Cattle Market Pulse

Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, March 10, 2022

590 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $141.48/cwt +10.42 vs last sale · ≈ $720/hd at 509 lb · 28 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers $174.49/cwt -7.67 vs last sale · ≈ $720/hd at 412 lb · 27 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 bulls $139.04/cwt -30.74 vs last sale · ≈ $656/hd at 472 lb · 25 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 590 350 615
Feeder cattle 513 271 507
Slaughter cattle 62 64 100
Replacement cattle 15 15 8

Compared to last week, slaughter cows were steady to 1.00 higher and slaughter bulls were 9.00 to 10.00 higher. Feeder steers were sharply lower; heifers were mostly 10.00 to 16.00 lower; and feeder bulls were mostly 16.00 to 20.00 lower. Demand was good for value added cattle, but moderate at best for other cattle; market activity and buyer interest were moderate. Offerings of cattle were mostly moderate. 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
256–290 276 3 147.00–151.00 $149.64 $413 -14.62
326–349 343 7 144.00–152.00 $145.69 $500 -21.77
354–388 374 4 148.00–150.00 $148.73 $556 -35.52
374–398 fancy 386 2 158.00–160.00 $159.03 $614
382–392 387 2 142.00 $142.00 $550 -42.25
401 value added 401 16 192.00 $192.00 $770
408–446 429 11 144.00–156.00 $149.02 $639 -23.03
454–490 478 7 147.00–161.00 $154.13 $737 -29.93
508 value added 508 22 185.00 $185.00 $940
586 value added 586 4 170.00 $170.00 $996
667–698 677 3 130.00–131.00 $130.34 $882
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
254–270 fancy 262 2 128.00–135.00 $131.61 $345
270–284 279 3 118.00–120.00 $119.02 $332
306–342 322 5 119.00–128.00 $122.14 $393
326–338 thin fleshed 332 2 113.00 $113.00 $375
359–392 381 9 129.00–135.00 $131.41 $501 -15.42
404–422 fancy 415 3 129.00–133.00 $131.32 $545
414–446 429 4 119.00–126.00 $121.06 $519
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
174–198 185 3 110.00–115.00 $113.36 $210
216–246 231 3 116.00–120.00 $117.58 $272
268–288 278 2 95.00–99.00 $96.93 $269
308–338 323 2 101.00–103.00 $101.95 $329
350–382 366 2 94.00 $94.00 $344
364–384 374 2 104.00–113.00 $108.38 $405

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
254–272 263 2 128.00–131.00 $129.55 $341 -17.21
314–348 331 4 127.00–131.00 $129.17 $428 -15.81
364–398 381 7 124.00–130.00 $127.40 $485 -14.65
418 value added 418 17 166.00 $166.00 $694
404–440 419 5 125.00–130.00 $126.63 $531 -11.89
428–432 fancy 430 2 140.00–152.00 $146.03 $628 -2.42
452–492 471 4 120.00–122.00 $120.99 $570 -18.45
460–494 thin fleshed 474 3 117.00–120.00 $118.63 $562
466–488 479 4 110.00–115.00 $112.01 $537 -27.43
500 value added 500 18 154.00 $154.00 $770
500–548 524 10 114.00–124.00 $118.95 $623 -15.32
556–574 fancy 565 2 128.00–130.00 $129.02 $729
550–586 567 7 114.00–117.00 $115.29 $654 -10.02
604–646 622 5 107.00–114.00 $109.99 $684 -5.65
708–716 712 2 100.00–101.00 $100.50 $716
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
316–336 326 2 110.00 $110.00 $359
362–396 376 5 110.00–117.00 $112.14 $422
388–396 fancy 392 2 121.00–124.00 $122.48 $480
400–422 411 2 106.00–108.00 $107.03 $440
426–432 429 2 100.00 $100.00 $429
450–496 469 8 107.00–115.00 $110.70 $519
508–538 523 2 104.00 $104.00 $544 -2.10
560–586 573 2 100.00–101.00 $100.51 $576
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
184–189 187 2 101.00–110.00 $105.56 $197
452–490 475 3 90.00–92.00 $91.31 $434

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
461–474 463 11 149.00–155.00 $150.38 $696 -19.14
450–483 thin fleshed 479 14 130.00–132.00 $130.13 $623
522–526 524 2 121.00–122.00 $121.50 $637 -25.51
506–544 527 11 125.00–134.00 $130.64 $688 -16.37
556–587 576 5 125.00–132.00 $130.00 $749 -22.72
570–581 thin fleshed 578 4 117.00 $117.00 $676 -14.57
620–648 630 5 110.00–113.00 $110.80 $698 -13.22
650–670 660 2 111.00–113.00 $112.02 $739 -11.92
664–698 thin fleshed 686 4 101.00–106.00 $103.25 $708
708–732 thin fleshed 720 3 93.00–99.00 $95.98 $691
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460–474 thin fleshed 467 2 110.00–111.00 $110.51 $516
476–482 fancy 479 2 125.00–128.00 $126.49 $606
502–546 520 6 110.00–117.00 $112.36 $584
550–588 574 3 105.00–114.00 $108.69 $624
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
462–490 476 2 90.00–92.00 $90.97 $433

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
910–1494 1222 80-85% 11 73.00–79.00 $76.18 $931
1078–1468 1223 80-85% 6 83.00–90.00 $86.00 $1,052
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
794–890 850 85-90% 3 45.00–49.00 $47.02 $400
940–1132 1039 85-90% 4 62.00–69.00 $65.22 $678
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1236–1676 1480 75-80% 5 70.00–80.00 $74.83 $1,107

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1054–1648 1351 2 63.00–65.00 $64.22 $868
1390–1564 1477 2 100.00–105.00 $102.65 $1,516
1382–2278 1835 11 110.00–115.00 $112.77 $2,069

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
880 880 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 850.00 $850.00 -237.84
924–1130 993 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 3 750.00–875.00 $826.76
1034–1038 1036 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 2 1,025.00 $1,025.00 -252.27
1092 1092 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,300.00 $1,300.00
1176 1176 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,100.00 $1,100.00
1262 1262 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,050.00 $1,050.00
1288 1288 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 1,125.00 $1,125.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
606–820 689 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 525.00–650.00 $611.28 -63.72
Medium and Large 3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1038 1038 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 675.00 $675.00

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Small 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
189 189 3 90.00 $90.00 $170
223–248 thin fleshed 233 5 80.00 $80.00 $186
238–240 fancy 239 2 99.00–106.00 $102.49 $245
234–248 243 6 89.00–91.00 $89.68 $218
258–275 269 5 87.00–90.00 $87.97 $237
Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
196 196 1 115.00 $115.00 $225
238 238 1 122.50 $122.50 $292 +28.50
318 318 1 99.00 $99.00 $315

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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.