Cattle Market Pulse

Powell Livestock Market Report, Smithfield, NC

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, March 24, 2022

248 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $157.95/cwt ≈ $980/hd at 621 lb · 21 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $135.87/cwt -17.95 vs last sale · ≈ $581/hd at 428 lb · 15 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $132.50/cwt +3.07 vs last sale · ≈ $630/hd at 475 lb · 12 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 248 399 563
Feeder cattle 188 358 494
Slaughter cattle 56 39 68
Replacement cattle 4 2 1

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, boning type slaughter cows were 2.00 to 3.00 higher and slaughter bulls were 15.00 to 16.00 higher; there were too few comparable breaking type slaughter cows the previous week to establish an adequate market comparison. Feeder cattle were unevenly steady. Demand was fairly good; market activity and buyer interest were fairly active. Offerings of cattle were fairly light due to inclement weather in the region (Tornado Warning). Cattle quality was mostly average. "By the head" calves ranged 140.00 to 200.00 per head.

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
252 fancy 252 1 168.00 $168.00 $423 —
262–286 271 3 154.00–164.00 $160.49 $435 +9.25
292 292 1 139.00 $139.00 $406 -12.24
330–348 thin fleshed 339 2 144.00–147.00 $145.54 $493 —
354–384 365 3 150.00–158.00 $153.29 $560 -7.27
370 370 1 146.00 $146.00 $540 -14.56
388 thin fleshed 388 1 142.00 $142.00 $551 —
422–428 425 5 148.00–160.00 $154.00 $654 +11.68
456 456 1 153.00 $153.00 $698 -11.00
493 493 2 141.00 $141.00 $695 —
542 542 4 156.00 $156.00 $846 +9.80
552 552 1 141.00 $141.00 $778 -5.99
560 value added 560 1 164.00 $164.00 $918 -17.00
564 564 1 120.00 $120.00 $677 -26.99
616–634 value added 620 19 152.00–163.00 $160.63 $996 —
612–642 627 2 132.00–133.00 $132.49 $831 —
862 862 1 126.00 $126.00 $1,086 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
344 344 1 128.00 $128.00 $440 +1.51
418 fancy 418 1 140.00 $140.00 $585 —
426–444 435 2 120.00–130.00 $124.90 $543 +2.24
462 fancy 462 1 142.00 $142.00 $656 —
550 550 1 128.00 $128.00 $704 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
342 342 1 100.00 $100.00 $342 -1.43
426–428 427 2 94.00–98.00 $96.00 $410 —
688 688 1 102.00 $102.00 $702 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
728–742 735 2 113.00–115.00 $113.99 $838 —
814 814 1 116.00 $116.00 $944 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
264–294 280 5 129.00–140.00 $135.27 $379 +3.31
304–338 322 4 137.00–140.00 $138.49 $446 -6.81
352–384 369 4 129.00–140.00 $133.78 $494 +4.00
382 fancy 382 1 143.00 $143.00 $546 —
388 thin fleshed 388 1 128.00 $128.00 $497 —
416 fancy 416 1 147.00 $147.00 $612 —
414–441 427 10 132.00–143.00 $138.11 $590 +3.78
414–440 427 2 130.00 $130.00 $555 -4.33
428–448 thin fleshed 438 2 125.00 $125.00 $548 —
468 fancy 468 1 148.00 $148.00 $693 —
458–496 476 11 126.00–136.00 $131.09 $624 +1.66
502–542 522 4 120.00–126.00 $121.49 $634 +0.49
568–598 583 2 121.00–122.00 $121.49 $708 —
596 fancy 596 1 141.00 $141.00 $840 —
610 610 1 120.00 $120.00 $732 -2.48
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
402 thin fleshed 402 1 100.00 $100.00 $402 —
494–496 495 2 116.00–119.00 $117.50 $582 —
510–512 511 3 110.00–118.00 $113.33 $579 -0.71
550 550 1 114.00 $114.00 $627 +0.16
606 606 1 116.00 $116.00 $703 +4.00
731 731 7 118.00 $118.00 $863 —
1022 1022 1 90.00 $90.00 $920 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
398 398 1 94.00 $94.00 $374 —
500 500 1 86.00 $86.00 $430 -15.72
702 thin fleshed 702 1 88.00 $88.00 $618 —
886 886 1 77.00 $77.00 $682 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 1 120.00 $120.00 $432 +0.73

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450–468 459 2 139.00–152.00 $145.37 $667 +5.98
488 thin fleshed 488 1 132.00 $132.00 $644 —
502 fancy 502 1 166.00 $166.00 $833 —
504–548 528 3 133.00–135.00 $134.36 $709 +0.07
588 588 1 129.00 $129.00 $759 -2.91
597 thin fleshed 597 2 123.00 $123.00 $734 +1.48
608–640 625 5 122.00–134.00 $127.63 $798 -2.85
664–678 672 3 120.00–131.00 $124.63 $838 —
894 894 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,073 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 110.00 $110.00 $528 -6.43
650–694 676 4 116.00–118.00 $116.98 $791 -0.51
746 746 1 116.00 $116.00 $865 +5.99
780 780 1 116.00 $116.00 $905 —
976 976 1 111.00 $111.00 $1,083 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470–494 482 2 120.00–124.00 $122.05 $588 +0.55
540 540 1 123.00 $123.00 $664 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
472 472 1 94.00 $94.00 $444 —
774 thin fleshed 774 1 84.00 $84.00 $650 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
748–778 763 85-90% 2 25.00–28.00 $26.47 $202 —
868–1052 960 85-90% 2 50.00–52.00 $50.90 $489 -19.30
790–1180 981 85-90% 8 68.00–75.00 $72.46 $711 +2.26
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
948–968 958 80-85% 2 79.00 $79.00 $757 —
946–1026 996 80-85% 3 82.00–86.00 $83.99 $837 —
1182–1274 1244 80-85% 4 98.00–105.00 $101.19 $1,259 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1336–1516 1426 75-80% 2 80.00–85.00 $82.34 $1,174 —
1468–1590 1538 75-80% 3 99.00–106.00 $102.05 $1,570 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1008–1440 1271 3 73.00 $73.00 $928 -16.82
1148–1910 1524 4 100.00–110.00 $105.16 $1,603 —
1730–2144 1901 4 117.00–125.00 $122.94 $2,337 —

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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
996 996 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 800.00 $800.00 —
1054 1054 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,050.00 $1,050.00 —
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
872 872 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 950.00 $950.00 —
874 thin fleshed 874 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 650.00 $650.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
694 694 1 94.00 $94.00 $652 —
Small 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
426 426 1 68.00 $68.00 $290 —

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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.