Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were scarcely tested this week as this sale featured weigh up cows and bred cows. Weigh up cows sold on light demand for heavy offerings. Packers showed mostly very light to light demand for cows for immediate harvest. Slaughter cows sold mostly 4.00-9.00 lower on boning and lean cows. Breaking cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, lower undertones were noticed. Cows suitable to feed sold with the best demand this week, however demand was lower than last weeks sale. Feeding cows sold 4.00-8.00 lower. Heavy supplies of cows continue to be seen as ranchers are out of hay and water in many locations and are forced to bring cows to market. Packers are also facing difficulties as they struggle with labor issues which is keeping them from running at full slaughter capacity, despite good demand from retailers. Many cows continue to be very thin this week as yields are reaching seasonal lows. Feeding buyers purchased many thin cows this week to hold until the market improves or to test for bred cows which buyers are running on cornstalks until spring. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00 lower. Weigh up conditions were average to below average this week and slightly lower than last week. Young age cows sold unevenly steady. Most of these offerings are being purchased for southern fall breeding programs.
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: All feeder cattle were scarcely tested this week as this sale featured weigh up cows and bred cows. Weigh up cows sold on light demand for heavy offerings. Packers showed mostly very light to light demand for cows for immediate harvest. Slaughter cows sold mostly 4.00-9.00 lower on boning and lean cows. Breaking cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, lower undertones were noticed. Cows suitable to feed sold with the best demand this week, however demand was lower than last weeks sale. Feeding cows sold 4.00-8.00 lower. Heavy supplies of cows continue to be seen as ranchers are out of hay and water in many locations and are forced to bring cows to market. Packers are also facing difficulties as they struggle with labor issues which is keeping them from running at full slaughter capacity, despite good demand from retailers. Many cows continue to be very thin this week as yields are reaching seasonal lows. Feeding buyers purchased many thin cows this week to hold until the market improves or to test for bred cows which buyers are running on cornstalks until spring. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00 lower. Weigh up conditions were average to below average this week and slightly lower than last week. Young age cows sold unevenly steady. Most of these offerings are being purchased for southern fall breeding programs.