Cattle Market Pulse

Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, January 11, 2024

174 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $191.81/cwt -1.79 vs last sale · ≈ $990/hd at 516 lb · 11 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 174 330 388
Feeder cattle 126 255 314
Slaughter cattle 45 74 74
Replacement cattle 1

Compared to last week slaughter cattle were mostly steady. Feeder cattle were mostly steady. Demand was moderate; market activity and buyer interest moderate. Offerings of cattle were light. Cattle quality was average. 5 head baby calves from 90.00-230.0

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,078 -9.00
578 578 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,156 -45.00
610 610 7 221.00 $221.00 $1,348 +26.00
656 656 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,246 -5.00

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
236 236 1 200.00 $200.00 $472 -1.00
306–326 316 3 197.50–227.50 $213.47 $675 +2.39
378–398 388 2 195.00–210.00 $202.31 $785 +0.91
408–432 420 2 190.00–197.50 $193.86 $814 -0.48
450–497 484 4 192.50–200.00 $196.93 $953 -8.43
505–526 516 11 190.00–197.50 $191.81 $990 -1.79
558–588 573 3 175.00–190.00 $180.96 $1,037 -2.51
600–620 611 4 177.50–185.00 $183.10 $1,119 +18.56
654–682 673 5 170.00–180.00 $172.96 $1,164
740 740 2 160.00 $160.00 $1,184 -1.28
868 868 5 146.00 $146.00 $1,267 +6.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
302 302 1 187.50 $187.50 $566
374 374 1 185.00 $185.00 $692 +30.00
438 438 1 192.50 $192.50 $843
460 460 1 170.00 $170.00 $782 -5.00
560–574 567 2 165.00–172.50 $168.70 $957 +8.70
630 630 1 140.00 $140.00 $882 -15.00
742 742 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,113
964 964 1 122.50 $122.50 $1,181
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
224 224 1 187.50 $187.50 $420 +19.09
314 314 1 160.00 $160.00 $502 -10.00
490 490 1 160.00 $160.00 $784
828 828 1 132.50 $132.50 $1,097

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
228–248 236 5 215.00–227.50 $220.42 $520 -3.94
256–288 275 5 220.00–240.00 $229.60 $631 +7.53
324–344 335 3 230.00–245.00 $235.69 $790 +22.62
352 352 1 235.00 $235.00 $827 +22.88
428 428 1 220.00 $220.00 $942 +12.51
450–490 470 7 200.00–220.00 $214.88 $1,010 +10.01
552 552 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,076 +10.11
622–648 629 4 175.00–185.00 $179.94 $1,132 -6.25
704–728 716 3 160.00–165.00 $163.36 $1,170
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
224 224 1 190.00 $190.00 $426 -5.00
287 287 1 205.00 $205.00 $588 +12.74
378 378 1 180.00 $180.00 $680
416 416 1 190.00 $190.00 $790 +10.00
458 458 1 190.00 $190.00 $870
588 588 1 160.00 $160.00 $941 -2.50
634 634 1 150.00 $150.00 $951
665 665 1 145.00 $145.00 $964
702–718 710 2 120.00–140.00 $129.89 $922 -16.28
762 762 1 130.00 $130.00 $991
822 822 1 137.50 $137.50 $1,130
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
406–428 417 2 170.00–175.00 $172.57 $720 +7.57
552–554 553 2 150.00–160.00 $155.01 $857
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
396 396 1 150.00 $150.00 $594 -5.00

↑ Back to top

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810–1274 1081 85-90% 10 75.00–85.00 $82.08 $887
800–1236 1085 85-90% 4 59.00–73.00 $66.42 $721
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
936–1236 1122 80-85% 10 85.00–96.00 $91.79 $1,030
1184–1350 1267 80-85% 2 105.00–108.00 $106.60 $1,351
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1240–1564 1446 75-80% 7 87.00–96.00 $91.31 $1,320 -1.02
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1422 1422 65-75% 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,706

↑ Back to top

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1410 1410 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,833
1124–1802 1541 3 104.00–116.00 $111.20 $1,714

↑ Back to top

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
386 386 1 160.00 $160.00 $618

↑ Back to top

N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
30 30 1 30.00 $30.00
50 50 2 150.00 $150.00

↑ Back to top

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.