Cattle Market Pulse

Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 31, 2024

518 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $230.83/cwt +14.23 vs last sale · ≈ $1,089/hd at 472 lb · 28 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $259.03/cwt +19.09 vs last sale · ≈ $1,352/hd at 522 lb · 24 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1 bulls $262.98/cwt -3.74 vs last sale · ≈ $984/hd at 374 lb · 13 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 518 516 418
Feeder cattle 440 456 374
Slaughter cattle 78 60 44

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, slaughter cattle were 3.00 to 5.00 lower. Feeder cattle were mixed. Demand was moderate; market activity and buyer interest moderate. Offerings of cattle were heavy. 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
434 434 12 259.00 $259.00 $1,124 —
458 value added 458 4 270.00 $270.00 $1,237 —
508–536 522 24 258.00–260.00 $259.03 $1,352 +19.09
604 604 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,268 —
710 value added 710 2 235.00 $235.00 $1,668 —
748 748 1 217.00 $217.00 $1,623 —
822 822 1 207.50 $207.50 $1,706 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
568–575 574 5 194.00–200.00 $195.19 $1,120 -11.80
618 618 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,298 -5.00
660 660 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,452 —
1058 1058 2 155.00 $155.00 $1,640 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
338 338 1 200.00 $200.00 $676 ±0.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
294 294 1 227.50 $227.50 $669 +3.56
328–348 337 5 232.50–237.50 $235.55 $794 -9.08
350–382 364 3 227.50–237.50 $232.35 $846 -2.62
402–424 411 11 230.00–240.00 $235.89 $970 +2.13
470 value added 470 15 240.25 $240.25 $1,129 —
458–494 474 13 200.00–230.00 $219.95 $1,043 +7.45
500–548 526 12 190.00–218.00 $203.46 $1,070 -3.54
551–594 570 8 190.00–213.00 $200.81 $1,145 -9.19
602–646 628 7 181.00–205.00 $190.71 $1,198 -4.26
630 630 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,071 -24.97
650–678 662 6 175.00–203.00 $186.33 $1,234 +0.88
684 684 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,129 -20.45
720 720 3 170.00–172.50 $171.67 $1,236 -5.33
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
206–246 232 8 197.50–217.50 $213.77 $496 +31.27
268–288 280 8 180.00–217.50 $205.71 $576 +5.71
302–346 317 4 197.50–220.00 $212.04 $672 +13.11
350–392 376 6 187.50–220.00 $200.95 $756 +4.29
423–444 433 11 175.00–215.00 $198.62 $860 -16.86
472–492 482 2 195.00–200.00 $197.55 $952 +6.24
514–546 532 6 175.00–183.00 $180.77 $962 —
570–596 583 2 170.00 $170.00 $991 —
622–640 631 2 160.00–185.00 $172.32 $1,087 —
676 676 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,149 +30.00
700–726 713 2 150.00–153.00 $151.47 $1,080 +3.97
840 840 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,176 -13.00
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 1 172.50 $172.50 $345 -9.90
250–286 266 3 170.00–185.00 $178.06 $474 -19.44
328–348 338 2 180.00 $180.00 $608 +4.18
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
262 262 1 160.00 $160.00 $419 —
350 350 1 152.50 $152.50 $534 -12.50

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
292 292 1 245.00 $245.00 $715 -11.38
300–342 324 7 247.50–272.50 $263.86 $855 -1.94
352–396 374 13 242.50–277.50 $262.98 $984 -3.74
412 412 1 230.00 $230.00 $948 -19.50
400–444 420 10 250.00–267.50 $258.71 $1,087 +9.21
450–490 474 12 233.00–255.00 $244.74 $1,160 +1.07
502–538 525 9 207.50–220.00 $215.91 $1,134 -7.60
550–598 572 10 210.00–223.00 $216.73 $1,240 +8.97
600–632 613 8 185.00–207.50 $198.84 $1,219 +0.15
652–678 664 3 187.00–205.00 $193.96 $1,288 +15.25
704–714 708 3 175.00–200.00 $188.28 $1,333 +28.28
735 735 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,176 ±0.00
766 766 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,340 +15.00
820 820 1 155.00 $155.00 $1,271 +5.00
826 826 1 172.50 $172.50 $1,425 +22.50
882 882 1 167.50 $167.50 $1,477 +16.22
1030 1030 1 163.00 $163.00 $1,679 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
212–238 225 3 192.50–227.50 $211.51 $476 —
282–292 287 5 210.00–237.50 $226.56 $650 +0.35
314–324 320 4 215.00–237.50 $226.90 $726 +9.85
362–372 367 2 225.00–240.00 $232.40 $853 +8.00
404–444 421 5 200.00–225.00 $217.13 $914 +6.60
466–494 477 7 180.00–220.00 $200.88 $958 +0.88
500–536 516 6 180.00–200.00 $193.12 $996 +8.90
568–598 581 3 180.00–200.00 $186.52 $1,084 —
604–620 614 3 170.00 $170.00 $1,044 -5.00
820–830 825 2 135.00–147.00 $140.96 $1,163 +5.96
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
206–234 220 2 185.00–202.50 $194.31 $427 —
276–284 280 2 180.00–195.00 $187.61 $525 -1.51
382 382 1 180.00 $180.00 $688 -9.19
406–426 416 2 180.00–185.00 $182.56 $759 +22.56
526 526 1 147.50 $147.50 $776 -12.50
592 592 1 147.50 $147.50 $873 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
443 443 2 217.50 $217.50 $964 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
334–342 338 2 160.00–172.50 $166.32 $562 -3.68

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
848–1274 1046 85-90% 9 63.00–85.00 $74.21 $776 —
850–1548 1136 85-90% 13 92.00–111.00 $104.41 $1,186 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1348–1726 1558 75-80% 10 118.00–131.00 $123.85 $1,930 —
1536–1868 1737 75-80% 3 110.00 $110.00 $1,911 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1034–1120 1077 80-85% 2 137.50–140.00 $138.70 $1,494 —
1172–1506 1343 80-85% 6 110.00–121.00 $115.82 $1,555 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
970–1222 1059 4 100.00–112.50 $107.72 $1,141 —
960–1912 1351 5 132.50–154.00 $142.14 $1,920 —

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Dairy Heifers

Small 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
584 584 1 145.00 $145.00 $847 —

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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.