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Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 18, 2025

255 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 3-weight M&L 1 heifers $383.35/cwt +11.69 vs last sale · ≈ $1,427/hd at 372 lb · 14 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $369.00/cwt +34.09 vs last sale · ≈ $2,140/hd at 580 lb · 12 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $335.00/cwt +37.50 vs last sale · ≈ $2,450/hd at 731 lb · 11 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 255 — —

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
212 212 1 450.00 $450.00 $954 —
242 value added 242 1 455.00 $455.00 $1,101 —
272 value added 272 1 437.50 $437.50 $1,190 —
282 282 1 395.00 $395.00 $1,114 —
332 332 1 425.00 $425.00 $1,411 —
406 value added 406 2 426.00 $426.00 $1,730 +3.50
482 value added 482 5 400.00 $400.00 $1,928 —
492 492 3 360.00 $360.00 $1,771 -30.25
538–542 539 3 345.00–360.00 $353.34 $1,905 +14.95
580 value added 580 12 369.00 $369.00 $2,140 —
618 618 1 335.00 $335.00 $2,070 -3.00
714 714 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,356 +32.50
733 value added 733 10 335.50 $335.50 $2,459 —
946 value added 946 2 251.00 $251.00 $2,374 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
482 482 1 355.00 $355.00 $1,711 +20.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,728 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,000 -1.93
310–328 321 4 365.00–402.50 $383.39 $1,231 -24.22
350 value added 350 1 430.00 $430.00 $1,505 —
352–398 374 13 340.00–405.00 $379.76 $1,420 +2.92
408–434 419 5 335.00–380.00 $352.87 $1,479 -0.01
466–498 482 6 320.00–372.50 $347.95 $1,677 +12.48
508–546 528 9 300.00–350.00 $325.82 $1,720 +27.87
556–580 568 7 285.00–340.00 $313.61 $1,781 +33.61
602–622 612 2 290.00–315.00 $302.70 $1,853 +47.70
654 654 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,831 -9.93
717 value added 717 8 296.00 $296.00 $2,122 —
704–744 724 2 260.00–265.00 $262.57 $1,901 -17.43
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
234 234 1 287.50 $287.50 $673 -32.50
420–444 431 5 290.00–330.00 $318.85 $1,374 +8.85
504 504 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,436 +21.57
564 564 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,410 ±0.00
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
404–410 407 2 300.00–310.00 $305.04 $1,242 +0.04
754 754 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,433 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
438 438 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,402 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
246 246 1 407.50 $407.50 $1,002 -9.77
264 264 1 430.00 $430.00 $1,135 +14.60
316 316 1 410.00 $410.00 $1,296 +4.75
352–378 370 6 390.00–425.00 $404.62 $1,497 +6.01
402–408 405 2 380.00 $380.00 $1,539 -19.45
454–490 466 8 350.00–387.50 $365.96 $1,705 -9.77
514–536 521 3 340.00–367.50 $351.50 $1,831 +7.26
574–596 587 5 275.00–320.00 $304.86 $1,790 -14.69
718–728 724 3 230.00–255.00 $244.97 $1,774 -20.22
808–828 818 2 205.00–210.00 $207.47 $1,697 —
854 854 2 185.00–215.00 $200.00 $1,708 —
910–918 914 2 180.00 $180.00 $1,645 —
972 972 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,750 -17.50
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
308–310 309 2 355.00–375.00 $365.03 $1,128 +15.03
354–374 364 2 350.00 $350.00 $1,274 —
410–448 427 6 340.00–365.00 $354.38 $1,513 +6.87
466–474 470 2 310.00–320.00 $314.96 $1,480 +27.16
522 522 1 305.00 $305.00 $1,592 +65.00
560 560 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,456 —
608 608 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,581 —
714 714 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,285 -60.00
752 752 1 237.50 $237.50 $1,786 +17.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
302 302 1 355.00 $355.00 $1,072 —
386 386 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,351 —
430 430 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,376 -5.00
824 824 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,401 +5.00
926 926 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,667 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
398 398 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,274 —
570 570 1 262.50 $262.50 $1,496 —
698 698 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,605 —
864 864 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,382 —
Small 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
272 272 1 270.00 $270.00 $734 —
308 308 2 250.00 $250.00 $770 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
772–1090 924 85-90% 6 80.00–86.00 $82.40 $761 -19.88
782–1344 989 85-90% 14 88.00–117.50 $106.83 $1,057 -26.16
808–1268 1067 85-90% 10 119.00–145.00 $128.34 $1,369 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
954–1192 1103 80-85% 3 160.00 $160.00 $1,765 +1.48
978–1464 1196 80-85% 12 135.00–152.50 $141.97 $1,698 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1254–1530 1387 75-80% 9 152.00–163.00 $155.54 $2,157 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1166 1166 1 194.00 $194.00 $2,262 —
1194–2188 1609 7 150.00–182.50 $172.30 $2,772 —

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Stock Cows

Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
758 758 (<2 yrs)Open 1 172.50 $172.50 $1,308
838 838 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,257

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
964–1114 1017 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 3 1,500.00–1,800.00 $1,642.63 —
1032 1032 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,200.00 $2,200.00 —
1034–1168 1101 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 2 1,500.00–1,850.00 $1,685.65 —
1178 1178 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 2,700.00 $2,700.00 +600.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
776 776 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,375.00 $1,375.00 —

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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.