Cattle Market Pulse

Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 16, 2024

307 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $232.00/cwt +5.37 vs last sale · ≈ $1,234/hd at 532 lb · 16 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1 bulls $303.05/cwt -12.45 vs last sale · ≈ $1,146/hd at 378 lb · 11 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $262.31/cwt +10.30 vs last sale · ≈ $1,613/hd at 615 lb · 11 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 307 444 338
Feeder cattle 253 376 293
Slaughter cattle 52 66 40
Replacement cattle 2 2 5

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, slaughter cattle were 2.00 to 4.00 higher. 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. 5 head baby calves from; 200.00-475.00

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
360–399 386 3 325.00–335.00 $331.89 $1,281 +18.30
418–428 423 2 300.00–337.50 $318.53 $1,347 +18.95
460–490 473 3 290.00–312.50 $301.75 $1,427 +9.56
500–541 529 6 275.00–280.00 $277.93 $1,470 +1.16
584 584 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,606 —
605–646 615 11 245.00–270.00 $262.31 $1,613 +7.86
660–662 661 4 250.00–254.00 $253.00 $1,672 —
786 786 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,768 —
945 945 3 180.00 $180.00 $1,701 +30.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
452–496 467 3 257.50–277.50 $264.76 $1,236 +29.76
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
392 392 1 222.50 $222.50 $872 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
228 228 1 270.00 $270.00 $616 +16.33
266 266 2 257.50–300.00 $278.75 $741 +15.73
310–324 317 4 250.00–287.50 $262.10 $831 +0.28
358 358 1 250.00 $250.00 $895 -2.07
350–378 363 6 255.00–292.50 $270.03 $980 +17.96
400–446 430 7 245.00–260.00 $248.42 $1,068 +11.43
432 432 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,037 +3.01
450–492 478 8 235.00–255.00 $242.37 $1,159 +1.72
508–547 531 15 220.00–250.00 $233.47 $1,240 +2.71
544 544 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,142 -3.23
564–586 580 8 210.00–232.50 $224.13 $1,300 +5.60
622 622 2 190.00–210.00 $200.00 $1,244 -4.45
654–686 667 9 185.00–215.00 $205.68 $1,372 +10.08
718 718 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,185 —
758 758 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,289 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
256 256 1 235.00 $235.00 $602 —
324 324 6 235.00 $235.00 $761 +25.00
368–372 370 2 220.00–240.00 $229.95 $851 +7.45
428–432 431 3 220.00–235.00 $227.52 $981 +7.18
450–490 474 5 210.00–235.00 $222.87 $1,056 +10.06
502 502 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,004 +12.28
602 602 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,084 +28.44
658 658 2 165.00–170.00 $167.50 $1,102 —
734 734 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,101 —
784 784 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,137 -15.00
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
352–392 365 5 190.00–210.00 $198.63 $725 -1.37
440 440 1 200.00 $200.00 $880 +10.13
558–578 568 2 150.00–160.00 $154.91 $880 —
612 612 1 155.00 $155.00 $949 +20.00
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
256 256 1 182.50 $182.50 $467 —
338 338 1 182.50 $182.50 $617 —
444 444 1 170.00 $170.00 $755 -5.00
Small 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
550 550 1 120.00 $120.00 $660 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
256–272 267 4 290.00–330.00 $303.21 $810 —
324–346 329 7 280.00–320.00 $293.42 $965 -12.71
358–398 378 11 280.00–320.00 $303.05 $1,146 -7.12
404 404 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,131 +25.18
416–446 433 7 280.00–300.00 $286.37 $1,240 +16.61
454–492 473 9 230.00–295.00 $271.52 $1,284 -0.84
500–544 520 10 242.50–295.00 $265.85 $1,382 +15.86
554–582 568 2 245.00–270.00 $257.19 $1,461 +25.56
600–628 604 9 220.00–240.00 $225.54 $1,362 +18.73
658–694 676 4 205.00–220.00 $212.98 $1,440 -6.17
706–728 719 3 175.00–190.00 $181.70 $1,306 -3.30
764 764 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,222 -20.00
842 842 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,474 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
244 244 1 282.50 $282.50 $689 +50.00
328 328 1 270.00 $270.00 $886 +25.21
350–370 360 2 242.50–257.50 $250.21 $901 +0.21
404–432 415 4 262.50–275.00 $266.77 $1,107 +16.12
482–492 487 2 200.00–220.00 $210.10 $1,023 -12.48
534–540 537 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,181 +11.00
552–564 557 4 225.00–230.00 $226.89 $1,264 +9.52
612–644 625 4 172.50–200.00 $193.24 $1,208 +15.79
772 772 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,235 —
934 934 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,261 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
324–346 335 2 225.00–245.00 $235.33 $788 —
470–488 479 2 200.00 $200.00 $958 —
506–518 512 2 165.00–192.50 $178.91 $916 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 1 217.50 $217.50 $587 —
354 354 1 177.50 $177.50 $628 —
426 426 1 220.00 $220.00 $937 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
998 998 85-90% 1 72.50 $72.50 $724 —
770–1552 1050 85-90% 15 90.00–112.50 $105.36 $1,106 +4.47
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
944–1346 1099 80-85% 11 115.00–130.00 $120.14 $1,320 —
1176–1288 1232 80-85% 2 130.00–139.00 $134.30 $1,655 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1310–1582 1440 75-80% 3 120.00 $120.00 $1,728 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1108–1896 1502 2 140.00 $140.00 $2,103 —

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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
1052–1082 1067 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,425.00–1,650.00 $1,535.92 —

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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.