light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers$157.60/cwt≈ $673/hd at 427 lb · 30 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers$173.75/cwt+7.78 vs last sale · ≈ $1,009/hd at 581 lb · 25 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers$147.00/cwt+12.50 vs last sale · ≈ $889/hd at 605 lb · 23 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
676
624
282
Feeder cattle
304
299
135
Slaughter cattle
252
224
112
Replacement cattle
120
101
35
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested both this week and last to develop an accurate market trend, however steers under 550 lbs sold with lower undertones and steers over 550 lbs sold with higher undertones. All weights of heifers sold with higher undertones. Demand was moderate to good for light offerings. Rain and snow fell across much of the center portions of the country breathing new life into grass cattle demand. Most offerings under 700 lbs for steers and under 650 lbs for heifers were competitively bid on for grass programs. Canadian buyers were also competitive with grass cattle buyers over offerings. Market activity was mostly active today. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand for light offerings. Packers were the driving force in the market this week as they showed need for cows for immediate harvest. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 higher. Feeding cows sold steady to weak on a lower quality offering. Packers opted to send a large portion of the cow offering to slaughter this week. Slaughter bulls sold 2.00-4.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady to 5.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Quality was mostly average this week.
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.
Cattle Market
Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested both this week and last to develop an accurate market trend, however steers under 550 lbs sold with lower undertones and steers over 550 lbs sold with higher undertones. All weights of heifers sold with higher undertones. Demand was moderate to good for light offerings. Rain and snow fell across much of the center portions of the country breathing new life into grass cattle demand. Most offerings under 700 lbs for steers and under 650 lbs for heifers were competitively bid on for grass programs. Canadian buyers were also competitive with grass cattle buyers over offerings. Market activity was mostly active today. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand for light offerings. Packers were the driving force in the market this week as they showed need for cows for immediate harvest. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 higher. Feeding cows sold steady to weak on a lower quality offering. Packers opted to send a large portion of the cow offering to slaughter this week. Slaughter bulls sold 2.00-4.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady to 5.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Quality was mostly average this week.