Cattle Market Pulse

Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, August 29, 2024

305 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $228.30/cwt -8.68 vs last sale · ≈ $1,110/hd at 486 lb · 20 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1 heifers $248.51/cwt -2.38 vs last sale · ≈ $930/hd at 374 lb · 14 head
light 5-weight M&L 2 bulls $182.60/cwt -17.40 vs last sale · ≈ $962/hd at 527 lb · 12 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 305 484 30
Feeder cattle 260 420 23
Slaughter cattle 45 64 7

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, slaughter cattle were mostly steady. Feeder cattle were 2.00 to 3.00 lower. Demand was moderate; market activity and buyer interest were moderate. Offerings of cattle were moderate. Cattle quality was average. 4 head baby calves; 250.00-400.00

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
336 336 1 277.50 $277.50 $932 —
416–446 422 5 258.00–262.50 $258.95 $1,093 —
428 value added 428 2 275.00 $275.00 $1,177 —
472 472 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,204 —
505–526 518 10 255.00–260.00 $257.80 $1,335 +7.80
550–566 557 7 248.00–249.00 $248.44 $1,384 -6.56
630 630 1 217.50 $217.50 $1,370 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
326 326 1 260.00 $260.00 $848 —
494 494 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,112 +5.00

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
248 248 1 245.00 $245.00 $608 —
250–288 269 2 242.50–265.00 $254.54 $685 +6.96
312–344 330 3 250.00–262.50 $254.34 $839 +14.34
352 value added 352 2 267.50 $267.50 $942 —
360–394 378 12 227.50–257.50 $245.34 $927 -5.55
408–448 424 12 225.00–260.00 $245.41 $1,041 +9.06
480 480 1 200.00 $200.00 $960 -39.85
485 value added 485 4 244.00 $244.00 $1,183 —
474–498 487 15 190.00–245.00 $226.00 $1,101 +23.50
511–548 518 6 200.00–215.00 $202.49 $1,049 +14.76
526 526 1 177.50 $177.50 $934 -10.23
550–586 568 6 200.00–227.50 $218.25 $1,240 +26.08
602–640 613 5 180.00–220.00 $194.88 $1,195 -12.19
626 value added 626 4 230.00 $230.00 $1,440 —
664–684 676 5 185.00–195.00 $188.93 $1,277 +23.93
714–746 730 2 180.00–192.50 $186.11 $1,359 -4.50
786 786 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,258 -35.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220–248 234 2 220.00 $220.00 $515 ±0.00
260 260 1 210.00 $210.00 $546 -5.67
320 320 1 225.00 $225.00 $720 +19.76
412–440 425 3 195.00–210.00 $205.02 $871 -4.96
450 450 1 180.00 $180.00 $810 -20.84
500–518 510 3 160.00–175.00 $165.08 $842 -14.92
538 538 1 150.00 $150.00 $807 -30.00
582 582 3 175.00 $175.00 $1,018 -5.00
628 628 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,099 +23.64
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
308 308 1 200.00 $200.00 $616 —
550–586 562 3 140.00–155.00 $150.11 $844 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
296 296 1 165.00 $165.00 $488 —
386 386 1 155.00 $155.00 $598 —
424 424 1 140.00 $140.00 $594 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 1 242.50 $242.50 $485 -13.62
268–298 283 3 260.00–282.50 $272.25 $770 +22.25
314–344 336 5 265.00–292.50 $275.65 $926 +4.95
350–382 369 5 267.50–280.00 $274.94 $1,015 +7.63
436–446 441 2 240.00–260.00 $249.89 $1,102 -16.33
462–470 464 4 220.00–231.00 $228.21 $1,059 -20.36
508–548 528 5 205.00–230.00 $214.78 $1,134 -5.45
580–584 581 4 205.00–220.00 $213.76 $1,242 -4.52
616–640 624 4 182.50–200.00 $191.83 $1,197 -11.44
654–692 677 4 175.00–195.00 $183.03 $1,239 -12.64
710–722 716 2 173.00–175.00 $173.99 $1,246 -16.25
760 760 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,330 -5.00
834 834 1 159.00 $159.00 $1,326 —
844 844 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,519 —
852 852 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,491 +15.00
944 944 1 147.50 $147.50 $1,392 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
216–232 224 2 227.50–237.50 $232.32 $520 +1.40
274 274 1 245.00 $245.00 $671 +3.68
322–334 328 2 250.00–255.00 $252.45 $828 +11.02
350 350 1 230.00 $230.00 $805 -2.94
400–434 420 4 210.00–222.50 $218.11 $916 -11.75
456–494 477 3 200.00–220.00 $208.50 $995 -2.58
502–542 527 12 167.50–200.00 $182.60 $962 -17.40
560–598 578 5 177.50–187.50 $183.47 $1,060 -6.30
624 624 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,154 +2.52
650–666 658 2 152.50–165.00 $158.67 $1,044 -7.81
724 724 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,158 —
776–794 785 2 145.00–162.50 $153.85 $1,208 -6.15
830 830 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,038 -25.00
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
402–440 420 3 185.00–205.00 $196.62 $826 —
466 466 1 182.50 $182.50 $850 —
544 544 1 150.00 $150.00 $816 —
552–582 564 3 130.00–150.00 $142.46 $803 —
Small 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 122.50 $122.50 $355 —
358 358 1 147.50 $147.50 $528 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
726–964 836 85-90% 3 77.50–100.00 $93.49 $782 —
790–1228 960 85-90% 12 110.00–127.50 $116.54 $1,119 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1214–1638 1439 75-80% 6 110.00–123.00 $119.19 $1,715 -10.81
1234–1818 1484 75-80% 8 128.00–140.00 $133.36 $1,979 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
904–1126 993 80-85% 4 128.00–139.00 $132.00 $1,311 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1026 1026 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,334 —
1158–1660 1354 3 152.50–172.50 $160.24 $2,170 +45.51

↑ 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.