Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, August 19, 2021

312 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 bulls $130.33/cwt -3.19 vs last sale · ≈ $616/hd at 473 lb · 15 head

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 bulls $125.33/cwt +0.88 vs last sale · ≈ $668/hd at 533 lb · 13 head

light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $122.62/cwt -9.18 vs last sale · ≈ $516/hd at 421 lb · 11 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	312	458	651
Feeder cattle	238	359	532
Slaughter cattle	74	44	119
Replacement cattle	—	55	—

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, breaking type slaughter cows were 5.00 to 6.00 higher, while boning type slaughter cows were steady to 1.00 lower; there were too few slaughter bulls to establish an adequate market comparison. Feeder steers and heifers were mostly 9.00 to 11.00 lower on a light test, while feeder bulls were unevenly steady. Demand was light to moderate; market activity and buyer interest were moderate. Offerings of cattle were fairly light due to excessive heat. Cattle quality was average.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
220–248	232	4	136.00–140.00	$138.55	$321	-22.43
280–292	288	4	145.00–151.00	$148.52	$428	-0.01
302–340	327	5	146.00–153.00	$149.42	$489	-7.09
366–398	378	10	133.00–145.00	$138.67	$524	-9.89
406–444	425	11	130.00–141.00	$134.30	$571	-9.45
456–476	467	3	129.00–139.00	$133.59	$624	—
625–636	629	3	126.00–128.00	$126.67	$797	+2.18
650–684	662	5	120.00–130.00	$125.57	$831	—

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
218–242	227	3	119.00–130.00	$123.24	$280	—
258–292	272	3	130.00	$130.00	$354	—
352–386	367	4	117.00–126.00	$121.34	$445	-4.44
416–446	434	3	110.00–120.00	$116.80	$507	-7.06

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
266–292	283	3	120.00–131.00	$126.88	$359	-8.83
304–332	321	4	120.00–130.00	$123.81	$397	-13.25
356–386	369	3	120.00–126.00	$123.41	$455	-6.73
400–448	421	11	117.00–126.00	$122.62	$516	-9.18
470–492	482	5	121.00–127.00	$123.96	$597	-4.22
502–524	513	4	111.00–121.00	$116.98	$600	-6.83
512–538	529	3	106.00–108.00	$107.36	$568	-16.45
552–584	572	8	107.00–116.00	$111.88	$640	-10.74
614–648	634	3	101.00–110.00	$106.00	$672	-14.01
652–664	658	2	112.00–113.00	$112.50	$740	-13.93

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
175–190	183	2	114.00	$114.00	$209	—
310–346	331	3	106.00–115.00	$110.93	$367	-1.08
458–496	483	3	103.00–109.00	$105.73	$511	-5.47
510–548	529	2	102.00	$102.00	$540	-0.98

Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
226–238	232	2	105.00–107.00	$105.97	$246	—

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
452–498	473	15	127.00–135.00	$130.33	$616	-3.19
504–548	533	13	119.00–131.00	$125.33	$668	+0.88
556–588	576	4	122.00–130.00	$126.23	$727	+4.16
612–648	629	7	114.00–124.00	$116.87	$735	+6.51
670–676	673	2	115.00–118.00	$116.51	$784	+6.51
702–736	719	2	109.00–110.00	$109.51	$787	-0.09
772–790	781	2	103.00–109.00	$105.97	$828	+1.31

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
464–472	468	2	122.00–127.00	$124.48	$583	+12.78
626–630	628	2	103.00–106.00	$104.50	$656	—

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1038–1244	1134	80-85%	4	75.00–77.00	$76.01	$862	—
858–1534	1150	80-85%	18	67.00–74.00	$70.32	$809	—

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
704–1000	857	85-90%	8	42.50–48.00	$44.95	$385	—
836–1242	1023	85-90%	12	59.00–64.00	$61.26	$627	—

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1190–1720	1480	75-80%	6	68.00–75.00	$72.50	$1,073	—

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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.