Compared to last week: Slaughter steers and heifers 4.00 to 7.00 higher. Good to very good demand on this solid offering of long fed and very uniform steers and heifers. Quite the variety of cattle offered from Holstein cattle to lighter two way cattle and ending with very heavy fats. Cattle slaughter has remained low week to week and CME live cattle futures continue to rally. More than a handful of the cattle came in overnight with many farmers needing to get their corn out of the field and move manure around.
Slaughter lambs 120 lbs and heavier steady to 15.00 higher. Lighter weights displayed a higher undertone on limited comparisons. Feeder lambs too lightly tested with a higher undertone noted. Slaughter ewes too lightly tested with the majority being on the younger end. Good to very good demand on slaughter lambs with active bidding noticed through the large majority of the sale. Feeder lambs had good demand on exceptional quality and flesh condition.
▲ Slaughter cattle: Slaughter steers and heifers 4.00 to 7.00 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 and heifers 4.00 to 7.00 higher. Good to very good demand on this solid offering of long fed and very uniform steers and heifers. Quite the variety of cattle offered from Holstein cattle to lighter two way cattle and ending with very heavy fats. Cattle slaughter has remained low week to week and CME live cattle futures continue to rally. More than a handful of the cattle came in overnight with many farmers needing to get their corn out of the field and move manure around. Slaughter lambs 120 lbs and heavier steady to 15.00 higher. Lighter weights displayed a higher undertone on limited comparisons. Feeder lambs too lightly tested with a higher undertone noted. Slaughter ewes too lightly tested with the majority being on the younger end. Good to very good demand on slaughter lambs with active bidding noticed through the large majority of the sale. Feeder lambs had good demand on exceptional quality and flesh condition.