Cattle Market Pulse

Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, March 7, 2024

295 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $223.22/cwt -18.43 vs last sale · ≈ $1,170/hd at 524 lb · 18 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 bulls $287.81/cwt -4.16 vs last sale · ≈ $1,235/hd at 429 lb · 16 head
light 3-weight M&L 1 heifers $269.61/cwt +22.52 vs last sale · ≈ $903/hd at 335 lb · 16 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 295 292 530
Feeder cattle 265 221 473
Slaughter cattle 29 69 57
Replacement cattle 1 2 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week , slaughter cattle were 5.00 to 10.00 higher. Feeder cattle were mixed, with heifers being 3.00 to 5.00 higher and bulls and steers being 3.00 to 5.00 lower. Demand was good; market activity and buyer interest were active. Offering 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
345 345 3 325.00 $325.00 $1,121 —
430 430 1 307.50 $307.50 $1,322 -12.50
482 482 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,301 -24.65
539–546 540 6 248.00–275.00 $252.55 $1,364 -21.22
646 646 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,486 -10.00
800 800 2 207.50 $207.50 $1,660 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
496 496 1 262.50 $262.50 $1,302 +2.50
502 502 2 225.00 $225.00 $1,130 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
502 502 1 165.00 $165.00 $828 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
254–264 258 3 305.00–315.00 $310.06 $800 +73.76
306–348 335 16 240.00–297.50 $269.61 $903 +22.52
350–398 377 16 237.50–272.50 $256.31 $966 +7.91
400–434 418 10 230.00–250.00 $240.10 $1,004 -10.02
452–498 475 6 230.00–247.00 $238.41 $1,132 -3.42
514–536 524 18 210.00–232.50 $223.22 $1,170 -18.43
556–586 567 10 200.00–232.50 $220.57 $1,251 -2.30
606–630 621 4 200.00–212.50 $208.78 $1,297 +5.06
654 654 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,308 —
702–706 704 2 160.00–180.00 $170.03 $1,197 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
202–226 217 4 197.50–220.00 $211.45 $459 +20.77
270–296 281 3 202.50–230.00 $220.94 $621 +17.49
310–346 331 5 205.00–225.00 $214.98 $712 +13.15
352 352 1 222.50 $222.50 $783 +10.87
418–446 428 6 200.00–225.00 $216.93 $928 +16.93
454–498 475 8 165.00–210.00 $197.85 $940 +12.39
518–546 534 3 180.00–200.00 $189.83 $1,014 +29.83
564–580 572 2 160.00–180.00 $170.14 $973 —
628 628 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,068 ±0.00
652 652 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,043 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
268 268 1 190.00 $190.00 $509 —
396 396 1 190.00 $190.00 $752 +15.00
438 438 1 190.00 $190.00 $832 +10.00
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
286 286 1 152.50 $152.50 $436 —
418 418 1 150.00 $150.00 $627 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
238–246 242 2 307.50–312.50 $310.04 $750 —
258–294 278 7 272.50–312.50 $297.56 $827 —
302–344 330 8 290.00–310.00 $297.94 $983 +12.94
350–396 372 4 280.00–310.00 $298.21 $1,109 -4.65
402–449 429 16 275.00–300.00 $287.81 $1,235 -4.16
450–498 480 6 250.00–295.00 $276.28 $1,326 -4.39
500–546 532 10 220.00–255.00 $236.25 $1,257 -35.61
560–572 566 3 222.50–240.00 $232.56 $1,316 -16.98
624–648 636 2 208.00–215.00 $211.43 $1,345 -13.27
660–662 661 3 200.00 $200.00 $1,322 -11.57
732–738 735 2 160.00–200.00 $180.08 $1,324 -1.26
760–766 763 3 170.00–180.00 $175.00 $1,335 ±0.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
276–290 284 3 247.50–262.50 $253.44 $720 +20.05
302–346 318 6 240.00–267.50 $253.30 $805 +15.19
368–394 381 2 242.50–260.00 $251.55 $958 +10.87
408–442 421 6 242.50–260.00 $256.95 $1,082 +11.13
504–530 517 2 197.50–220.00 $209.03 $1,081 -8.78
564 564 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,241 ±0.00
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
288 288 1 187.50 $187.50 $540 -12.50
332 332 1 220.00 $220.00 $730 —
350–394 372 2 230.00–235.00 $232.65 $865 +47.65
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
202–240 221 2 150.00 $150.00 $332 —
Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
624 624 1 117.00 $117.00 $730 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
768 768 85-90% 1 70.00 $70.00 $538 —
850–1032 929 85-90% 6 90.00–114.00 $102.80 $955 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1212–1562 1457 75-80% 5 115.00–137.00 $130.52 $1,902 +12.03
1728 1728 75-80% 1 104.00 $104.00 $1,797 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070–1166 1113 80-85% 3 115.00–127.00 $122.71 $1,366 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1450 1450 1 104.00 $104.00 $1,508 —
1054–2392 1658 5 119.00–138.00 $130.21 $2,159 —
2150 2150 1 148.00 $148.00 $3,182 —
YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
2084 2084 1 145.00 $145.00 $3,022 —

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
842 842 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,075.00 $1,075.00 —

↑ Back to top

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.