Cattle Market Pulse

Powell Livestock Market Report

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 21, 2026

314 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $437.48/cwt +23.00 vs last sale · ≈ $2,115/hd at 483 lb · 25 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $409.62/cwt +30.26 vs last sale · ≈ $2,118/hd at 517 lb · 24 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1 heifers $462.50/cwt -11.14 vs last sale · ≈ $1,744/hd at 377 lb · 13 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 314 369 336
Feeder cattle 272 312 286
Slaughter cattle 38 57 43
Replacement cattle 4 — 7

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, slaughter cattle were 3.00 to 5.00 lower. Feeder cattle were mostly steady. Demand was good; market activity and buyer interest were active. Offerings of cattle were moderate. Cattle quality was 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
370 370 1 530.00 $530.00 $1,961 —
378 value added 378 3 527.50 $527.50 $1,994 —
408 408 1 446.00 $446.00 $1,820 -26.50
472–498 485 2 450.00–480.00 $464.60 $2,253 +14.60
500–548 517 8 420.00–430.00 $426.32 $2,204 +15.06
556 556 1 400.00 $400.00 $2,224 +5.92
568 568 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,988 -44.08
570 570 1 405.00 $405.00 $2,308 +10.92
598 value added 598 5 388.50 $388.50 $2,323 —
608 608 1 370.00 $370.00 $2,250 -15.07
639 value added 639 4 380.00 $380.00 $2,428 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
206–242 223 4 450.00–540.00 $490.36 $1,094 -27.07
268 268 1 485.00 $485.00 $1,300 -16.44
312–338 321 5 425.00–500.00 $465.39 $1,494 -38.74
368 value added 368 4 485.00 $485.00 $1,785 —
354–398 381 9 417.50–487.50 $452.50 $1,724 -21.14
416–420 value added 417 4 460.00–477.50 $473.09 $1,973 —
418–432 427 6 440.00–470.00 $456.76 $1,950 -4.68
450–498 472 14 400.00–465.00 $430.00 $2,030 +15.52
498 value added 498 11 447.00 $447.00 $2,226 —
500–502 value added 502 12 421.00–422.50 $421.12 $2,114 —
502–548 532 12 375.00–417.50 $398.11 $2,118 +18.76
554–584 567 5 370.00–387.50 $376.41 $2,134 +12.44
600 600 1 327.50 $327.50 $1,965 —
602 value added 602 1 370.00 $370.00 $2,227 —
630–648 639 2 220.00–270.00 $245.35 $1,568 —
660–678 670 4 287.50–305.00 $294.40 $1,972 -15.73
720–722 721 2 222.50–235.00 $228.74 $1,649 —
742 742 1 301.00 $301.00 $2,233 —
820–826 822 9 257.50–311.00 $299.38 $2,461 +69.38
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
238 238 1 405.00 $405.00 $964 —
254–270 262 2 395.00–405.00 $400.15 $1,048 -44.85
368–384 377 3 400.00–405.00 $401.67 $1,514 +3.07
402–438 420 4 405.00–420.00 $412.51 $1,733 +17.51
462 462 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,617 -45.00
514 514 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,619 —
574 574 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,722 -1.71
854 854 1 232.50 $232.50 $1,986 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
236–242 239 2 300.00–375.00 $337.97 $808 —
332 332 1 345.00 $345.00 $1,145 +10.00
416 416 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,352 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
444 444 1 345.00 $345.00 $1,532 -30.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
234–238 236 3 495.00–570.00 $526.72 $1,243 —
252–274 262 5 485.00–540.00 $510.79 $1,338 -32.59
300–348 326 5 450.00–535.00 $500.92 $1,633 -25.10
376–390 385 3 455.00–500.00 $478.07 $1,841 -16.18
404–448 425 8 445.00–460.00 $451.03 $1,917 -5.59
458–492 472 7 430.00–490.00 $454.04 $2,143 +29.89
506–524 515 10 375.00–450.00 $417.44 $2,150 +18.08
552–596 576 8 350.00–400.00 $381.29 $2,196 -6.10
604–646 625 2 350.00–360.00 $354.83 $2,218 -17.01
663 663 4 317.50 $317.50 $2,105 -23.92
710 710 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,130 +7.65
824 824 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,978 —
856 856 1 235.00 $235.00 $2,012 -16.48
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
338 338 1 405.00 $405.00 $1,369 -57.34
382 382 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,528 -50.00
468–498 483 2 320.00–360.00 $339.38 $1,639 -60.62
520 520 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,820 +5.00
558 558 1 365.00 $365.00 $2,037 +47.20
762–782 772 2 230.00 $230.00 $1,776 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
236 236 1 310.00 $310.00 $732 —
342 342 1 375.00 $375.00 $1,282 —
402 402 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,367 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
372 372 1 355.00 $355.00 $1,321 —
492 492 1 305.00 $305.00 $1,501 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
800–984 886 85-90% 3 111.00–120.00 $114.41 $1,014 —
726–1296 930 85-90% 7 135.00–150.00 $141.25 $1,314 —
1006 1006 85-90% 1 100.00 $100.00 $1,006 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1108 1108 75-80% 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,440 —
1338–1728 1524 75-80% 7 150.00–165.00 $155.76 $2,374 —
1532–1590 1561 75-80% 2 175.00–183.00 $179.07 $2,795 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
938–1408 1169 80-85% 7 150.00–173.00 $160.11 $1,872 -15.38

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
916 916 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,511 —
1294–1312 1303 2 220.00–226.00 $223.02 $2,906 —
1124–2414 1769 2 200.00–210.00 $206.82 $3,659 —

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Stock Cows

Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
718 718 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 172.50 $172.50 $1,239
760 760 (<2 yrs)Open 1 197.50 $197.50 $1,501
834 834 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,668

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
632 632 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,800.00 $1,800.00 —

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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.