Cattle Market Pulse

Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, November 16, 2023

476 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 bulls $194.93/cwt +4.47 vs last sale · ≈ $1,019/hd at 523 lb · 20 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $176.09/cwt -4.11 vs last sale · ≈ $927/hd at 526 lb · 14 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $181.02/cwt -7.59 vs last sale · ≈ $862/hd at 476 lb · 12 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 476 473 425
Feeder cattle 406 382 339
Slaughter cattle 69 90 80
Replacement cattle 1 1 6

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week slaughter cattle were mostly steady. Feeder steers and bulls were 2.00 to 4.00 higher, while heifers were 3.00 to 5.00 lower. Demand was moderate; market activity and buyer interest was moderate. Offerings of cattle were moderate. Cattle quality was plain to average. 6 head baby calves from 65.00 - 130.00

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
426–445 441 5 221.00–223.00 $222.61 $982 —
462–488 467 5 202.50–220.00 $216.34 $1,010 —
524–539 537 6 187.50–199.00 $197.13 $1,059 +2.13
600–622 608 5 179.00–192.00 $187.41 $1,139 —
650–676 665 3 178.00–188.00 $181.60 $1,208 +1.60
706–720 713 2 160.00–167.50 $163.71 $1,167 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
426 426 1 190.00 $190.00 $809 —
450 450 1 177.50 $177.50 $799 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
588 588 1 143.00 $143.00 $841 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
292 292 1 180.00 $180.00 $526 -10.43
332–348 343 5 180.00–192.50 $184.54 $633 -2.94
354–386 374 6 180.00–197.50 $186.34 $697 -8.66
406–446 434 11 180.00–190.00 $184.57 $801 —
450–488 476 12 170.00–187.50 $181.02 $862 -7.59
502–520 511 2 160.00 $160.00 $818 -20.20
504–546 529 12 170.00–185.00 $178.77 $946 -1.43
550–580 565 10 165.00–177.00 $171.32 $968 +3.78
620–648 634 2 150.00–160.00 $155.11 $983 +15.11
658 658 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,053 —
708 708 1 140.00 $140.00 $991 —
778 778 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,011 -7.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 170.00 $170.00 $408 -2.57
256–290 268 4 167.50–177.50 $170.84 $458 -9.16
318–328 323 2 170.00 $170.00 $549 -6.52
360–386 375 4 170.00–177.50 $173.73 $651 —
436–446 441 2 170.00–175.00 $172.47 $761 +4.98
458–496 471 4 150.00–167.50 $161.05 $759 -3.38
506–546 528 5 137.50–155.00 $143.22 $756 -3.53
554–562 558 2 130.00–135.00 $132.52 $739 -21.78
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 1 137.50 $137.50 $302 —
300–346 319 7 110.00–140.00 $130.58 $417 +10.58
350–398 375 5 130.00–142.50 $137.99 $517 +7.99
402–442 422 2 120.00–140.00 $129.53 $547 +14.40
476–486 481 2 102.50–125.00 $113.63 $547 +0.30
540 540 1 92.50 $92.50 $500 —
554–556 555 2 107.50–117.50 $112.51 $624 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
224 224 1 157.50 $157.50 $353 +2.22
268 268 1 152.50 $152.50 $409 —
310–344 322 5 150.00–162.50 $153.46 $494 +3.43
350 350 1 152.50 $152.50 $534 -3.56
406–444 425 2 150.00–152.50 $151.19 $643 -5.36
452–498 471 3 140.00–155.00 $146.89 $692 +1.01
550 550 1 130.00 $130.00 $715 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
382 382 1 213.00 $213.00 $814 +6.34
400–446 426 11 205.00–223.00 $217.92 $928 +13.30
450–496 475 10 195.00–223.00 $206.19 $979 +6.43
482 482 1 192.50 $192.50 $928 -7.26
500–542 523 20 182.50–205.00 $194.93 $1,019 +4.47
572 572 1 167.50 $167.50 $958 -12.82
564–586 581 5 170.00–180.00 $173.45 $1,008 -6.87
600–628 604 11 169.00–176.00 $169.65 $1,025 -7.44
742 742 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,039 -2.98
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
214–242 228 2 170.00–190.00 $179.39 $409 —
274–292 283 2 175.00–182.50 $178.63 $506 -7.66
312–348 323 5 180.00–190.00 $184.41 $596 +10.07
362–392 380 11 170.00–187.50 $180.22 $685 -4.63
418–440 431 6 175.00–190.00 $180.80 $779 +5.06
450–498 485 6 162.50–182.50 $174.08 $844 +4.09
504–548 528 4 152.50–160.00 $158.15 $835 +6.94
550–584 574 4 137.50–160.00 $146.98 $844 -5.59
635 635 1 130.00 $130.00 $826 -8.50
650–678 664 4 130.00–150.00 $141.29 $938 +11.45
782 782 1 122.50 $122.50 $958 +10.03
820–840 827 3 90.00–112.50 $100.75 $833 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
246 246 1 162.50 $162.50 $400 —
264–292 280 9 150.00–170.00 $165.60 $464 +3.98
341–344 342 3 152.50–165.00 $156.69 $536 -6.92
350–382 365 3 152.50–175.00 $159.69 $583 —
442 442 1 160.00 $160.00 $707 -7.50
450–470 461 3 150.00–160.00 $156.60 $722 +18.54
514–532 525 3 132.50–150.00 $140.93 $740 +15.34
602 602 1 127.50 $127.50 $768 +37.50
724 724 1 110.00 $110.00 $796 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
246 246 1 150.00 $150.00 $369 —
280–298 289 2 142.50–155.00 $148.56 $429 -2.66
302–342 319 3 102.50–150.00 $134.50 $429 -15.50
350–386 368 6 120.00–152.50 $130.28 $479 -12.43
412–446 428 5 130.00–145.00 $138.47 $593 -11.53
468 468 1 110.00 $110.00 $515 —
556 556 1 117.50 $117.50 $653 —
612 612 1 115.00 $115.00 $704 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
800–1242 984 85-90% 10 50.00–65.00 $55.57 $547 —
756–1366 997 85-90% 9 71.00–86.00 $77.10 $769 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1052 1052 80-85% 1 97.00 $97.00 $1,020 —
840–1298 1081 80-85% 10 85.00–93.00 $88.09 $952 -12.86
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1298–1562 1437 75-80% 5 88.00–95.00 $93.34 $1,341 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1358 1358 1 88.00 $88.00 $1,195 —
1306–1548 1433 3 110.00–114.00 $112.11 $1,607 —

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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
962 962 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 825.00 $825.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
488 488 1 118.00 $118.00 $576 —
502–530 516 2 127.50 $127.50 $658 —

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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.