Cattle Market Pulse

Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 12, 2024

289 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 3-weight M&L 1 heifers $276.33/cwt -9.30 vs last sale · ≈ $1,033/hd at 374 lb · 18 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1 bulls $310.34/cwt +16.95 vs last sale · ≈ $1,154/hd at 372 lb · 14 head
light 3-weight M&L 1 heifers $280.72/cwt +1.44 vs last sale · ≈ $918/hd at 327 lb · 13 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 289 460 284
Feeder cattle 230 356 200
Slaughter cattle 59 101 84
Replacement cattle — 3 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, slaughter cattle were mostly steady. Feeder cattle were mostly steady. Demand was good; market activity and buyer interest were active. Offerings of cattle were light. 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
392 392 5 303.00 $303.00 $1,188 —
401 401 2 322.50 $322.50 $1,293 +14.52
477 477 2 309.00 $309.00 $1,474 +18.21
533–548 546 8 268.50–280.00 $269.90 $1,474 —
552 552 2 252.50 $252.50 $1,394 -10.00
661 661 5 250.50 $250.50 $1,656 -10.31
730 730 6 240.00 $240.00 $1,752 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
512 512 1 242.50 $242.50 $1,242 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
266–288 279 3 267.50–290.00 $277.67 $775 +3.86
310–346 327 13 262.50–295.00 $280.72 $918 +1.44
354–394 374 18 268.00–297.50 $276.33 $1,033 +8.05
404–446 424 10 250.00–280.00 $264.51 $1,122 -7.37
462–498 482 4 240.00–252.50 $248.07 $1,196 +5.73
500–548 521 8 235.00–257.50 $243.69 $1,270 +3.03
564–584 575 4 232.50–240.00 $236.88 $1,362 +1.92
600–622 611 3 220.00–235.00 $226.63 $1,385 +6.61
696 696 1 217.50 $217.50 $1,514 -9.25
716–722 719 2 207.00–217.50 $212.23 $1,526 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
214–220 217 2 222.50–235.00 $228.84 $497 +6.15
296 296 1 230.00 $230.00 $681 —
304–328 320 3 232.50–242.50 $239.33 $766 +8.76
384 384 1 220.00 $220.00 $845 +5.00
404–442 429 10 240.00–247.50 $241.22 $1,035 +44.97
452–494 472 6 215.00–240.00 $224.96 $1,062 -2.51
522–532 527 2 210.00–222.50 $216.19 $1,139 +16.19
576 576 2 228.00 $228.00 $1,313 +8.00
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 1 200.00 $200.00 $400 -7.50
325 325 2 180.00 $180.00 $585 —
584 584 1 130.00 $130.00 $759 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
234 234 1 212.50 $212.50 $497 —
306 306 1 202.50 $202.50 $620 —
374 374 1 210.00 $210.00 $785 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
208 208 1 265.00 $265.00 $551 —
250–296 285 6 290.00–310.00 $299.93 $855 -1.38
304–338 322 8 280.00–330.00 $311.92 $1,004 +8.48
354–396 372 14 285.00–325.00 $310.34 $1,154 +16.95
408 408 1 282.50 $282.50 $1,153 +22.50
404–444 421 5 292.50–312.50 $304.02 $1,280 +44.02
450–492 479 5 255.00–282.00 $265.19 $1,270 -18.73
502–546 523 7 245.00–299.00 $261.17 $1,366 -10.07
600–638 619 2 225.00–227.50 $226.29 $1,401 -19.43
654–682 669 3 245.00–250.00 $248.33 $1,661 +5.83
730 730 1 216.00 $216.00 $1,577 -1.43
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
224–232 228 2 235.00 $235.00 $536 —
252–278 268 3 275.00–280.00 $278.43 $746 +25.63
310–340 328 4 235.00–287.50 $266.74 $875 +24.41
382 382 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,031 +5.00
404–448 432 4 220.00–275.00 $255.65 $1,104 +15.59
494 494 5 250.00 $250.00 $1,235 +30.89
508 508 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,219 +22.49
558 558 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,228 —
606–634 619 3 176.00–210.00 $195.12 $1,208 +6.09
706 706 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,165 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
686 686 1 122.50 $122.50 $840 —
762 762 1 115.00 $115.00 $876 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
436 436 1 205.00 $205.00 $894 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
258 258 1 200.00 $200.00 $516 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
764 764 85-90% 1 115.00 $115.00 $879 —
820–1190 995 85-90% 8 50.00–65.00 $57.08 $568 -28.46
762–1356 1086 85-90% 10 70.00–89.00 $75.70 $822 —
884–1334 1130 85-90% 11 90.00–107.00 $100.64 $1,137 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1098–1404 1268 80-85% 8 105.00–121.00 $112.47 $1,426 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1362 1362 75-80% 1 115.00 $115.00 $1,566 —
1512 1512 75-80% 1 109.00 $109.00 $1,648 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1262–1496 1390 3 92.50–110.00 $103.81 $1,443 -26.35
1226–1980 1649 7 120.00–142.50 $132.46 $2,184 —
YG2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1380 1380 1 72.50 $72.50 $1,000 —

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Dairy Heifers

Small 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
401 401 2 120.00 $120.00 $481 —
504 504 1 147.50 $147.50 $743 —

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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.