Cattle Market Pulse

Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, June 20, 2024

325 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 bulls $270.02/cwt +20.39 vs last sale · ≈ $1,509/hd at 559 lb · 18 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 bulls $271.14/cwt -9.49 vs last sale · ≈ $1,139/hd at 420 lb · 13 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 325 315 289
Feeder cattle 266 259 255
Slaughter cattle 57 56 32
Replacement cattle 2 — 2

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, slaughter cattle were 5.00 to 10.00 higher. Feeder cattle were mostly steady. Demand was good; market activity and buyer interest was active. Offerings 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
268 268 1 327.50 $327.50 $878 —
348 348 2 310.00 $310.00 $1,079 —
356 356 1 307.50 $307.50 $1,095 —
526–536 527 7 275.00–282.00 $280.98 $1,481 +6.55
566–582 574 2 271.00–282.00 $276.58 $1,588 -0.03
639 639 3 263.00 $263.00 $1,681 -14.48
872 872 1 207.50 $207.50 $1,809 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
488 488 1 218.00 $218.00 $1,064 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
228–236 232 2 240.00–272.50 $255.97 $594 -24.03
280–288 284 2 257.50–287.50 $272.29 $773 -7.61
300–340 325 5 245.00–285.00 $262.57 $853 -11.46
356–388 376 6 240.00–272.50 $253.07 $952 -12.93
410–418 414 2 260.00–266.00 $263.03 $1,089 +13.81
460–496 475 5 230.00–262.50 $243.82 $1,158 -4.67
508–540 521 8 220.00–251.00 $234.84 $1,224 -0.35
558–590 572 5 200.00–230.00 $220.10 $1,259 -14.09
604–644 624 2 217.00–225.00 $220.87 $1,378 -11.63
676–688 682 2 210.00–226.00 $217.93 $1,486 +28.67
706–742 724 2 180.00–190.00 $184.88 $1,339 +12.38
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230–236 233 2 225.00–227.50 $226.23 $527 —
314 314 1 230.00 $230.00 $722 -7.53
390 390 1 217.50 $217.50 $848 -6.91
400–444 416 7 192.50–222.50 $207.92 $865 -27.08
464–490 479 4 200.00–220.00 $210.79 $1,010 +2.59
514 514 1 190.00 $190.00 $977 -1.21
582 582 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,077 -4.16
668 668 7 162.00 $162.00 $1,082 —
709 709 9 166.00 $166.00 $1,177 +18.50
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
274 274 1 207.50 $207.50 $569 —
300–304 302 2 167.50–190.00 $178.68 $540 —
354 354 1 200.00 $200.00 $708 —
416–448 432 2 175.00–195.00 $184.63 $798 -2.87
486–492 489 2 150.00–190.00 $170.12 $832 -14.88
534 534 1 160.00 $160.00 $854 -2.50
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
384 384 1 187.50 $187.50 $720 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
202–240 219 3 270.00–272.50 $270.82 $593 -19.18
250–281 271 3 307.50–330.00 $314.43 $852 +19.43
318–348 330 9 290.00–312.50 $301.77 $996 -18.55
354 354 1 270.00 $270.00 $956 -18.32
390 390 1 287.50 $287.50 $1,121 -0.82
411–448 419 12 261.00–282.50 $272.28 $1,141 -8.35
432 432 1 257.50 $257.50 $1,112 -23.13
456–488 468 7 235.00–272.50 $255.31 $1,195 -14.60
509–534 517 7 230.00–257.50 $242.64 $1,254 -20.45
556–590 559 18 245.00–273.00 $270.02 $1,509 +20.39
642–648 645 2 222.50–225.00 $223.74 $1,443 -2.00
665 665 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,330 -11.34
668–670 669 2 215.00–235.00 $224.99 $1,505 +13.65
722 722 3 190.00 $190.00 $1,372 +40.00
758–760 759 2 175.00–195.00 $184.99 $1,404 +4.99
838 838 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,466 ±0.00
870 870 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,305 -30.00
916 916 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,649 -2.50
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
282 282 1 230.00 $230.00 $649 —
360–368 364 2 205.00–215.00 $209.95 $764 —
400–448 421 4 195.00–210.00 $203.78 $858 —
466 466 1 172.50 $172.50 $804 -7.50
518–544 531 2 150.00–167.50 $158.96 $844 +8.19
560–592 576 2 150.00–185.00 $167.01 $962 —
602 602 1 167.50 $167.50 $1,008 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–296 277 3 232.50–240.00 $237.42 $658 -25.60
320 320 1 252.50 $252.50 $808 +2.91
382 382 1 222.50 $222.50 $850 -47.62
492–494 493 2 200.00–237.00 $218.54 $1,077 —
500–536 521 3 200.00–217.50 $205.59 $1,071 —
592 592 1 212.50 $212.50 $1,258 —
696 696 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,114 —
764 764 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,222 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–298 281 4 177.50–207.50 $197.01 $554 —
322–336 329 2 180.00–195.00 $187.66 $617 -6.09
370 370 1 202.50 $202.50 $749 —
414–438 421 5 165.00–205.00 $188.18 $792 -8.62
530 530 1 135.00 $135.00 $716 —
Small 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
372 372 1 150.00 $150.00 $558 —
408 408 1 157.50 $157.50 $643 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
936–1410 1120 80-85% 16 131.00–150.00 $142.44 $1,595 —
1042–1214 1140 80-85% 4 154.00–166.00 $159.87 $1,823 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
794–1260 987 85-90% 12 113.00–129.00 $121.01 $1,194 —
1224 1224 85-90% 1 107.50 $107.50 $1,316 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1066–1572 1357 75-80% 11 134.00–146.00 $141.37 $1,918 —
1352–1460 1406 75-80% 2 159.00–168.00 $163.33 $2,296 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1018–1272 1183 6 140.00–160.00 $149.89 $1,773 —
1359 1359 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,767 —

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
696–778 737 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,200.00–1,400.00 $1,305.56 —

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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.