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Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 15, 2025

279 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $307.38/cwt -4.93 vs last sale · ≈ $1,655/hd at 539 lb · 19 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $367.24/cwt -2.76 vs last sale · ≈ $1,928/hd at 525 lb · 15 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 bulls $375.67/cwt +13.41 vs last sale · ≈ $1,826/hd at 486 lb · 14 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 279

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200 200 1 400.00 $400.00 $800
312 312 1 450.00 $450.00 $1,404
376–393 389 4 425.00–426.00 $425.76 $1,656
408–448 419 4 410.00–429.00 $421.94 $1,768
514–544 525 15 350.00–390.00 $367.24 $1,928 -2.76
588–591 590 6 340.00–350.00 $345.01 $2,036
622 622 2 340.00 $340.00 $2,115 +7.55
742 742 1 292.50 $292.50 $2,170 +14.50
822 822 1 270.00 $270.00 $2,219
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
624 624 1 282.50 $282.50 $1,763 -7.00
758 758 1 265.00 $265.00 $2,009
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
576 576 1 355.00 $355.00 $2,045 +55.00

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
228 228 1 430.00 $430.00 $980
260–278 273 5 350.00–385.00 $371.18 $1,013 -17.05
300–334 322 5 340.00–360.00 $350.84 $1,130 -12.09
374–396 377 12 350.00–360.00 $358.73 $1,352 +8.34
406–440 423 11 337.50–387.50 $357.11 $1,511 +7.60
456–494 470 14 325.00–370.00 $345.48 $1,624 +17.22
537 value added 537 4 330.00 $330.00 $1,772
506–549 539 15 285.00–325.00 $301.35 $1,624 -10.96
550–592 578 6 290.00–347.50 $305.51 $1,766 +6.73
600–648 627 6 280.00–290.00 $284.56 $1,784 +5.98
676 676 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,028
722 722 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,949 +31.16
808 808 1 202.50 $202.50 $1,636
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–394 377 2 300.00–340.00 $320.90 $1,210 -2.79
402 402 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,327 +7.97
466–496 481 2 300.00 $300.00 $1,443
534–544 539 2 200.00–280.00 $239.63 $1,292
688 688 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,273
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
328–336 332 2 315.00–340.00 $327.65 $1,088 +27.65
350–380 365 2 320.00–330.00 $324.79 $1,185 -5.21
520 520 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,378
584 584 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,635 +20.00
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
488 488 1 262.50 $262.50 $1,281
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
276 276 1 265.00 $265.00 $731

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200–242 222 3 367.50–505.00 $423.33 $940 -1.67
256–294 277 7 385.00–420.00 $402.11 $1,114 -27.89
302–348 327 13 375.00–450.00 $425.10 $1,390 +20.58
368–396 387 11 407.50–435.00 $419.62 $1,624 +15.27
404–440 426 11 395.00–430.00 $404.01 $1,721 +22.63
458–496 486 14 360.00–390.00 $375.67 $1,826 +13.41
500–546 516 11 320.00–365.00 $347.39 $1,793 +23.50
518 518 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,658 -3.89
560–591 580 4 300.00–340.00 $312.71 $1,814 +11.29
604–640 626 5 280.00–360.00 $304.18 $1,904 +9.18
660–692 674 6 265.00–290.00 $277.07 $1,867 -22.93
706 706 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,942 +45.00
782 782 2 286.00–295.00 $290.50 $2,272
806–828 817 2 237.50–272.50 $254.76 $2,081
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
206–238 222 2 360.00 $360.00 $799
282 282 1 350.00 $350.00 $987 -10.00
310–316 313 2 300.00–350.00 $325.24 $1,018
390 390 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,365 ±0.00
416 416 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,456 +7.46
461–484 467 4 272.50–350.00 $329.91 $1,541 +17.48
504–538 520 6 280.00–335.00 $298.08 $1,550
552–570 561 3 260.00–297.50 $283.33 $1,589 +6.66
602 602 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,595
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
222 222 1 350.00 $350.00 $777
358 358 1 390.00 $390.00 $1,396
430 430 1 370.00 $370.00 $1,591
464 464 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,485 -17.28
508–536 520 3 280.00–330.00 $312.00 $1,622
588 588 1 295.00 $295.00 $1,735
838 838 1 196.00 $196.00 $1,642
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
486 486 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,166
500 500 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,275
558 558 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,395
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
282 282 1 300.00 $300.00 $846
450 450 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,125
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
332 332 1 295.00 $295.00 $979
Small 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
386 386 1 200.00 $200.00 $772

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Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
878–1084 975 85-90% 3 123.00–143.00 $132.52 $1,292 +21.43
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1546–1720 1633 75-80% 2 148.00–150.00 $148.95 $2,432
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1066 1066 80-85% 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,866

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1522 1522 1 163.00 $163.00 $2,481 -11.35
1262–1836 1566 5 165.00–173.00 $169.20 $2,650

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Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
744 744 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 217.50 $217.50 $1,618
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
948 948 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,659

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Small 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
942 942 1 171.00 $171.00 $1,611

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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.