +2.92
352–394 375 3 95.00–112.00 $105.41 $395 +6.32
402–442 419 4 100.00–110.00 $104.98 $440 +2.69
542 542 1 80.00 $80.00 $434 ±0.00
582 582 1 82.00 $82.00 $477 -4.03
746 746 1 68.00 $68.00 $507
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
150 150 1 105.00 $105.00 $158

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450–474 462 2 130.00–140.00 $135.13 $624 -11.89
554 554 1 120.00 $120.00 $665 -1.50
624 624 2 111.00 $111.00 $693 -8.00
850 850 1 74.00 $74.00 $629
966 966 1 80.00 $80.00 $773
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
482 482 1 109.00 $109.00 $525 +4.04
572 572 1 116.00 $116.00 $664 +11.94
864 864 1 71.00 $71.00 $613
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 90.00 $90.00 $432

↑ Back to top

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
992–1182 1094 80-85% 4 61.00–62.00 $61.50 $673
1056–1208 1148 80-85% 5 69.00–76.00 $72.81 $836 +14.17
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140 1140 85-90% 1 46.00 $46.00 $524

↑ Back to top

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1280–1570 1425 2 74.00–82.00 $77.59 $1,106

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
982 982 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 925.00 $925.00
920–1266 1060 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 800.00–950.00 $866.95

↑ Back to top

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
166–188 179 7 83.00–88.00 $86.01 $154
200 200 4 81.00 $81.00 $162
478 478 1 80.00 $80.00 $382

↑ Back to top

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.