Cattle Market Pulse

Powell Livestock Market Report, Smithfield, NC

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 7, 2023

377 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $168.02/cwt ≈ $1,450/hd at 863 lb · 111 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 bulls $210.51/cwt +10.06 vs last sale · ≈ $987/hd at 469 lb · 15 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 bulls $210.25/cwt -8.47 vs last sale · ≈ $900/hd at 428 lb · 13 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 377 435 504
Feeder cattle 330 340 375
Slaughter cattle 46 95 127
Replacement cattle 1 — 2

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week slaughter cattle were mostly steady. Feeder cattle were 5.00 to 10.00 lower. Demand was moderate; market activity and buyer interest were 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
504 504 4 214.00 $214.00 $1,079 +3.58
560–567 566 7 190.00–195.00 $194.29 $1,100 —
618–638 627 9 180.00–197.00 $191.01 $1,198 -6.51
704 704 10 188.25 $188.25 $1,325 —
852–863 863 111 168.00–170.00 $168.02 $1,450 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
434 434 1 190.00 $190.00 $825 —
496 496 1 200.00 $200.00 $992 +10.00
612 612 1 160.00 $160.00 $979 -6.09

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
354–384 368 3 180.00–185.00 $181.60 $668 -29.99
416–426 418 5 180.00 $180.00 $752 -16.41
498 498 1 180.00 $180.00 $896 -11.62
674 674 7 175.00 $175.00 $1,180 +22.50
708–731 725 4 150.00–168.00 $163.61 $1,186 +3.61
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
222–228 225 2 160.00 $160.00 $360 —
302–346 322 5 160.00–165.00 $161.51 $520 —
364–398 378 5 149.00–162.50 $156.27 $591 —
454–480 466 3 140.00–160.00 $149.89 $698 -10.11
522 522 1 120.00 $120.00 $626 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
248 248 1 172.50 $172.50 $428 —
262 262 1 170.00 $170.00 $445 —
320–326 323 2 170.00 $170.00 $549 -10.00
380–388 384 2 170.00 $170.00 $653 -12.51
404 404 1 165.00 $165.00 $667 ±0.00
482–490 486 2 160.00 $160.00 $778 -10.00
553 553 2 160.00 $160.00 $885 +3.28
654 654 1 142.50 $142.50 $932 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
208–240 229 3 127.50–145.00 $135.90 $311 -9.29
250–278 264 2 120.00–150.00 $135.80 $359 -0.77
318 318 1 140.00 $140.00 $445 +4.87
352–370 361 2 130.00 $130.00 $469 —
406 406 1 120.00 $120.00 $487 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
236 236 1 202.50 $202.50 $478 -7.50
258–294 281 3 200.00 $200.00 $562 -30.35
330 330 1 205.00 $205.00 $676 -36.52
376 376 1 200.00 $200.00 $752 -37.49
422–432 428 13 195.00–212.50 $210.25 $900 -8.47
456–494 469 15 205.00–216.00 $210.51 $987 +10.06
514–548 537 7 170.00–190.00 $184.35 $990 -11.13
562 562 1 170.00 $170.00 $955 -16.13
604 604 1 186.00 $186.00 $1,123 +14.79
888 888 2 130.00 $130.00 $1,154 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200–242 220 4 180.00–192.50 $187.24 $412 —
256–290 272 5 177.50–197.50 $185.75 $505 -0.26
310–346 325 4 182.50–190.00 $186.80 $607 -6.28
360–392 373 4 170.00–185.00 $175.16 $653 -11.48
412 412 1 195.00 $195.00 $803 +11.27
466 466 1 170.00 $170.00 $792 -6.56
524 524 1 159.00 $159.00 $833 -0.31
556 556 1 150.00 $150.00 $834 —
646 646 1 142.50 $142.50 $921 -6.06
682 682 1 120.00 $120.00 $818 -25.00
732 732 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,244 +31.81
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
396 396 1 150.00 $150.00 $594 —
400–434 417 2 150.00–160.00 $155.20 $647 —
478 478 1 155.00 $155.00 $741 —
500–534 517 2 130.00–137.50 $133.63 $691 -17.90
772 772 1 115.00 $115.00 $888 —
828 828 1 100.00 $100.00 $828 -10.00
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200–248 224 2 150.00–155.00 $152.77 $342 +7.77
258–274 266 2 140.00 $140.00 $372 —
350–364 357 2 132.50–135.00 $133.77 $478 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
916–970 934 85-90% 4 52.00–68.00 $57.93 $541 -1.26
1004–1098 1037 85-90% 3 74.00–84.00 $78.85 $818 -1.80
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1094–1278 1164 80-85% 6 90.00–97.00 $92.78 $1,080 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1436 1436 75-80% 1 93.00 $93.00 $1,335 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
998 998 1 92.50 $92.50 $923 —
1386 1386 1 100.00 $100.00 $1,386 -8.45
2190 2190 1 128.00 $128.00 $2,803 —

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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
1140 1140 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,075.00 $1,075.00 —

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Dairy Heifers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
246 246 1 110.00 $110.00 $271 —
534 534 1 95.00 $95.00 $507 —

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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.