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Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 18, 2023

338 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 bulls $184.42/cwt +8.20 vs last sale · ≈ $1,051/hd at 570 lb · 13 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 bulls $174.40/cwt +11.63 vs last sale · ≈ $1,186/hd at 680 lb · 12 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $165.81/cwt +2.11 vs last sale · ≈ $947/hd at 571 lb · 12 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 338 458 342
Feeder cattle 293 410 280
Slaughter cattle 40 44 62
Replacement cattle 5 4 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, slaughter cattle were mostly steady. Feeder cattle were steady to 2.00 higher. Demand was good; market activity and buyer interest were active. Offering of cattle was moderate. Cattle quality was average.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
302 302 1 210.00 $210.00 $634 -0.98
378 378 1 215.00 $215.00 $813 -2.99
408 408 1 215.00 $215.00 $877 +3.93
452–480 466 2 194.00–210.00 $201.76 $940 +1.76
500–507 503 7 214.00–217.00 $215.30 $1,083 +19.70
596 596 1 207.50 $207.50 $1,237 +3.46
600 600 10 175.00–200.00 $197.50 $1,185 +2.14
632 632 1 159.00 $159.00 $1,005 -36.36
670–682 676 2 172.50–179.00 $175.78 $1,188 -3.80
796 796 1 172.00 $172.00 $1,369 +3.86
828 828 1 162.50 $162.50 $1,346 -3.41
878–894 885 3 162.50–175.00 $170.17 $1,506 —
920 920 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,334 —
1004–1025 1021 5 150.00–151.00 $150.20 $1,534 —
1148 1148 2 137.00 $137.00 $1,573 —
1224 1224 1 134.00 $134.00 $1,640 —
1320 1320 1 134.00 $134.00 $1,769 —
1468 1468 1 131.00 $131.00 $1,923 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
312 312 1 195.00 $195.00 $608 +10.00
448 448 1 185.00 $185.00 $829 —
534 534 1 150.00 $150.00 $801 —
1002 1002 1 123.00 $123.00 $1,232 -12.00
1148 1148 1 119.00 $119.00 $1,366 -6.00
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
406 406 1 170.00 $170.00 $690 +9.01
486 486 1 150.00 $150.00 $729 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 1 150.00 $150.00 $600 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
224 224 1 200.00 $200.00 $448 +20.00
310–346 321 5 180.00–205.00 $197.60 $634 —
356–398 379 8 190.00–210.00 $197.16 $747 +8.90
403–438 421 7 180.00–197.00 $190.82 $803 +7.80
460–492 477 4 170.00–189.00 $179.67 $857 +11.90
552–592 571 12 160.00–177.00 $165.81 $947 +2.11
600–643 625 10 161.00–166.00 $164.26 $1,027 +3.25
670–696 681 3 160.00–167.00 $164.61 $1,121 +13.40
710–748 729 2 156.00–161.00 $158.43 $1,155 —
764 764 1 157.00 $157.00 $1,199 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365–372 369 2 165.00–175.00 $170.05 $627 +10.74
410–438 425 4 160.00–178.00 $169.41 $720 +12.83
452–476 469 4 150.00–175.00 $163.17 $765 +12.69
500–546 517 4 133.00–157.50 $145.85 $754 -4.63
560–578 567 3 134.00–160.00 $151.16 $857 —
616–630 623 2 150.00 $150.00 $934 +30.00
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 150.00 $150.00 $360 —
268 268 1 150.00 $150.00 $402 -2.59
342 342 1 150.00 $150.00 $513 +10.00
360 360 1 155.00 $155.00 $558 —
404 404 1 160.00 $160.00 $646 +8.34
486 486 1 159.00 $159.00 $773 +14.00
516–528 522 2 130.00–148.00 $138.90 $725 +8.90
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 120.00 $120.00 $360 —
486 486 1 130.00 $130.00 $632 ±0.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220–242 233 3 207.50–222.50 $213.55 $498 +8.55
262–266 264 2 190.00–204.00 $197.05 $520 -7.14
334–336 335 2 188.00–200.00 $194.02 $650 -19.92
376–399 391 9 200.00–215.00 $209.01 $817 -3.38
412–444 430 4 190.00–200.00 $194.61 $837 -7.41
452–496 480 11 190.00–215.00 $200.72 $963 +0.93
518–549 535 9 175.00–198.00 $191.31 $1,024 +2.82
550–598 570 13 180.00–197.00 $184.42 $1,051 +8.20
604–636 619 6 165.00–188.00 $175.31 $1,085 +3.65
668–694 680 12 165.00–180.00 $174.40 $1,186 +11.63
718–728 725 3 165.00–169.00 $167.68 $1,216 +7.69
782 782 1 157.00 $157.00 $1,228 -1.01
840 840 1 162.50 $162.50 $1,365 -1.50
850 850 1 166.00 $166.00 $1,411 +15.97
918–946 932 2 137.50–140.00 $138.77 $1,293 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
248 248 1 190.00 $190.00 $471 —
386 386 1 180.00 $180.00 $695 —
414–448 424 5 180.00–185.00 $183.36 $777 +6.61
460–494 477 2 168.00–170.00 $168.96 $806 -2.09
512–522 517 2 172.50–180.00 $176.21 $911 +15.82
558–572 565 2 160.00–175.00 $167.59 $947 +13.34
606–642 624 2 160.00 $160.00 $998 —
910 910 1 100.00 $100.00 $910 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
228 228 1 150.00 $150.00 $342 ±0.00
250 250 1 175.00 $175.00 $438 +12.80
366 366 1 150.00 $150.00 $549 -2.00
426 426 1 159.00 $159.00 $677 +18.48
488 488 1 152.50 $152.50 $744 —
604 604 1 142.50 $142.50 $861 —
686 686 1 113.00 $113.00 $775 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
382 382 1 130.00 $130.00 $497 -5.00
406–434 420 2 93.00–140.00 $115.72 $486 -9.28
Small 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
684 684 1 82.50 $82.50 $564 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
880–1270 1089 80-85% 10 90.00–108.00 $98.98 $1,078 —
1304 1304 80-85% 1 80.00 $80.00 $1,043 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
790–1294 973 85-90% 7 80.00–90.00 $85.62 $833 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1200–1828 1490 75-80% 3 90.00–103.00 $96.72 $1,441 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1022–2332 1523 7 100.00–117.00 $110.18 $1,678 —
1936–2206 2031 5 122.00–128.00 $124.61 $2,531 —

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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
775 775 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 775.00 $775.00 —
920–1154 1036 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 4 1,075.00–1,475.00 $1,295.70 —

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Dairy Heifers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
848 848 1 97.00 $97.00 $823 —

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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.