Cattle Market Pulse

Roanoke Stockyards Market Report

Roanoke, Alabama · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 6, 2023

1,303 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Roanoke Stockyards report →

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $250.64/cwt +0.24 vs last sale · ≈ $1,358/hd at 542 lb · 44 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $188.00/cwt ≈ $1,273/hd at 677 lb · 39 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $215.00/cwt ≈ $1,365/hd at 635 lb · 38 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,303 1,337 1,544
Feeder cattle 1,089 1,070 1,220
Slaughter cattle 165 200 230
Replacement cattle 49 67 94

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to one week ago: Feeder steers sold unevenly steady, feeder heifers sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher, feeder bulls sold 5.00 to 8.00 lower. Slaughter cows sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher, slaughter bulls sold 5.00 higher. Replacement cows and pairs sold mostly steady.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
595 595 9 238.00 $238.00 $1,416 —
635 635 38 215.00 $215.00 $1,365 —
715 715 33 198.00 $198.00 $1,416 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425–430 428 7 262.00–266.00 $264.30 $1,131 +1.35
455–485 465 9 257.00–262.00 $259.53 $1,207 +3.56
515–545 542 44 248.00–251.00 $250.64 $1,358 +0.24
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–375 368 4 250.00–252.00 $250.98 $924 +0.98
425–445 435 8 240.00–250.00 $247.01 $1,074 +0.10
465–470 468 5 240.00–242.00 $240.79 $1,127 -2.22
515–525 519 7 230.00–235.00 $231.30 $1,200 -5.08
565–575 568 4 225.00–228.00 $227.24 $1,291 -6.05
605–645 638 6 210.00–212.00 $210.32 $1,342 -4.49
675–695 682 3 192.00–194.00 $192.68 $1,314 —
710 710 3 185.00 $185.00 $1,314 —
775 775 1 178.00 $178.00 $1,380 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 3 260.00 $260.00 $949 +2.59
415–435 431 10 255.00–260.00 $256.79 $1,107 +2.30
475–490 483 7 250.00–254.00 $252.01 $1,217 +1.05
505–545 520 10 238.00–245.00 $242.21 $1,259 -1.08
555–570 566 4 230.00–238.00 $231.96 $1,313 -8.04
625–635 633 4 215.00–220.00 $216.24 $1,369 -6.75

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280–295 288 4 232.00–238.00 $235.08 $677 -4.92
325–345 335 10 230.00–235.00 $232.86 $780 +2.00
365–385 375 7 227.00–232.00 $229.34 $860 +2.71
415–435 425 4 225.00–230.00 $228.01 $969 +3.35
455–497 487 34 218.00–225.00 $224.38 $1,093 +3.27
510–545 542 34 211.00–217.00 $216.55 $1,174 +4.56
555–565 560 4 205.00–212.00 $208.47 $1,167 +4.96
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–330 321 7 220.00–224.00 $221.76 $712 -3.64
365–380 368 10 216.00–220.00 $219.17 $807 -1.52
415–445 428 23 210.00–220.00 $212.95 $911 -2.93
465–495 474 16 208.00–216.00 $211.74 $1,004 -1.48
515–545 527 12 198.00–208.00 $203.71 $1,074 +1.20
560–595 575 5 195.00–202.00 $197.97 $1,138 +4.22
615–635 631 13 185.00–193.00 $185.60 $1,171 -7.64
745 745 2 185.00 $185.00 $1,378 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
677 677 39 188.00 $188.00 $1,273 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 220.00 $220.00 $616 -6.49
320–345 329 8 210.00–215.00 $212.62 $700 -7.38
375–390 385 7 208.00–212.00 $210.27 $810 -0.54
425–440 433 2 205.00–208.00 $206.47 $894 -3.53
470–485 479 7 200.00–207.00 $203.45 $975 -2.05
515–535 531 5 190.00–195.00 $190.97 $1,014 -3.52
585 585 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,112 +4.01
620 620 3 180.00 $180.00 $1,116 -3.73
655–675 660 4 176.00–180.00 $178.98 $1,181 +8.77

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 235 2 260.00 $260.00 $611 —
345 345 1 250.00 $250.00 $862 -2.00
375–390 388 12 238.00–240.00 $239.68 $930 -6.22
415–425 418 9 230.00–235.00 $231.69 $968 -8.31
460–475 465 3 232.00–235.00 $233.02 $1,084 -6.29
505–525 515 3 216.00–220.00 $217.99 $1,123 +2.01
575–585 582 9 200.00–205.00 $201.65 $1,174 -6.84
655–685 675 3 180.00–182.00 $181.35 $1,224 —
745 745 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,266 ±0.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365–390 375 10 245.00–250.00 $248.12 $930 -6.80
415–445 437 11 240.00–245.00 $241.30 $1,054 -11.68
460–475 468 6 240.00–244.00 $241.97 $1,132 -7.50
515 515 3 225.00 $225.00 $1,159 +1.98
605 605 2 198.00 $198.00 $1,198 -17.04
715–745 728 3 180.00–188.00 $184.61 $1,344 +4.61
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 1 285.00 $285.00 $627 —
280 280 3 280.00 $280.00 $784 +2.00
375 375 1 260.00 $260.00 $975 —
415–440 427 7 250.00–260.00 $256.62 $1,096 -5.82
465–470 467 5 254.00–256.00 $255.19 $1,192 -4.02

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
935–1325 1089 80-85% 33 89.00–94.00 $91.28 $994 —
1005–1215 1133 80-85% 22 95.00–100.00 $97.14 $1,101 +7.23
1080–1305 1159 80-85% 9 101.00–105.00 $103.41 $1,199 +8.58
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
715–1125 967 85-90% 8 75.00–79.00 $76.96 $744 -1.28
725–1190 990 85-90% 16 80.00–85.00 $82.42 $816 +10.22
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1315–1595 1392 75-80% 7 90.00–94.00 $92.74 $1,291 —
1390–1525 1448 75-80% 4 95.00–100.00 $97.72 $1,415 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1365–1625 1493 4 105.00–107.00 $105.81 $1,580 —
1265–1725 1577 5 112.00–116.00 $114.36 $1,803 —
1945 1945 1 118.00 $118.00 $2,295 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 7 1,000.00–1,275.00 $1,150.00
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 3 950.00–1,000.00 $975.00
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 6 1,125.00–1,250.00 $1,166.67
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 700.00–800.00 $731.25
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 875.00 $875.00
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 800.00–1,000.00 $900.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
— fancy — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,675.00 $1,675.00 —
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 10 1,200.00–1,300.00 $1,255.00 —
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,175.00 $1,175.00 —

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Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

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.