Cattle Market Pulse

Powell Livestock Market Report, Smithfield, NC

Smithfield, North Carolina · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 8, 2026

431 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 bulls $295.04/cwt -6.81 vs last sale · ≈ $1,676/hd at 568 lb · 24 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $325.13/cwt -25.87 vs last sale · ≈ $1,414/hd at 435 lb · 18 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 bulls $302.15/cwt -12.22 vs last sale · ≈ $1,586/hd at 525 lb · 17 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 431 371 393
Feeder cattle 384 288 332
Slaughter cattle 47 80 61
Replacement cattle — 3 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, slaughter cattle were 3.00 to 5.00 lower. Feeder cattle were 5.00 to 10.00 lower. Demand was moderate; market activity and buyer interest were moderate. 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
416–448 440 7 355.00–400.00 $371.89 $1,636 —
450–498 value added 480 5 357.50–385.00 $367.43 $1,764 —
485 485 2 357.50 $357.50 $1,734 +37.50
512–546 529 2 325.00–340.00 $332.26 $1,758 -23.14
550–598 563 10 307.50–325.00 $322.11 $1,813 +4.61
630 value added 630 6 331.00 $331.00 $2,085 —
638 638 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,914 -9.89
654–690 659 15 270.00–335.00 $309.21 $2,038 —
701 value added 701 2 300.00 $300.00 $2,103 —
802–804 803 2 245.00–280.00 $262.48 $2,108 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
504–522 513 2 280.00–283.00 $281.53 $1,444 —
702 702 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,474 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
498 498 1 307.50 $307.50 $1,531 —
736 736 1 247.50 $247.50 $1,822 -2.50
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–380 365 2 280.00–295.00 $287.19 $1,048 —
Small 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
372 372 1 265.00 $265.00 $986 —
408 408 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,081 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 350.00 $350.00 $840 -83.03
250–282 271 3 350.00–390.00 $372.68 $1,010 -25.71
300–348 326 13 340.00–390.00 $371.26 $1,210 -52.97
352–394 369 11 320.00–380.00 $335.31 $1,237 -56.80
380 value added 380 1 415.00 $415.00 $1,577 —
406–444 435 18 310.00–360.00 $325.13 $1,414 -25.87
450–498 465 14 285.00–332.50 $312.06 $1,451 -13.86
502–538 519 17 280.00–317.50 $301.77 $1,566 -12.32
550–590 574 7 275.00–290.00 $282.93 $1,624 -19.26
616 value added 616 3 297.50 $297.50 $1,833 —
610–636 624 6 265.00–290.00 $279.21 $1,742 +13.48
662 662 4 240.00 $240.00 $1,589 -23.78
706–738 727 3 232.50–255.00 $246.03 $1,789 -11.69
732 value added 732 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,976 —
802–842 822 2 200.00–220.00 $210.24 $1,728 -29.76
956 956 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,864 -15.00
1154 1154 1 177.50 $177.50 $2,048 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 230 1 295.00 $295.00 $678 —
328 328 1 290.00 $290.00 $951 -30.00
362 362 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,086 -30.00
430–448 439 3 300.00 $300.00 $1,317 -7.61
490 490 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,421 -16.00
506–508 507 3 250.00–267.50 $259.17 $1,314 —
566 566 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,302 —
612–632 622 2 230.00–260.00 $244.76 $1,522 +24.76
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
224 224 1 320.00 $320.00 $717 +10.00
266–274 270 3 250.00–315.00 $284.68 $769 +14.68
302–338 320 2 290.00–300.00 $295.28 $945 —
372 372 1 250.00 $250.00 $930 —
382 382 1 230.00 $230.00 $879 —
466 466 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,002 —
592 592 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,095 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
448 448 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,344 —
494 494 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,383 —
502–530 516 2 260.00–270.00 $264.86 $1,367 —
786 786 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,415 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
454 454 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,271 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
70 70 1 450.00 $450.00 —
Small 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
432 432 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,123 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
200–247 231 3 380.00–455.00 $401.61 $928 -53.80
254–296 273 7 380.00–455.00 $421.36 $1,150 +6.56
304–344 325 8 360.00–440.00 $404.95 $1,316 -6.49
350–386 372 8 370.00–412.50 $392.31 $1,459 -12.71
402–442 425 14 348.50–406.00 $376.91 $1,602 +5.30
454–498 477 16 307.50–350.00 $323.10 $1,541 -11.34
502–548 525 17 280.00–327.50 $302.15 $1,586 -12.22
550–596 568 24 280.00–322.50 $295.04 $1,676 -6.81
608–644 630 8 245.00–290.00 $273.35 $1,722 -14.43
652–682 667 2 212.50–280.00 $245.49 $1,637 -10.70
700–746 712 8 220.00–250.00 $241.86 $1,722 +0.88
756–764 758 5 220.00–226.00 $221.21 $1,677 -3.29
858–876 867 2 170.00–200.00 $184.84 $1,603 -46.13
918 918 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,469 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
234–240 237 2 345.00–355.00 $349.94 $829 —
250–266 257 3 370.00–380.00 $375.10 $964 —
410–442 427 3 320.00–330.00 $323.45 $1,381 +4.08
454–490 475 3 300.00 $300.00 $1,425 ±0.00
520–528 524 2 250.00–260.00 $255.04 $1,336 -22.41
532 532 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,064 -77.45
590 590 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,475 -10.00
632 632 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,454 -25.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
402–438 420 2 300.00–337.50 $317.95 $1,335 -6.92
476 476 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,428 —
640 640 1 257.50 $257.50 $1,648 —
670 670 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,474 —
Small 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 1 300.00 $300.00 $720 —
276 276 1 270.00 $270.00 $745 -30.00
470–486 478 3 200.00–240.00 $221.53 $1,059 -18.47
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
272 272 1 330.00 $330.00 $898 —
514 514 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,234 —
570 570 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,425 —
Small 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 250.00 $250.00 $800 —
392 392 1 250.00 $250.00 $980 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
826–1198 973 85-90% 3 90.00–100.00 $96.93 $943 —
902–1150 1008 85-90% 9 110.00–130.00 $121.95 $1,229 —
1246–1458 1352 85-90% 2 70.00 $70.00 $946 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
956–1216 1105 80-85% 7 130.00–135.00 $131.43 $1,452 —
996–1286 1115 80-85% 3 150.00 $150.00 $1,672 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1244–1612 1422 75-80% 6 130.00–145.00 $137.56 $1,956 —
2240 2240 75-80% 1 110.00 $110.00 $2,464 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1256–1340 1312 3 160.00–161.00 $160.32 $2,103 —
1284–1454 1369 2 150.00 $150.00 $2,054 —

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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.