Compared to last week: Slaughter steers 8.00 to 10.00 higher. Heifers too lightly tested with a higher undertone noted. Demand good to very good especially so on the larger loads of heavier cattle on offer. Quality very attractive and uniform with a majority of the offer coming from a handful of consignors in multiple loads in one shot. Live Cattle contracts closed substantially lower today and lower packer bids surfacing this week with light actual trade. Packers trying to gain more ground elsewhere but active bidding occurred on the light offering today.
Slaughter lambs under 100 lbs. 20.00 to 30.00 higher, over l00 lbs. steady to 15.00 higher. Slaughter ewes sold unevenly steady. Moderate to good demand seen on slaughter lambs. Very good demand for feeder lambs heading to grass pasture. A nice set of replacement Boer nannies on offer due to a storm destroying facilities.
▲ Feeder heifers: Heifers too lightly tested with a higher undertone noted
▲ Slaughter cattle: Slaughter steers 8.00 to 10.00 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: Slaughter steers 8.00 to 10.00 higher. Heifers too lightly tested with a higher undertone noted. Demand good to very good especially so on the larger loads of heavier cattle on offer. Quality very attractive and uniform with a majority of the offer coming from a handful of consignors in multiple loads in one shot. Live Cattle contracts closed substantially lower today and lower packer bids surfacing this week with light actual trade. Packers trying to gain more ground elsewhere but active bidding occurred on the light offering today. Slaughter lambs under 100 lbs. 20.00 to 30.00 higher, over l00 lbs. steady to 15.00 higher. Slaughter ewes sold unevenly steady. Moderate to good demand seen on slaughter lambs. Very good demand for feeder lambs heading to grass pasture. A nice set of replacement Boer nannies on offer due to a storm destroying facilities.