light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers$337.35/cwt+17.35 vs last sale · ≈ $1,791/hd at 531 lb · 10 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
255
1,406
1,652
Feeder cattle
76
214
204
Slaughter cattle
110
363
1,034
Replacement cattle
69
829
414
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on a very limited offering. Demand was very good for very light offerings. Quality this week was mostly average. Most cattle were offered in small group or as singles. CME positions pushed sharply higher today giving buyers additional confidence in current market conditions. Market activity was mostly active today, with buyers both ringside and over the internet rapidly bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows sold on mostly very good demand today for light offerings. Cow quality this sale was mostly average to attractive. Demand for slaughter cows was good as packers only purchased cows for immediate harvest and pushed feed cow buyers in order to secure offerings. Slaughter cows sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher on all classes. Demand for high quality cows suitable to feed to premium white was very good. These offerings sold mostly 6.00-10.00 higher in a narrow comparison. A large buyer pool of cow buyers was on hand for todays light sale. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00-4.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Demand for slaughter bulls was mostly good this sale. Bull quality was average to attractive today. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average today with many offerings pushing moderate to heavy amounts of fill. Cold and windy conditions had most cow and bull offerings very full this sale. Despite fill, cow quality was mostly attractive today and many heavy muscled cows or cow that had been on feed were seen. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold sharply higher in a narrow comparison. Demand from both rebreed buyers and feeders was very good today. Quality this week was average to attractive. Many young cows were purchased to return to the country to feed.
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 too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on a very limited offering. Demand was very good for very light offerings. Quality this week was mostly average. Most cattle were offered in small group or as singles. CME positions pushed sharply higher today giving buyers additional confidence in current market conditions. Market activity was mostly active today, with buyers both ringside and over the internet rapidly bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows sold on mostly very good demand today for light offerings. Cow quality this sale was mostly average to attractive. Demand for slaughter cows was good as packers only purchased cows for immediate harvest and pushed feed cow buyers in order to secure offerings. Slaughter cows sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher on all classes. Demand for high quality cows suitable to feed to premium white was very good. These offerings sold mostly 6.00-10.00 higher in a narrow comparison. A large buyer pool of cow buyers was on hand for todays light sale. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00-4.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Demand for slaughter bulls was mostly good this sale. Bull quality was average to attractive today. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average today with many offerings pushing moderate to heavy amounts of fill. Cold and windy conditions had most cow and bull offerings very full this sale. Despite fill, cow quality was mostly attractive today and many heavy muscled cows or cow that had been on feed were seen. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold sharply higher in a narrow comparison. Demand from both rebreed buyers and feeders was very good today. Quality this week was average to attractive. Many young cows were purchased to return to the country to feed.