Compared to last week: Feeder calves were not tested this week, thus no trend is available. Todays sell featured bred cows and the weigh ups off the blue ribbon II special from yesterday. Weigh up cows sold on very good demand as packers were very aggressive as they purchased cows for immediate needs. Packers pushed all classes of slaughter cows sharply higher, with most sales 7.00-10.00 higher and instances of higher sales noted at times. Cows on a carcass basis today cost from 148.00-160.00. Many cows that packers were buying were blemished bred or late bred cows that they could buy away from ranchers. Feeding cows were not well tested this sale, however higher undertones were noticed. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Bred cows sold on moderate demand for light to moderate offerings. Quality today was mostly average. A good crowd was on hand actively bidding on todays bred cow offering. Market activity was moderate to active.
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 calves were not tested this week, thus no trend is available. Todays sell featured bred cows and the weigh ups off the blue ribbon II special from yesterday. Weigh up cows sold on very good demand as packers were very aggressive as they purchased cows for immediate needs. Packers pushed all classes of slaughter cows sharply higher, with most sales 7.00-10.00 higher and instances of higher sales noted at times. Cows on a carcass basis today cost from 148.00-160.00. Many cows that packers were buying were blemished bred or late bred cows that they could buy away from ranchers. Feeding cows were not well tested this sale, however higher undertones were noticed. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Bred cows sold on moderate demand for light to moderate offerings. Quality today was mostly average. A good crowd was on hand actively bidding on todays bred cow offering. Market activity was moderate to active.