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Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 12, 2023

495 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $201.89/cwt +18.68 vs last sale · ≈ $1,036/hd at 513 lb · 47 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $243.62/cwt +21.62 vs last sale · ≈ $1,285/hd at 527 lb · 38 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $197.06/cwt +8.74 vs last sale · ≈ $934/hd at 474 lb · 16 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 495 475 447
Feeder cattle 439 397 373
Slaughter cattle 56 77 74
Replacement cattle — 1 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week slaughter cattle were mostly steady. Feeder cattle were steady to 4.00 lower. Demand was moderate; market and buyer interest moderate. Offerings of cattle were moderate. Cattle quality was plain to 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
252 252 1 217.50 $217.50 $548 —
330 330 1 215.00 $215.00 $710 -10.00
388–394 389 5 210.00–220.00 $212.02 $825 —
422–440 432 10 191.00–210.00 $204.18 $882 -25.16
525 value added 525 31 252.50 $252.50 $1,326 —
535–540 538 7 200.00–210.00 $204.29 $1,099 -17.71
574 574 4 202.50 $202.50 $1,162 -6.59
640 640 2 189.00 $189.00 $1,210 -19.28
665 value added 665 9 234.00 $234.00 $1,556 —
656–678 669 4 179.00–188.00 $183.76 $1,229 -21.24
701–728 707 6 170.00–180.00 $176.61 $1,249 -0.89
829 829 5 179.00 $179.00 $1,484 +8.00
906 906 1 173.00 $173.00 $1,567 —
974–994 989 4 160.00–191.00 $183.37 $1,814 —
1016 1016 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,422 —
1112 1112 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,612 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
538 538 1 165.00 $165.00 $888 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
314–342 328 2 180.00–192.50 $185.98 $610 -19.25
362–394 376 6 180.00–194.00 $187.08 $703 -15.47
413–448 425 10 180.00–210.00 $183.50 $780 -12.17
450–498 474 16 180.00–207.50 $197.06 $934 +8.74
507 value added 507 29 212.50 $212.50 $1,077 —
500–548 523 18 175.00–192.50 $184.80 $967 +1.59
552–588 566 5 177.50–195.00 $186.44 $1,055 +6.00
607 607 2 180.00 $180.00 $1,093 -0.43
668 668 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,069 -12.17
732 732 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,025 ±0.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280–292 286 2 165.00–170.00 $167.55 $479 —
312–344 333 3 167.00–170.00 $168.28 $560 -10.19
362–376 369 2 168.00–170.00 $169.02 $624 -5.08
426–447 445 10 165.00–177.50 $176.30 $785 +7.30
486 486 1 175.00 $175.00 $850 +4.42
530 530 1 173.00 $173.00 $917 —
566 566 1 175.00 $175.00 $990 +11.54
630–638 634 2 140.00 $140.00 $888 -14.29
816 816 1 120.00 $120.00 $979 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
296 296 1 155.00 $155.00 $459 —
312–348 316 10 145.00–160.00 $158.35 $500 —
442 442 1 150.00 $150.00 $663 -3.58
460 460 1 155.00 $155.00 $713 +5.00
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
292 292 1 142.50 $142.50 $416 —
300–304 303 3 112.50–145.00 $126.69 $384 —
350 350 1 142.50 $142.50 $499 —
420 420 1 142.50 $142.50 $598 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
224 224 1 202.50 $202.50 $454 —
256–298 273 8 192.50–207.50 $201.65 $551 -8.61
300 300 1 200.00 $200.00 $600 -11.99
350–370 355 10 200.00–235.00 $225.41 $800 +12.69
420–444 431 3 190.00 $190.00 $819 -15.24
472–498 490 4 190.00–195.00 $191.27 $937 -5.68
512–515 515 8 180.00–216.00 $211.52 $1,089 +19.88
554–596 579 8 175.00–193.00 $180.12 $1,043 -6.44
606–620 609 5 165.00–180.00 $176.94 $1,078 -2.33
676 676 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,082 -15.00
712–722 717 2 132.50–152.50 $142.57 $1,022 -3.71
828 828 2 140.00 $140.00 $1,159 +10.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
222–248 238 3 182.50–197.50 $189.36 $451 —
264–280 275 4 175.00–190.00 $180.55 $497 —
306–346 320 7 177.50–195.00 $181.23 $580 -13.89
356–390 373 2 170.00–180.00 $174.77 $652 -5.23
404–434 421 8 170.00–190.00 $178.87 $753 -2.69
454–496 478 4 170.00–180.00 $174.81 $836 -0.80
502–536 530 9 160.00–170.00 $161.59 $856 -7.81
550 550 1 160.00 $160.00 $880 -9.67
654 654 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,046 —
790–796 793 2 96.00–124.00 $109.95 $872 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
258–262 260 2 170.00 $170.00 $442 —
310–332 321 2 162.50–165.00 $163.79 $526 —
360–361 361 4 160.00–163.00 $162.25 $586 +2.25
408–440 411 14 157.50–165.00 $160.18 $658 -4.82
490 490 1 140.00 $140.00 $686 -13.61
546 546 1 145.00 $145.00 $792 -5.00
560–566 562 3 125.00–130.00 $127.49 $716 -16.21
728 728 1 112.50 $112.50 $819 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
352–380 365 3 142.50–155.00 $146.65 $535 —
424 424 1 140.00 $140.00 $594 -6.09
450 450 1 135.00 $135.00 $608 +17.50

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
840–1104 978 85-90% 4 50.00–69.00 $60.36 $590 —
832–1198 1014 85-90% 9 72.00–82.50 $79.69 $808 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
900–1236 1075 80-85% 4 97.00–102.00 $100.00 $1,075 —
968–1182 1090 80-85% 8 84.00–96.00 $88.99 $970 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1206–1746 1413 75-80% 5 94.00–108.00 $101.34 $1,432 +21.16
1518 1518 75-80% 1 78.00 $78.00 $1,184 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1278 1278 65-75% 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,661 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
968–1162 1058 3 86.00–87.50 $86.46 $915 +15.46
990–1258 1125 5 95.00–117.50 $108.96 $1,226 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–262 255 3 125.00–140.00 $134.17 $342 —
Small 3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
60 60 3 25.00 $25.00 —
Large 3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
60 60 2 40.00 $40.00 —
Small 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
258 258 1 132.50 $132.50 $342 —

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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.