Cattle Market Pulse

Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, February 4, 2021

507 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers $158.63/cwt +14.59 vs last sale · ≈ $670/hd at 422 lb · 31 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1-2 steers $147.51/cwt -3.99 vs last sale · ≈ $549/hd at 372 lb · 15 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $113.26/cwt -1.74 vs last sale · ≈ $538/hd at 475 lb · 14 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 507 114 137
Feeder cattle 399 97 111
Slaughter cattle 106 13 26
Replacement cattle 2 4 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, slaughter cattle were 8.00 to 9.00 higher. Four-weight steers were 4.00 to 5.00 higher, while there were too few comparable five- and six-weights the previous week to establish an adequate market comparison; heifers were mostly steady to 2.00 lower; and feeder bulls were unevenly steady. Demand for slaughter cattle was very good and market activity/buyer interest were active. Demand for attractive feeder cattle was good, while demand for plain to average quality cattle was moderate; market activity and buyer interest were mostly moderate. Offerings of cattle were moderate. Cattle quality varied, attractive to plain, with a lot of thin cattle present.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
224–238 231 2 124.00–130.00 $126.91 $293 —
258–282 272 4 127.00–143.00 $137.69 $375 -9.10
304–334 322 5 134.00–138.00 $136.01 $438 -4.61
322 322 1 130.00 $130.00 $419 -10.62
350–398 372 15 138.00–158.00 $147.51 $549 -3.99
402–424 413 2 125.00–129.00 $126.95 $524 -17.09
414 value added 414 14 174.00 $174.00 $720 —
414–446 431 15 138.00–158.00 $148.51 $640 +4.47
468–492 481 4 148.00–150.00 $149.01 $717 +4.01
514–528 522 3 140.00–141.00 $140.66 $734 —
524–534 value added 532 10 150.00–151.00 $150.80 $802 —
580–582 581 2 128.00–133.00 $130.50 $758 —
604 604 1 104.00 $104.00 $628 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
214–246 230 2 110.00 $110.00 $253 —
266–298 278 5 108.00–118.00 $111.65 $310 —
304–348 322 10 105.00–125.00 $113.66 $366 —
358–394 378 5 110.00–120.00 $115.36 $436 —
414–428 421 3 117.00–125.00 $120.65 $508 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
208–248 230 5 93.00–109.00 $99.51 $229 —
260–288 274 4 91.00–106.00 $97.45 $267 -8.55
312–334 325 3 100.00 $100.00 $325 —
356–382 370 5 96.00–108.00 $102.00 $377 —
434 434 1 100.00 $100.00 $434 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
326 326 1 90.00 $90.00 $293 +6.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
238 238 1 116.00 $116.00 $276 —
274 274 1 110.00 $110.00 $301 -10.00
300–346 317 3 116.00–128.00 $122.61 $389 -1.39
330 330 1 110.00 $110.00 $363 -14.00
352–394 372 7 114.00–128.00 $120.91 $450 +1.39
400–442 420 5 115.00–127.00 $119.48 $502 +4.26
432 432 1 105.00 $105.00 $454 -10.22
452–498 475 14 100.00–119.00 $113.26 $538 -1.74
516–546 527 4 104.00–110.00 $106.95 $564 -1.05
568 568 1 98.00 $98.00 $557 -12.00
554–598 578 6 100.00–115.00 $109.70 $634 -0.30
600–622 613 3 103.00–108.00 $105.98 $650 +20.98
670 670 1 96.00 $96.00 $643 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
246 246 1 111.00 $111.00 $273 —
264–294 287 4 100.00–105.00 $102.43 $294 -9.57
318–348 338 3 98.00–112.00 $107.61 $364 —
360–384 372 2 95.00–100.00 $97.58 $363 -7.83
400–422 411 2 88.00–100.00 $93.84 $386 -11.14
450–498 466 8 81.00–100.00 $86.16 $402 —
548 548 1 86.00 $86.00 $471 +6.00
566 566 1 75.00 $75.00 $424 -7.00
572 572 1 91.00 $91.00 $521 +9.00
638 638 1 82.00 $82.00 $523 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200–232 215 4 89.00–99.00 $92.80 $200 —
266–298 285 5 90.00–92.00 $91.24 $260 —
308–326 315 4 80.00–92.00 $85.21 $268 —
354–370 362 2 88.00–90.00 $89.02 $322 —
406 406 1 80.00 $80.00 $325 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 1 82.00 $82.00 $201 —
330–336 333 2 70.00–82.00 $76.05 $253 —
358–382 370 2 76.00 $76.00 $281 —
410 410 1 74.00 $74.00 $303 —
458–490 472 4 62.00–74.00 $69.30 $327 —
506 506 1 70.00 $70.00 $354 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
452–496 471 10 130.00–140.00 $134.40 $633 -0.73
502–548 523 11 125.00–134.00 $129.71 $678 —
552–576 564 10 120.00–135.00 $129.42 $730 +9.42
604–634 623 3 100.00–104.00 $101.35 $631 -9.65
652 652 1 96.00 $96.00 $626 —
728 728 1 100.00 $100.00 $728 —
966–988 977 2 81.00–82.00 $81.49 $796 +1.49
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
478–496 487 2 94.00–110.00 $102.15 $497 -6.85
514–522 518 2 100.00–115.00 $107.44 $557 —
526 526 1 80.00 $80.00 $421 —
614 614 1 83.00 $83.00 $510 —
678 678 1 72.00 $72.00 $488 —
684 684 1 79.00 $79.00 $540 —
748 748 1 79.00 $79.00 $591 —
750–776 763 2 70.00–80.00 $75.09 $573 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
492–496 494 2 80.00–87.00 $83.51 $413 —
554 554 1 76.00 $76.00 $421 —
602 602 1 70.00 $70.00 $421 —
692 692 1 62.00 $62.00 $429 —
772–796 784 2 60.00 $60.00 $470 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 1 74.00 $74.00 $363 -16.00
536 536 1 61.00 $61.00 $327 —
634 634 1 72.00 $72.00 $456 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
718–1000 862 85-90% 6 30.00–50.00 $44.41 $383 —
794–1340 979 85-90% 28 50.00–64.00 $59.07 $578 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
946–1616 1156 80-85% 22 65.00–75.00 $69.63 $805 —
1218–1452 1336 80-85% 10 76.00–82.00 $78.46 $1,048 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1314–1660 1481 75-80% 7 73.00–79.00 $75.06 $1,112 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1054–1452 1253 2 64.00–70.00 $67.48 $846 —
1348–1910 1558 5 82.00–92.00 $86.27 $1,344 —
1250–2152 1699 4 97.00–109.00 $101.10 $1,718 —

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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
944–982 963 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 2 650.00–750.00 $700.99 -224.01

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
328 328 1 76.00 $76.00 $249 —
368 368 1 56.00 $56.00 $206 —
482 482 1 67.00 $67.00 $323 -13.00
Small 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370 370 1 34.00 $34.00 $126 —
450 450 1 49.00 $49.00 $220 —
642 642 1 51.00 $51.00 $327 —

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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.