heavy 3-weight M&L 1-2 heifers$187.97/cwt-2.03 vs last sale · ≈ $721/hd at 384 lb · 16 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers$164.32/cwt≈ $1,027/hd at 625 lb · 15 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers$157.14/cwt-5.86 vs last sale · ≈ $850/hd at 541 lb · 15 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
1,662
1,650
2,863
Feeder cattle
390
484
1,243
Slaughter cattle
1,006
863
1,111
Replacement cattle
266
303
509
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to two weeks ago: Last week Public auction yards held their annual blue ribbon sale and sold no feeders or weigh up cows. As a result all comparisons are to two weeks ago. Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however unevenly steady undertones were noticed on all feeder offerings. Demand was mostly light for light offerings. Quality today was mostly plain to average. Feedlots in the corn-belt and Western Nebraska were mostly out of the market until later in the week when roads open up. Roads remain icy and treacherous which kept some buyers out of the market. Market activity was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand and moderate offerings. Packer buyers showed mostly light demand for both feeding and slaughter cows this week. Slaughter cows sold mostly 4.00-5.00 lower on breaking cows, boning and lean cows sold 2.00-3.00 lower. Feeding cows sold 2.00-4.00 lower on all classes. Packers have filled feedlots all fall with high quality cows and with only a few sales left for the year packers showed light demand for all high quality cows to feed to premium white. Most feeding cows were purchased by private feeders this sale. Packers did purchase most of the bull offering to feed this sale, however at lower prices. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00 lower. Feeding bulls were too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold sharply lower. Again much of this is weather related as buyers in the plains and corn-belt are out of the market due to heavy snow and poor road conditions.
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 two weeks ago: Last week Public auction yards held their annual blue ribbon sale and sold no feeders or weigh up cows. As a result all comparisons are to two weeks ago. Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however unevenly steady undertones were noticed on all feeder offerings. Demand was mostly light for light offerings. Quality today was mostly plain to average. Feedlots in the corn-belt and Western Nebraska were mostly out of the market until later in the week when roads open up. Roads remain icy and treacherous which kept some buyers out of the market. Market activity was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand and moderate offerings. Packer buyers showed mostly light demand for both feeding and slaughter cows this week. Slaughter cows sold mostly 4.00-5.00 lower on breaking cows, boning and lean cows sold 2.00-3.00 lower. Feeding cows sold 2.00-4.00 lower on all classes. Packers have filled feedlots all fall with high quality cows and with only a few sales left for the year packers showed light demand for all high quality cows to feed to premium white. Most feeding cows were purchased by private feeders this sale. Packers did purchase most of the bull offering to feed this sale, however at lower prices. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00 lower. Feeding bulls were too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold sharply lower. Again much of this is weather related as buyers in the plains and corn-belt are out of the market due to heavy snow and poor road conditions.