Cattle Market Pulse

Roanoke Stockyards Market Report

Roanoke, Alabama · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 4, 2024

1,393 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $269.54/cwt +6.14 vs last sale · ≈ $1,442/hd at 535 lb · 34 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $300.92/cwt -3.81 vs last sale · ≈ $1,640/hd at 545 lb · 24 head
light 3-weight M&L 1 heifers $322.55/cwt +10.55 vs last sale · ≈ $1,068/hd at 331 lb · 14 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,393 1,089 1,303
Feeder cattle 1,125 797 1,089
Slaughter cattle 200 135 165
Replacement cattle 68 157 49

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to two weeks ago: Feeder cattle sold sharply higher. Slaughter cows sold 8.00 to 9.00 lower, slaughter bulls sold 2.00 higher. Replacement cows and pairs sold mostly steady.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–340 333 6 368.00–375.00 $369.77 $1,231 +48.75
365–390 381 6 366.00–374.00 $369.57 $1,408 +53.71
405–420 414 12 348.00–352.00 $350.02 $1,449 +42.20
465 465 2 332.00 $332.00 $1,544 +27.16
545 545 24 300.00–301.00 $300.92 $1,640 -3.81
555–565 559 6 290.00–298.00 $294.64 $1,647 +21.05
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 4 330.00 $330.00 $1,386 +28.70
475–490 481 9 318.00–322.00 $319.79 $1,538 +23.27
515–535 530 4 290.00–295.00 $293.79 $1,557 +1.14
555–590 569 5 274.00–278.00 $276.55 $1,574 +8.48
605–645 624 9 260.00–270.00 $264.65 $1,651 +6.20
795 795 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,749 -9.98
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
560 560 3 260.00 $260.00 $1,456 +4.03

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 225 2 385.00 $385.00 $866 —
295 295 3 332.00 $332.00 $979 —
305–345 331 14 320.00–328.00 $322.55 $1,068 +10.55
355–380 373 7 318.00–326.00 $322.08 $1,201 +39.42
405–435 416 7 309.00–314.00 $310.28 $1,291 +33.44
455–490 464 14 282.00–292.00 $288.16 $1,337 +24.02
510–545 535 34 268.00–275.00 $269.54 $1,442 +6.14
575–590 580 3 250.00–252.00 $251.32 $1,458 +1.67
620–630 624 5 239.00–241.00 $239.81 $1,496 -8.27
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 3 324.00 $324.00 $907 —
330–345 338 4 312.00–318.00 $315.07 $1,065 +15.07
380–390 387 6 309.00–316.00 $311.29 $1,205 +38.10
410–445 428 14 296.00–302.00 $298.86 $1,279 +28.63
470–490 482 11 276.00–280.00 $277.42 $1,337 +22.03
510–540 518 5 260.00–264.00 $262.01 $1,357 +13.85
555–575 565 7 242.00–249.00 $246.46 $1,392 -0.28
615–640 629 9 226.00–232.00 $229.78 $1,445 —
660 660 2 219.00 $219.00 $1,445 -1.49
760 760 2 202.00 $202.00 $1,535 +21.00
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–335 330 4 308.00–310.00 $308.48 $1,018 +22.99
355–365 363 5 300.00–301.00 $300.20 $1,090 —
405–440 429 5 285.00–290.00 $288.25 $1,237 +28.25
460–490 481 8 270.00–273.00 $272.26 $1,310 +26.62
540–545 541 5 247.00–252.00 $250.19 $1,354 +8.42
560–590 579 7 236.00–239.00 $237.11 $1,373 +5.81
630 630 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,386 -0.75
660–670 667 3 205.00–206.00 $205.67 $1,372 -7.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–345 325 4 348.00–350.00 $348.94 $1,134 +24.49
360 360 2 348.00 $348.00 $1,253 +24.71
420–440 427 7 328.00–332.00 $330.02 $1,409 +19.04
455–470 463 10 310.00–318.00 $313.04 $1,449 +10.28
515–535 525 10 287.00–296.00 $290.29 $1,524 -2.38
575–585 578 8 270.00–278.00 $272.53 $1,575 +11.22
615 615 1 268.00 $268.00 $1,648 +28.99
715–740 726 5 221.00–227.00 $224.18 $1,628 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330–340 333 3 338.00–342.00 $340.64 $1,134 +26.47
355–380 362 7 330.00–340.00 $333.00 $1,205 +20.39
415–440 433 8 320.00–326.00 $324.27 $1,404 +26.02
460–490 471 8 300.00–308.00 $303.32 $1,429 +12.79
520–545 529 8 280.00–286.00 $282.95 $1,497 +8.24
580–595 585 5 260.00–267.00 $264.57 $1,548 +11.26
625 625 3 250.00 $250.00 $1,562 +16.26
765 765 2 205.00 $205.00 $1,568 +13.00
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 315 4 330.00 $330.00 $1,040 —
375–380 378 6 320.00–322.00 $321.01 $1,213 —
405–445 422 13 310.00–318.00 $313.61 $1,323 +22.56
460–490 473 9 290.00–296.00 $293.61 $1,389 +11.38
570–590 577 3 252.00–258.00 $255.95 $1,477 +11.95
610–645 636 4 228.00–230.00 $229.52 $1,460 —
715–745 730 2 200.00–204.00 $201.96 $1,474 —
775 775 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,472 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030–1225 1136 80-85% 16 121.00–127.00 $123.48 $1,403 +2.97
905–1390 1148 80-85% 41 109.00–114.00 $111.92 $1,285 -14.10
890–1325 1151 80-85% 42 115.00–120.00 $116.97 $1,346 -14.89
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
920–1020 965 85-90% 7 94.00–99.00 $96.68 $933 —
830–1190 1021 85-90% 21 106.00–110.00 $107.37 $1,096 -4.31
885–1190 1023 85-90% 21 100.00–105.00 $102.91 $1,053 -8.77
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1330–1635 1384 75-80% 7 122.00–126.00 $124.34 $1,721 -4.87
1355–1540 1439 75-80% 11 108.00–112.00 $110.55 $1,591 -12.74
1340–1570 1442 75-80% 9 114.00–120.00 $116.71 $1,683 -6.58

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1320–1620 1476 8 133.00–135.00 $134.05 $1,979 —
1275–1790 1657 12 139.00–143.00 $141.17 $2,339 +2.62

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
— fancy — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 1,900.00–2,000.00 $1,950.00
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,000.00 $2,000.00
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 10 1,575.00–1,850.00 $1,717.50
Medium and Large 3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
— — Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 6 1,300.00–1,500.00 $1,450.00
— — Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,350.00 $1,350.00
— — Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,300.00 $1,300.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 1,250.00 $1,250.00
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,325.00 $1,325.00

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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
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 14 1,800.00–2,100.00 $1,950.00 —
— fancy — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 8 2,300.00–2,600.00 $2,425.00 —
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
— — Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 4 1,350.00–1,400.00 $1,375.00 —

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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.