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Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 2, 2024

397 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 3-weight M&L 1 bulls $300.20/cwt +2.56 vs last sale · ≈ $1,126/hd at 375 lb · 22 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $221.64/cwt -3.50 vs last sale · ≈ $1,265/hd at 571 lb · 22 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $284.49/cwt -23.01 vs last sale · ≈ $1,539/hd at 541 lb · 19 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 397 460 462
Feeder cattle 340 401 413
Slaughter cattle 56 59 42
Replacement cattle 1 — 7

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, slaughter cattle were 3.00 to 5.00 lower. Feeder cattle were 5.00 to 10.00 higher. Demand was good: market activity and buyer interest were active. Offerings of cattle were moderate. Cattle quality was 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
334 334 1 290.00 $290.00 $969 -29.00
382 382 6 321.00 $321.00 $1,226 +13.26
420 420 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,260 -5.57
472–494 481 9 287.50–299.00 $297.25 $1,430 +8.46
518–546 541 19 270.00–290.00 $284.49 $1,539 -23.01
667–682 669 7 258.00–260.00 $258.29 $1,728 —
786 786 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,808 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
407 407 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,099 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220–232 226 2 255.00–260.00 $257.43 $582 +2.43
280–286 281 5 280.00–283.00 $282.39 $794 +12.16
306–328 320 4 262.50–280.00 $275.81 $883 -3.96
346 346 1 240.00 $240.00 $830 -39.77
352–378 362 17 250.00–280.00 $270.50 $979 +8.81
392 392 1 240.00 $240.00 $941 -21.69
400–446 423 8 247.50–260.00 $254.25 $1,075 -6.48
450–498 475 15 240.00–272.50 $259.27 $1,232 +12.88
502–542 519 13 222.50–255.00 $241.73 $1,255 +7.78
550–596 567 18 210.00–233.00 $225.17 $1,277 +0.03
578 578 1 203.00 $203.00 $1,173 -22.14
588–594 590 3 200.00–210.00 $206.64 $1,219 -18.50
600–636 616 5 205.00–235.00 $220.56 $1,359 +9.56
638 638 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,276 -11.00
662–696 677 4 195.00–215.00 $206.80 $1,400 +26.80
762 762 1 187.50 $187.50 $1,429 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375–386 379 3 220.00–237.50 $231.55 $878 +11.55
432 432 1 195.00 $195.00 $842 -12.80
452–486 471 3 210.00–230.00 $218.11 $1,027 +4.57
588–598 594 3 155.00–160.00 $158.33 $940 -29.51
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
504 504 1 167.50 $167.50 $844 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
222 222 1 285.00 $285.00 $633 +0.58
270–288 279 2 280.00 $280.00 $781 -26.84
292–298 295 5 295.00–327.50 $310.49 $916 +3.65
311–348 328 12 285.00–325.00 $300.49 $986 +8.01
354–398 375 22 285.00–320.00 $300.20 $1,126 +2.56
404–446 420 5 285.00–292.50 $289.43 $1,216 -1.11
430–446 438 2 270.00–275.00 $272.45 $1,193 +32.45
450–484 466 6 260.00–282.50 $273.77 $1,276 -4.05
502–546 530 17 230.00–280.00 $264.25 $1,401 +2.72
584–590 586 4 240.00–260.00 $250.60 $1,469 +2.16
608–642 628 7 220.00–237.50 $227.71 $1,430 -4.48
650 650 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,332 -6.67
750–758 753 3 185.00–190.00 $186.68 $1,406 +6.68
872–880 876 2 170.00–180.00 $175.02 $1,533 —
1012 1012 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,619 +5.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
226 226 1 265.00 $265.00 $599 +10.85
254–292 269 3 262.50–272.50 $268.44 $722 +8.99
308–342 329 3 250.00–280.00 $268.18 $882 +13.92
354–396 374 6 255.00–280.00 $271.09 $1,014 +18.49
402–438 423 4 240.00–265.00 $255.14 $1,079 +3.14
462–496 482 4 220.00–250.00 $236.59 $1,140 +26.55
518–526 522 2 215.00–220.00 $217.52 $1,135 -4.98
570–590 581 3 190.00–200.00 $194.98 $1,133 -14.99
624–634 629 2 200.00 $200.00 $1,258 +45.00
676 676 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,082 —
766 766 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,149 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
392–396 394 2 200.00–212.50 $206.22 $813 —
414 414 1 200.00 $200.00 $828 -15.00
470 470 1 180.00 $180.00 $846 —
538 538 1 162.50 $162.50 $874 +7.50

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
748–1376 1046 85-90% 12 89.00–111.00 $101.54 $1,062 —
982–1118 1053 85-90% 3 70.00–83.00 $76.28 $803 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1364–1782 1501 75-80% 10 117.50–129.00 $122.59 $1,840 —
1262–1850 1518 75-80% 4 83.00–110.00 $99.87 $1,516 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
906–1186 1068 80-85% 5 127.00–130.00 $128.70 $1,375 —
1032–1274 1148 80-85% 8 112.50–119.00 $116.51 $1,338 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1118–1502 1239 4 90.00–110.00 $100.99 $1,251 —
1074–1872 1384 4 120.00–136.00 $129.16 $1,788 —
1426–1760 1593 2 147.00–147.50 $147.22 $2,345 —

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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
786 786 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,700.00 $1,700.00 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
284–292 288 2 162.50–177.50 $169.90 $489 —
338 338 1 162.50 $162.50 $549 —
378–398 388 2 137.50–157.50 $147.76 $573 —

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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.