Cattle Market Pulse

Powell Livestock Market Report, Smithfield, NC

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, August 24, 2023

340 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $180.13/cwt -6.47 vs last sale · ≈ $947/hd at 526 lb · 20 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 bulls $181.82/cwt -15.78 vs last sale · ≈ $956/hd at 526 lb · 14 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $187.08/cwt -13.05 vs last sale · ≈ $791/hd at 423 lb · 12 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 340 337 417
Feeder cattle 260 232 366
Slaughter cattle 74 102 50
Replacement cattle 6 3 1

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week slaughter cattle were mostly steady. Feeder cattle were 4.00 to 8.00 lower. Demand was moderate; market activity and buyer interest were moderate. Offerings of cattle were moderate. Cattle quality was plain to average. Baby Calves: 50.00 to 160.00, 5 head

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
254 254 1 215.00 $215.00 $546 —
354 354 1 215.00 $215.00 $761 -20.59
512 512 1 232.50 $232.50 $1,190 +22.50
552 552 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,242 -0.83
612 612 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,438 +5.00
754 754 1 202.50 $202.50 $1,527 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
228 228 1 187.50 $187.50 $428 —
274–294 286 5 180.00–192.50 $185.99 $532 -22.77
316–330 323 2 185.00–187.50 $186.22 $601 -22.52
372 372 1 167.00 $167.00 $621 -41.16
364–392 379 3 192.50–195.00 $193.30 $733 -14.86
406–442 423 12 177.50–201.00 $187.08 $791 -13.05
454–496 477 10 175.00–195.00 $184.54 $880 -4.06
502–548 526 20 170.00–190.00 $180.13 $947 -6.47
554–590 574 4 175.00–190.00 $181.97 $1,045 -14.28
580 580 2 160.00 $160.00 $928 -36.25
602–632 612 6 172.50–200.00 $185.72 $1,137 +10.59
684 684 3 170.00 $170.00 $1,163 -15.00
702 702 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,053 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
248 248 1 157.50 $157.50 $391 -20.19
274–284 279 2 175.00 $175.00 $488 —
344 344 1 170.00 $170.00 $585 -9.94
410–442 427 9 160.00–170.00 $165.94 $709 -10.42
478–494 486 2 160.00–167.50 $163.81 $796 +13.81
572 572 1 160.00 $160.00 $915 -3.22
606–640 623 2 150.00–162.50 $156.42 $974 -3.58
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
248 248 1 135.00 $135.00 $335 —
278–296 287 2 135.00–137.50 $136.29 $391 -18.71
302 302 1 140.00 $140.00 $423 —
354–382 368 2 142.50–145.00 $143.80 $529 —
426 426 1 140.00 $140.00 $596 —
492 492 1 130.00 $130.00 $640 -2.71
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
296 296 1 150.00 $150.00 $444 —
320 320 1 160.00 $160.00 $512 —
378 378 1 162.50 $162.50 $614 —
404–414 409 2 145.00–150.00 $147.53 $603 -2.47
494 494 1 161.00 $161.00 $795 +9.39

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
298 298 2 195.00–202.50 $198.75 $592 -17.25
304–330 320 5 192.50–212.50 $204.60 $655 -2.11
356–388 374 7 200.00–210.00 $202.06 $756 -10.57
410–442 423 4 195.00–202.50 $200.03 $846 -7.16
452–498 475 7 180.00–200.00 $186.44 $886 -21.14
500–542 526 14 172.50–195.00 $181.82 $956 -15.78
558 558 3 162.50 $162.50 $907 -19.51
552–592 574 7 170.00–190.00 $176.33 $1,012 -5.68
602–634 620 3 170.00 $170.00 $1,054 -14.50
762–774 768 2 160.00–167.50 $163.72 $1,257 -1.28
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
208–246 227 2 175.00–180.00 $177.71 $403 —
262–278 270 2 190.00–197.50 $193.64 $523 +13.64
322–346 337 3 180.00–192.50 $184.83 $623 —
366 366 1 167.50 $167.50 $613 -20.03
452–490 475 6 150.00–175.00 $165.35 $785 -10.79
508–544 527 4 150.00–165.00 $158.68 $836 -8.85
570–594 585 3 150.00–160.00 $154.99 $907 -8.30
604–648 630 4 150.00–165.00 $158.88 $1,001 —
654–676 665 2 162.50–165.00 $163.77 $1,089 +11.13
778 778 1 125.00 $125.00 $972 —
866–872 869 2 130.00–142.50 $136.27 $1,184 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
376 376 1 160.00 $160.00 $602 —
408–418 413 2 150.00–157.50 $153.80 $635 —
482 482 1 150.00 $150.00 $723 -10.00
502–540 516 3 140.00–152.50 $146.57 $756 +6.57
552–564 558 2 132.50–148.00 $140.17 $782 +0.17
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
398 398 1 145.00 $145.00 $577 —
400–434 415 3 135.00–145.00 $138.30 $574 —
740 740 1 117.50 $117.50 $870 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
732–1242 972 85-90% 13 60.00–83.00 $74.33 $722 -17.00
820–1308 1028 85-90% 15 85.00–100.00 $92.52 $951 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930–1270 1097 80-85% 3 127.00–142.00 $133.64 $1,466 —
976–1518 1188 80-85% 18 96.00–117.00 $103.68 $1,232 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1270–1614 1399 75-80% 7 100.00–118.00 $110.60 $1,547 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1198 1198 1 109.00 $109.00 $1,306 —
1224–1978 1601 2 112.00–128.00 $121.88 $1,951 —
2028 2028 1 136.00 $136.00 $2,758 —

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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
750–925 838 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,125.00–1,200.00 $1,166.42 -183.58
916 916 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,025.00 $1,025.00 —
976 976 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,325.00 $1,325.00 —
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
676–776 726 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 725.00–825.00 $778.44 —

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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.