Cattle Market Pulse

Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, February 15, 2024

488 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 3-weight M&L 1 bulls $306.86/cwt +6.59 vs last sale · ≈ $1,157/hd at 377 lb · 21 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $240.55/cwt +13.01 vs last sale · ≈ $1,008/hd at 419 lb · 21 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 bulls $304.08/cwt +18.46 vs last sale · ≈ $1,435/hd at 472 lb · 19 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 488 560 458
Feeder cattle 391 496 399
Slaughter cattle 78 64 59
Replacement cattle 19 — 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, slaughter cattle were mostly steady. Feeder cattle were 5.00 to 10.00 higher. Demand was very good; market activity and buyer interest were active. Offerings of cattle were moderate. Cattle quality was average to attractive.

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
372 372 2 320.00 $320.00 $1,190 +5.00
404–434 416 15 300.00–328.00 $322.73 $1,343 +14.90
430 430 1 267.50 $267.50 $1,150 -40.33
458 458 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,466 +15.26
502–528 515 7 275.00–300.00 $292.84 $1,508 -4.56
577–588 585 13 273.00–277.00 $276.09 $1,615 +21.09
614 614 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,566 +27.05
667 667 3 210.00 $210.00 $1,401 -40.00
855 855 3 173.50 $173.50 $1,483 +3.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
522 522 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,253 +23.20
594–596 596 5 228.00–230.00 $228.40 $1,361 -1.74
602 602 1 212.50 $212.50 $1,279 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
394 394 1 160.00 $160.00 $630 -10.00
424 424 1 152.50 $152.50 $647 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
228 228 1 225.00 $225.00 $513 +17.50
260–296 274 6 222.50–245.00 $231.10 $633 +9.69
300–344 323 9 225.00–242.50 $232.22 $750 +19.03
332 332 1 215.00 $215.00 $714 +1.81
352–392 374 10 235.00–242.50 $239.28 $895 +11.18
404–446 419 21 220.00–250.00 $240.55 $1,008 +10.16
454–496 485 5 220.00–237.50 $224.52 $1,089 +1.93
502–518 509 10 192.50–227.50 $218.72 $1,113 +14.65
526 526 1 180.00 $180.00 $947 -24.07
556–590 577 6 147.50–180.00 $163.48 $943 -31.18
552–598 581 7 185.00–227.50 $206.30 $1,199 +11.64
613–626 617 4 170.00–175.00 $172.01 $1,061 -7.99
716–734 725 2 130.00–141.00 $135.43 $982 -30.45
790 790 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,106 -28.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200–212 206 2 200.00–212.50 $206.43 $425 +11.43
280 280 1 215.00 $215.00 $602 +21.16
300–306 303 2 200.00–205.00 $202.48 $614 +19.98
366–382 375 4 190.00–220.00 $203.25 $762 +10.69
422–444 439 5 180.00–195.00 $189.11 $830 -3.48
452 452 1 160.00 $160.00 $723 -32.37
458–486 476 5 167.50–200.00 $184.40 $878 -7.97
516–544 536 5 150.00–180.00 $164.89 $884 +6.81
550–566 558 2 160.00–167.50 $163.80 $914 -13.79
606 606 1 160.00 $160.00 $970 ±0.00
674 674 1 141.00 $141.00 $950 —
704 704 1 140.00 $140.00 $986 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200–242 217 4 135.00–145.00 $139.93 $304 +7.43
382 382 1 145.00 $145.00 $554 +5.00
604 604 1 133.00 $133.00 $803 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
276 276 1 170.00 $170.00 $469 —
400–448 417 3 152.50–170.00 $160.51 $669 +10.51

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
278 278 1 260.00 $260.00 $723 -35.00
322–348 335 3 265.00–320.00 $300.84 $1,008 +32.17
358–396 377 21 282.50–330.00 $306.86 $1,157 +6.59
408–446 424 13 295.00–325.00 $316.48 $1,342 +21.68
452–492 472 19 260.00–317.50 $304.08 $1,435 +18.46
500–548 525 15 240.00–297.50 $281.77 $1,479 +21.91
560–588 562 13 265.00–280.00 $266.56 $1,498 +47.80
550–592 571 2 222.50–225.00 $223.80 $1,278 +5.04
602 value added 602 2 255.00 $255.00 $1,535 —
600–644 617 8 195.00–235.00 $218.87 $1,350 +16.57
600–640 620 2 162.50–177.50 $169.76 $1,053 -32.54
658–672 667 3 140.00–148.00 $144.65 $965 -35.72
662–684 675 3 160.00–195.00 $176.65 $1,192 -3.72
712 712 2 160.00 $160.00 $1,139 ±0.00
760 760 1 147.50 $147.50 $1,121 —
808–838 823 2 145.00–165.00 $154.82 $1,274 —
872–874 873 2 140.00–175.00 $157.52 $1,375 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220–242 231 2 212.00–215.00 $213.43 $493 -0.66
260–284 272 2 215.00–245.00 $229.34 $624 +16.14
306–346 327 3 225.00–245.00 $236.13 $772 +16.15
354–368 361 2 250.00 $250.00 $902 +14.37
404–448 426 2 202.50–222.50 $213.02 $907 +4.64
452–486 467 4 200.00–250.00 $228.26 $1,066 +22.02
500–534 521 3 165.00–200.00 $188.05 $980 -21.94
560 560 1 164.00 $164.00 $918 -30.24
552–590 577 5 160.00–217.50 $188.75 $1,089 -5.49
630–640 635 2 140.00–153.00 $146.45 $930 —
665 665 1 150.00 $150.00 $998 -6.53
726 726 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,053 —
772 772 1 132.00 $132.00 $1,019 +2.00
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
336 336 1 177.50 $177.50 $596 -7.50
380 380 2 180.00–190.00 $185.00 $703 +5.08
440–448 444 2 177.00–180.00 $178.49 $792 +0.39
596 596 1 140.00 $140.00 $834 ±0.00
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
254 254 1 167.50 $167.50 $425 +27.50
348 348 1 150.00 $150.00 $522 -10.00
358 358 1 162.50 $162.50 $582 +10.00

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
826–1316 1094 80-85% 19 95.00–113.00 $104.11 $1,139 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
794–942 862 85-90% 5 63.00–75.00 $70.29 $606 —
814–1078 935 85-90% 9 81.00–96.00 $89.12 $833 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1190–1882 1461 75-80% 9 105.00–118.00 $110.16 $1,609 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
948–2034 1435 9 107.00–129.00 $115.82 $1,662 —
1480–2034 1775 7 130.00–140.00 $133.90 $2,377 +2.72

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
842 842 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 113.00 $113.00 $951
884–1162 1034 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 9 120.00–165.00 $140.63 $1,454
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
794–862 828 Young (2-4 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 2 110.00–135.00 $121.99 $1,010

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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
800–926 883 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 3 1,475.00–1,600.00 $1,512.76 —
924 924 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,175.00 $1,175.00 —
956 956 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,050.00 $2,050.00 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
890 890 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,250.00 $1,250.00 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
820 820 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 112.50 $112.50 $922 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
394 394 1 122.50 $122.50 $483 —

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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.