Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, March 19, 2026

323 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $406.76/cwt -28.50 vs last sale · ≈ $1,964/hd at 483 lb · 20 head

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $349.05/cwt +21.87 vs last sale · ≈ $1,975/hd at 566 lb · 15 head

heavy 3-weight M&L 1 heifers $436.92/cwt +2.94 vs last sale · ≈ $1,603/hd at 367 lb · 13 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	323	344	434
Feeder cattle	282	296	349
Slaughter cattle	40	44	78
Replacement cattle	1	4	7

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, slaughter cattle were mostly steady. Feeder cattle were sharply higher. Demand was good; market activity and buyer interest were active. Offerings of cattle were moderate. Cattle quality was average.

▲ Feeder cattle: Feeder cattle were sharply higher
→ Slaughter cattle: slaughter cattle were mostly steady

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
330	330	2	555.00	$555.00	$1,832	—
360–376	368	2	500.00–540.00	$519.57	$1,912	-0.43
404–416	413	4	485.00	$485.00	$2,003	—
470–490	487	6	455.00–475.00	$462.41	$2,252	—
538	538	1	410.00	$410.00	$2,206	+15.23
554–592	574	4	375.00–460.00	$404.38	$2,321	—
630–642	636	2	375.00–380.00	$377.48	$2,401	—
676	676	4	387.50	$387.50	$2,620	+36.50
704–748	733	3	357.50–360.00	$358.30	$2,626	—
1140	1140	2	255.00	$255.00	$2,907	—

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
438	438	1	440.00	$440.00	$1,927	—
994	994	1	220.00	$220.00	$2,187	—

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
388	388	1	425.00	$425.00	$1,649	—
480	480	1	300.00	$300.00	$1,440	—

Small 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
322	322	2	300.00	$300.00	$966	—

Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
270	270	1	340.00	$340.00	$918	—

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
234	234	1	475.00	$475.00	$1,112	+47.62
276–286	280	5	402.50–437.50	$419.89	$1,176	+3.06
300–344	325	6	400.00–450.00	$435.31	$1,415	+11.80
354–386	367	13	420.00–460.00	$436.92	$1,603	+2.94
406–440	429	5	400.00–475.00	$431.22	$1,850	-24.81
436	436	1	385.00	$385.00	$1,679	-71.03
460–498	481	14	365.00–405.00	$382.85	$1,842	-52.41
484–487 value added	487	6	425.00–470.00	$462.54	$2,253	—
502–540	521	6	335.00–380.00	$358.57	$1,868	+33.65
550–556 value added	555	4	397.50–400.00	$398.12	$2,210	—
564	564	2	310.00	$310.00	$1,748	+40.00
558–598	571	9	320.00–350.00	$335.92	$1,918	+65.92
604–646	628	5	320.00–347.50	$331.01	$2,079	+24.74
668–688	678	3	280.00–335.00	$303.06	$2,055	+8.01
703 value added	703	4	317.50	$317.50	$2,232	—
788	788	1	270.00	$270.00	$2,128	—
834	834	1	230.00	$230.00	$1,918	—

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
344–348	346	2	375.00–385.00	$379.97	$1,315	-20.03
442	442	1	390.00	$390.00	$1,724	—
480	480	1	350.00	$350.00	$1,680	—
514	514	1	270.00	$270.00	$1,388	+10.00

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
352–396	374	2	395.00–400.00	$397.65	$1,487	—
420	420	1	400.00	$400.00	$1,680	+50.00
638	638	1	300.00	$300.00	$1,914	—
818	818	1	240.00	$240.00	$1,963	—

Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
246	246	1	350.00	$350.00	$861	—
260	260	1	370.00	$370.00	$962	—
392–398	395	2	340.00–350.00	$345.04	$1,363	—
420	420	1	290.00	$290.00	$1,218	—

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
456	456	1	300.00	$300.00	$1,368	—
610	610	1	200.00	$200.00	$1,220	—

Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
436	436	1	285.00	$285.00	$1,243	—

Small 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
326	326	1	300.00	$300.00	$978	—

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
168	168	1	480.00	$480.00	$806	—
218	218	1	420.00	$420.00	$916	-10.00
252–296	274	5	450.00–545.00	$512.27	$1,404	+69.74
300–329	316	5	515.00–547.50	$525.76	$1,661	+43.80
358–390	370	5	450.00–545.00	$503.91	$1,864	-4.10
410–430	422	5	467.50–475.00	$470.53	$1,986	+29.63
456–472	466	5	400.00–460.00	$431.77	$2,012	-0.62
508–544	521	6	370.00–445.00	$402.84	$2,099	+37.86
556–594	577	7	345.00–425.00	$376.04	$2,170	+33.73
602–630	615	5	320.00–400.00	$356.80	$2,194	+12.07
662–690	669	6	315.00–360.00	$339.52	$2,271	+8.48
732	732	1	320.00	$320.00	$2,342	—
764–768	766	2	305.00–322.50	$313.73	$2,403	—
1005	1005	2	228.00	$228.00	$2,291	—

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
254	254	1	450.00	$450.00	$1,143	—
362–388	381	4	402.50–465.00	$438.28	$1,670	+38.28
404–444	420	4	425.00–455.00	$440.16	$1,849	—
474	474	1	320.00	$320.00	$1,517	—
452–490	478	4	300.00–435.00	$367.49	$1,757	—
528	528	1	300.00	$300.00	$1,584	-31.20
740	740	1	290.00	$290.00	$2,146	—

Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
222	222	1	340.00	$340.00	$755	+5.00
276	276	1	350.00	$350.00	$966	—
364–392	380	4	350.00–410.00	$371.49	$1,412	+26.49
402–448	431	3	350.00–370.00	$358.48	$1,545	+58.48
862	862	1	170.00	$170.00	$1,465	—

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
402–416	411	3	395.00–420.00	$403.14	$1,657	+38.14
482	482	1	335.00	$335.00	$1,615	-25.00
576	576	2	285.00	$285.00	$1,642	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
396	396	1	465.00	$465.00	$1,841	—
406	406	2	400.00	$400.00	$1,624	+45.29
540	540	1	325.00	$325.00	$1,755	+13.49
716	716	1	250.00	$250.00	$1,790	—

Small 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
378	378	1	300.00	$300.00	$1,134	—
434	434	1	270.00	$270.00	$1,172	—
720	720	1	177.50	$177.50	$1,278	—

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
125	125	1	675.00	$675.00	—

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
816–1034	934	85-90%	6	92.50–112.50	$105.49	$985	-27.22
804–1292	938	85-90%	7	120.00–142.50	$132.60	$1,244	-0.11
1024	1024	85-90%	1	60.00	$60.00	$614	—

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1124–1290	1206	80-85%	6	145.00–167.00	$156.49	$1,887	—
1328–1390	1359	80-85%	2	170.00–174.00	$172.05	$2,338	—

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1368–1548	1449	75-80%	5	155.00–169.00	$164.05	$2,377	—

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1012–1706	1452	8	177.50–207.50	$197.27	$2,864	—
2302	2302	1	225.00	$225.00	$5,180	—
2330	2330	1	170.00	$170.00	$3,961	—

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Beef/Dairy Heifers

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
494	494	2	200.00	$200.00	$988	—

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
624	624	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	1	2,250.00	$2,250.00	—

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Dairy Steers

Small 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
476	476	1	205.00	$205.00	$976	—
508	508	1	170.00	$170.00	$864	—
866	866	1	145.00	$145.00	$1,256	—
1106	1106	1	158.00	$158.00	$1,747	—

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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.