Compared to last week (2-04-26): Feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Many calves on offer were blemished in some way as local feedlots cleaned up pens. Demand for limited offerings was mostly moderate on very light offerings. Market activity was moderate on limited offerings. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand and light offerings. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher. Several packages of cows which had been started on feed sold today. Demand for these offerings was very good with several buyers and packers showing strong demand as they bid aggressively. Slaughter cows sold on good demand again this week as tight supplies have packers searching for cows to slaughter. Very few cows were purchased for slaughter as feeding demand and replacement demand kept cow prices above where packers break evens. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady on breaking cows in a narrow comparison. Boning and lean cow sold mostly 1.00-5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00-3.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Demand for feeding bulls was very good this sale as feeding buyers pushed bulls higher. Feeding bulls sold mostly 3.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mostly average this week. Young age offerings were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Quality was mostly average, and overall not as attractive as last weeks offering.
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 (2-04-26): Feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Many calves on offer were blemished in some way as local feedlots cleaned up pens. Demand for limited offerings was mostly moderate on very light offerings. Market activity was moderate on limited offerings. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand and light offerings. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher. Several packages of cows which had been started on feed sold today. Demand for these offerings was very good with several buyers and packers showing strong demand as they bid aggressively. Slaughter cows sold on good demand again this week as tight supplies have packers searching for cows to slaughter. Very few cows were purchased for slaughter as feeding demand and replacement demand kept cow prices above where packers break evens. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady on breaking cows in a narrow comparison. Boning and lean cow sold mostly 1.00-5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00-3.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Demand for feeding bulls was very good this sale as feeding buyers pushed bulls higher. Feeding bulls sold mostly 3.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mostly average this week. Young age offerings were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Quality was mostly average, and overall not as attractive as last weeks offering.