Cattle Market Pulse

Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 23, 2024

313 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $254.73/cwt +7.37 vs last sale · ≈ $1,069/hd at 420 lb · 17 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 bulls $266.96/cwt -4.56 vs last sale · ≈ $1,276/hd at 478 lb · 15 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $280.54/cwt +5.54 vs last sale · ≈ $1,585/hd at 565 lb · 15 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 313 307 438
Feeder cattle 248 253 375
Slaughter cattle 65 52 63
Replacement cattle — 2 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, slaughter cattle were sharply higher. Feeder cattle were mostly steady. Demand was good: market activity and buyer interest were active. Offering of cattle were moderate. Cattle quality was 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
416 416 3 290.00–297.50 $292.50 $1,217 -26.03
464–494 477 4 265.00–285.00 $277.53 $1,324 -24.22
512–546 522 4 280.00–297.50 $285.81 $1,492 +7.88
556–588 565 15 260.00–295.00 $280.54 $1,585 +5.54
602–648 633 3 250.00–260.00 $253.17 $1,603 -9.14
706 706 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,694 —
754 754 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,772 +10.00
844 844 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,857 —
858–894 880 3 190.00–220.00 $200.16 $1,761 —
906 906 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,721 —
954 954 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,717 —
1008 1008 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,714 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
518–548 533 2 230.00–240.00 $234.86 $1,252 —
722 722 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,300 —
798 798 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,516 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
484 484 1 182.50 $182.50 $883 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
418 418 1 175.00 $175.00 $732 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
202–238 220 2 257.50–260.00 $258.65 $569 -11.35
290–296 293 2 242.50–260.00 $251.34 $736 -27.41
306–342 324 6 240.00–265.00 $255.59 $828 -6.51
352–364 357 4 242.50–282.50 $262.04 $935 +12.04
403–448 418 16 240.00–275.00 $256.28 $1,071 +7.86
444 444 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,021 -10.00
455–492 471 7 235.00–262.50 $249.56 $1,175 +7.19
498 498 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,096 -22.37
506 506 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,012 -33.47
500–548 527 11 225.00–245.00 $236.96 $1,249 +3.49
552–584 568 12 220.00–242.00 $233.56 $1,327 +9.43
660–698 671 8 190.00–220.00 $209.27 $1,404 +3.59
816 816 1 177.50 $177.50 $1,448 —
904 904 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,492 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
332–336 334 2 220.00 $220.00 $735 -15.00
366–388 375 6 210.00–232.50 $223.42 $838 -6.53
434 434 1 230.00 $230.00 $998 +2.48
476 476 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,095 +7.13
502–542 518 4 180.00–220.00 $202.18 $1,047 +2.18
534–542 538 2 174.00–175.00 $174.50 $939 —
600–618 609 2 175.00–180.00 $177.54 $1,081 -2.46
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 1 200.00 $200.00 $660 —
354–376 365 2 180.00–207.50 $193.34 $706 -5.29
402 402 1 207.50 $207.50 $834 —
578 578 1 177.50 $177.50 $1,026 +22.59

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
282–294 285 4 315.00–322.50 $316.93 $903 +13.72
306–348 326 4 285.00–327.50 $300.75 $980 +7.33
350–382 361 6 305.00–322.50 $312.36 $1,128 +9.31
412–448 426 11 290.00–301.00 $297.83 $1,269 +11.46
450–498 478 15 255.00–285.00 $266.96 $1,276 -4.56
500–546 518 10 250.00–282.50 $263.09 $1,363 -2.76
612 612 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,224 -25.54
608–646 623 3 220.00–250.00 $233.05 $1,452 +7.51
654–682 671 3 215.00–252.50 $229.32 $1,539 +16.34
736–742 739 4 180.00–200.00 $189.36 $1,399 +7.66
778 778 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,284 +5.00
872 872 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,439 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 1 275.00 $275.00 $605 -7.50
298 298 1 245.00 $245.00 $730 —
330 330 1 265.00 $265.00 $874 -5.00
350–378 364 2 265.00–280.00 $272.21 $991 +22.00
400–448 415 7 240.00–272.50 $259.33 $1,076 -7.44
522 522 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,044 -20.00
614 614 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,259 +11.76
632 632 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,043 -28.24
688–694 691 2 160.00–172.50 $166.22 $1,149 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
252–290 271 2 207.50–225.00 $216.86 $588 —
398 398 1 222.50 $222.50 $886 —
484 484 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,065 +20.00
Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
614 614 1 160.00 $160.00 $982 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
416 416 1 177.50 $177.50 $738 -42.50

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
978–1378 1149 80-85% 20 129.00–145.00 $136.20 $1,565 —
1098–1312 1188 80-85% 6 147.00–157.00 $151.96 $1,805 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
802–854 828 85-90% 2 128.00–130.00 $128.97 $1,068 —
780–996 907 85-90% 3 60.00–95.00 $78.55 $712 —
822–1288 1000 85-90% 16 109.00–127.50 $120.33 $1,203 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1192–1712 1416 75-80% 7 145.00–153.00 $147.56 $2,089 +27.56

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1086 1086 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,358 —
1168–1644 1387 5 145.00–160.00 $155.24 $2,153 —
1458–1996 1791 3 169.00–174.00 $170.36 $3,051 —

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Dairy Steers

Small 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
374 374 1 145.00 $145.00 $542 —

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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.