Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, March 5, 2026

468 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $464.58/cwt +28.20 vs last sale · ≈ $1,948/hd at 419 lb · 25 head

light 4-weight M&L 1 bulls $496.27/cwt +26.98 vs last sale · ≈ $2,122/hd at 428 lb · 24 head

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $394.32/cwt +2.41 vs last sale · ≈ $2,024/hd at 513 lb · 21 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	468	333	245
Feeder cattle	386	301	205
Slaughter cattle	72	27	40
Replacement cattle	10	5	0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, slaughter cattle were 4.00 to 8.00 lower. Feeder cattle were mostly steady. Demand was good; market activity and buyer interest were active. Offering of cattle were moderate. Cattle quality was average.

→ Feeder cattle: Feeder cattle were mostly steady
▼ Slaughter cattle: slaughter cattle were 4.00 to 8.00 lower

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
284	284	1	495.00	$495.00	$1,406	—
342	342	1	455.00	$455.00	$1,556	-75.00
379 value added	379	3	520.00	$520.00	$1,971	-34.00
421–440	427	6	480.00–505.00	$494.87	$2,113	-8.96
479–480 value added	479	7	485.00–519.00	$509.27	$2,439	-60.73
470–490	480	4	462.50–505.00	$475.18	$2,281	-19.81
510 value added	510	2	502.50	$502.50	$2,563	-12.50
502–532	517	2	485.00–490.00	$487.57	$2,521	+16.40
562–570	567	3	400.00–415.00	$410.05	$2,325	+15.66
602 value added	602	5	420.00	$420.00	$2,528	—
689	689	5	370.00	$370.00	$2,549	+15.76
808–834	820	4	305.00–340.00	$322.47	$2,644	-7.53

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
434	434	2	400.00	$400.00	$1,736	+40.00
496	496	1	400.00	$400.00	$1,984	-35.00
642	642	1	300.00	$300.00	$1,926	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
762	762	1	320.00	$320.00	$2,438	—
830	830	1	237.50	$237.50	$1,971	—

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
220–236	228	2	450.00–455.00	$452.41	$1,031	+3.16
274–294	284	6	420.00–485.00	$457.14	$1,298	+19.19
300–348	328	9	400.00–475.00	$431.30	$1,415	-34.98
360–392	372	13	400.00–485.00	$439.51	$1,635	-11.36
406–417 value added	410	7	472.50–490.00	$479.38	$1,965	—
400–444	423	18	400.00–480.00	$458.82	$1,941	+22.44
450–486	468	15	410.00–465.00	$445.55	$2,085	+33.52
480–494 value added	487	2	465.00–480.00	$472.61	$2,302	—
502 value added	502	7	420.00	$420.00	$2,108	+11.25
500–542	519	14	350.00–415.00	$381.48	$1,980	-2.95
552–594	567	6	340.00–365.00	$348.27	$1,975	+5.40
600–632	620	6	320.00–340.00	$327.51	$2,031	-17.53
656–686	666	7	270.00–330.00	$309.84	$2,064	-7.54
700–714	709	3	260.00–290.00	$278.45	$1,974	-26.55
782	782	1	245.00	$245.00	$1,916	-50.00
868	868	1	245.00	$245.00	$2,127	-50.00
922–926	924	2	220.00–262.50	$241.20	$2,229	—

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
232	232	1	410.00	$410.00	$951	+10.00
344	344	1	355.00	$355.00	$1,221	—
360–368	364	2	370.00–390.00	$380.11	$1,384	-24.89
400	400	1	400.00	$400.00	$1,600	—
484	484	1	300.00	$300.00	$1,452	—
552–594	573	2	280.00–315.00	$296.86	$1,701	—
600	600	1	260.00	$260.00	$1,560	—
670	670	1	270.00	$270.00	$1,809	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
348	348	1	380.00	$380.00	$1,322	—
378	378	1	390.00	$390.00	$1,474	+5.00
430	430	1	390.00	$390.00	$1,677	—
514–530	522	2	330.00–340.00	$335.08	$1,749	+15.08
630–638	634	2	250.00–270.00	$260.06	$1,649	—

Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
278	278	1	310.00	$310.00	$862	—
368	368	1	355.00	$355.00	$1,306	—
424–448	436	2	300.00–330.00	$314.59	$1,372	—
480	480	1	270.00	$270.00	$1,296	—
566	566	1	215.00	$215.00	$1,217	—

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
216–236	225	3	450.00–535.00	$482.87	$1,086	-57.13
252–288	265	6	475.00–560.00	$508.19	$1,347	-40.11
304–340	320	9	450.00–532.50	$479.89	$1,536	-68.47
356–393	381	11	390.00–500.00	$474.44	$1,808	-7.33
417 value added	417	7	515.00	$515.00	$2,148	—
408–448	432	17	450.00–515.00	$488.56	$2,111	+19.27
450–498	469	18	405.00–505.00	$471.66	$2,212	+20.65
502–544	527	15	380.00–470.00	$433.83	$2,286	-5.32
552–572	561	7	385.00–460.00	$427.68	$2,399	—
602–644	619	8	310.00–420.00	$352.67	$2,183	+2.67
650–662	656	2	330.00	$330.00	$2,165	-22.50
700–734	715	4	290.00–315.00	$307.42	$2,198	+2.42
772–776	774	2	237.50–300.00	$268.67	$2,080	-38.65
806	806	1	285.00	$285.00	$2,297	—
942	942	2	265.00	$265.00	$2,496	—

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
318	318	1	395.00	$395.00	$1,256	—
358–388	368	4	380.00–430.00	$414.32	$1,525	—
376	376	2	355.00	$355.00	$1,335	—
402–428	415	2	395.00–405.00	$400.16	$1,661	-34.84
474	474	1	380.00	$380.00	$1,801	—
546	546	1	355.00	$355.00	$1,938	+10.00
610–622	618	3	270.00–305.00	$288.32	$1,782	-1.68
688	688	1	250.00	$250.00	$1,720	—
758	758	1	250.00	$250.00	$1,895	—

Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
268	268	1	335.00	$335.00	$898	—
346	346	1	345.00	$345.00	$1,194	—
354–362	358	2	345.00–357.50	$351.32	$1,258	-38.68
404–420	412	2	350.00–355.00	$352.55	$1,453	+2.55
554	554	1	250.00	$250.00	$1,385	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
364	364	2	400.00	$400.00	$1,456	—
432	432	1	450.00	$450.00	$1,944	+26.00
634–640	637	2	275.00–295.00	$285.05	$1,816	—

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
316–348	332	2	375.00–380.00	$377.38	$1,253	—
590	590	1	250.00	$250.00	$1,475	-67.50

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
768–1028	924	85-90%	7	70.00–87.50	$78.74	$728	—
744–1310	1034	85-90%	17	120.00–145.00	$127.13	$1,315	—
926–1248	1071	85-90%	6	100.00–114.00	$108.46	$1,162	-29.28

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1162–1224	1193	80-85%	2	167.00–172.50	$169.68	$2,024	+6.52
972–1530	1238	80-85%	14	140.00–160.00	$148.44	$1,838	—

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1314–1614	1454	75-80%	14	147.50–165.00	$158.15	$2,300	+11.15
1618	1618	75-80%	1	130.00	$130.00	$2,103	—

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1186	1186	1	152.50	$152.50	$1,809	—
1454–1944	1759	4	170.00–200.00	$188.33	$3,313	—
1938–1990	1964	2	209.00–215.00	$212.04	$4,164	—

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Stock Cows

Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
650	650	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	1	170.00	$170.00	$1,105
726–768	747	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	2	155.00–180.00	$167.15	$1,249

Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
820–844	832	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	2	170.00–187.50	$178.88	$1,488

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
890	890	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	190.00	$190.00	$1,691
1036	1036	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	1	182.50	$182.50	$1,891

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
950	950	Young (2-4 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	1	227.50	$227.50	$2,161

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
894	894	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	1	2,400.00	$2,400.00	—
914	914	Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	1	2,125.00	$2,125.00	—

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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.