heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers$133.71/cwt+1.21 vs last sale · ≈ $1,034/hd at 773 lb · 177 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers$150.72/cwt-0.05 vs last sale · ≈ $926/hd at 615 lb · 87 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers$139.37/cwt≈ $1,150/hd at 825 lb · 74 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
1,745
1,913
1,324
Feeder cattle
1,615
1,686
1,144
Slaughter cattle
130
227
180
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week: A light offering of steer and heifer calves, many small packages, too few comparable sales to make a definitive comparison. Too few comparable sales of yearling feeder steers and heifers to allow a full comparison, higher undertones evident. Just moderate demand for calves this week, overall quality was rather uneven as was the preconditioning status. Several consignments of calves lacking spring and fall shots which made them very difficult to sell. Fewer calf buyers present due to the holiday shortened week. Good demand for the yearlings, especially the strings offered in full loads and part loads. The market was very active as the CME Live Cattle contracts made gains of 2.00 to 2.50. Flesh condition of the yearlings ranged from light fleshed to moderate fleshed. Slaughter cows 3.00 to 5.00 higher, except Lean cows 1.00 to 3.00 higher.
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: A light offering of steer and heifer calves, many small packages, too few comparable sales to make a definitive comparison. Too few comparable sales of yearling feeder steers and heifers to allow a full comparison, higher undertones evident. Just moderate demand for calves this week, overall quality was rather uneven as was the preconditioning status. Several consignments of calves lacking spring and fall shots which made them very difficult to sell. Fewer calf buyers present due to the holiday shortened week. Good demand for the yearlings, especially the strings offered in full loads and part loads. The market was very active as the CME Live Cattle contracts made gains of 2.00 to 2.50. Flesh condition of the yearlings ranged from light fleshed to moderate fleshed. Slaughter cows 3.00 to 5.00 higher, except Lean cows 1.00 to 3.00 higher.