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Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, February 1, 2024

476 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $221.01/cwt +29.98 vs last sale · ≈ $1,169/hd at 529 lb · 28 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $234.19/cwt +14.65 vs last sale · ≈ $1,115/hd at 476 lb · 26 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1 heifers $249.80/cwt +21.07 vs last sale · ≈ $947/hd at 379 lb · 23 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 476 354 126
Feeder cattle 386 280 108
Slaughter cattle 90 74 18

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week slaughter cattle were 4.00 to 8.00 lower. Feeder cattle were sharply higher. Demand was very good; market activity and buyer interest were active. Offerings of cattle were moderate. Cattle quality was average to attractive. 7 head baby calves from 170.00-265.00

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
370–396 387 3 300.00–320.00 $309.98 $1,200 +29.57
400–414 407 2 310.00–320.00 $314.91 $1,282 +31.71
488 value added 488 2 314.00 $314.00 $1,532 —
488 488 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,415 —
529–530 529 5 265.00–280.00 $277.00 $1,465 +31.00
604 604 2 235.00 $235.00 $1,419 —
702–746 729 3 200.00–215.00 $208.57 $1,520 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
368 368 1 235.00 $235.00 $865 -15.00
412–424 418 2 235.00–250.00 $242.39 $1,013 —
606 606 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,121 +12.50

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
246 246 1 200.00 $200.00 $492 —
266–276 271 4 200.00–210.00 $204.02 $553 -15.98
304–336 319 12 222.50–260.00 $242.72 $774 +11.45
356–398 377 19 220.00–260.00 $245.02 $924 +16.29
390 value added 390 4 265.00–280.00 $272.50 $1,063 —
400–446 421 15 220.00–255.00 $238.47 $1,004 +14.62
452–494 476 26 197.50–252.50 $234.19 $1,115 +14.65
502–544 529 28 190.00–232.50 $221.01 $1,169 +24.72
550–580 560 9 200.00–215.00 $209.08 $1,171 +17.67
602–636 619 6 176.00–205.00 $189.63 $1,174 +22.13
656–693 684 4 153.00–175.00 $158.28 $1,083 —
724 value added 724 1 186.00 $186.00 $1,347 —
702–735 727 7 155.00–167.00 $164.36 $1,195 +9.36
844 844 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,139 —
918 918 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,331 —
954 954 1 146.00 $146.00 $1,393 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
228–234 231 2 185.00–187.50 $186.27 $430 —
252–292 280 6 180.00–192.50 $185.14 $518 +0.07
308–326 317 2 195.00–218.00 $206.83 $656 +13.81
352–395 375 4 182.50–217.50 $200.62 $752 -0.83
416–424 420 2 180.00–190.00 $184.95 $777 -5.99
474 474 1 185.00 $185.00 $877 +5.00
502 502 1 180.00 $180.00 $904 +18.02
600–636 615 6 140.00–160.00 $154.08 $948 -3.27
702 702 1 125.00 $125.00 $878 -10.00
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–374 367 2 150.00–157.50 $153.68 $564 +8.68
400 400 1 110.00 $110.00 $440 —
504 504 1 120.00 $120.00 $605 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
268 268 1 162.50 $162.50 $436 —
426 426 1 165.00 $165.00 $703 -8.81
678 678 1 120.00 $120.00 $814 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
276–288 282 2 250.00–300.00 $275.53 $777 +13.92
300–332 311 15 265.00–307.50 $298.84 $929 +36.29
351–392 366 22 270.00–315.00 $296.91 $1,087 +26.24
404–446 429 13 270.00–320.00 $305.09 $1,309 +36.97
404–448 431 4 250.00–255.00 $252.56 $1,089 -15.56
450–490 464 21 260.00–315.00 $301.43 $1,399 +43.74
500–508 504 2 220.00–227.50 $223.78 $1,128 -34.69
506–544 522 8 255.00–285.00 $276.69 $1,444 +18.22
550–598 572 12 220.00–265.00 $244.80 $1,400 -3.88
608–644 623 10 180.00–210.00 $199.17 $1,241 +5.29
702–740 721 2 160.00–172.50 $166.41 $1,200 +8.47
750–770 760 2 167.50 $167.50 $1,273 +3.56
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240–248 244 2 202.50–205.00 $203.77 $497 -31.23
266–292 281 3 205.00–232.50 $215.40 $605 —
330 330 1 190.00 $190.00 $627 -47.45
354–374 363 3 220.00–225.00 $221.66 $805 -15.05
422–426 424 2 190.00–247.50 $218.89 $928 -17.11
474–486 480 2 200.00–212.50 $206.17 $990 -17.69
520–548 534 2 196.00–206.00 $201.13 $1,074 -2.61
580 580 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,044 -17.68
646 646 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,130 —
696 696 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,044 —
736 736 1 135.00 $135.00 $994 -7.49
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
214 214 1 195.00 $195.00 $417 —
256 256 1 182.50 $182.50 $467 -17.50
330–344 337 3 167.50–180.00 $172.48 $581 -30.02
372 372 1 160.00 $160.00 $595 —
448 448 1 170.00 $170.00 $762 +3.77
550–566 558 2 157.50–180.00 $168.59 $941 +13.59
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
332 332 1 155.00 $155.00 $515 +15.00
372 372 1 150.00 $150.00 $558 —
432 432 1 160.00 $160.00 $691 —
434 434 1 122.50 $122.50 $532 —
536 536 1 117.50 $117.50 $630 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
940–1330 1067 80-85% 5 116.00–125.00 $119.23 $1,272 +3.55
1034–1308 1159 80-85% 18 95.00–112.00 $102.66 $1,190 -0.87
1078–1402 1211 80-85% 3 76.00–80.00 $78.14 $946 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810–1254 996 85-90% 9 55.00–75.00 $65.90 $656 -24.63
806–1306 998 85-90% 14 80.00–95.00 $88.42 $882 -2.11
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1284–1704 1452 75-80% 5 90.00–95.00 $93.21 $1,353 -21.75
1242–1956 1547 75-80% 11 97.00–123.00 $109.20 $1,689 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1046–1608 1327 2 95.00 $95.00 $1,261 -18.97
1186–2115 1478 8 100.00–122.00 $112.69 $1,666 —
1754–1896 1835 3 128.00–137.00 $132.69 $2,435 —

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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.