Compared to Last week: Slaughter steers steady to 3.00 higher, heifers 3.00 to 4.00 higher, Holsteins 4.00 to 5.00 higher. Demand for this light offering of attractive market ready cattle was good. Boxed beef continues to make large daily gains, increasing packer profit margins. Packers were more willing to give more for the eye appealing cattle this week as market ready supplies are tightening. Weighing conditions were favorable again this week as most cattle were hauled in overnight. Cattle were clean this week, very few had dust on them. Estimated dressed cost 193.00 to 198.00. Slaughter cows Breakers 1.00 to 3.00 higher, Boner steady, Lean 1.00 higher. Slaughter bulls steady to 2.00 higher.
Traditional slaughter weight lambs 8.00 to 12.00 higher in a very light test, non traditional weight lambs sold with higher undertones today. Slaughter ewes Good 2-3 20.00 - 25.00 higher, Good 4-5 22.50 to 27.50 higher, Utility 1-2 10.00 - 20.00 higher, Cull 1 test to light to make a meaningful comparison. Demand for this light offering of lambs and ewes was good.
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 steady to 3.00 higher, heifers 3.00 to 4.00 higher, Holsteins 4.00 to 5.00 higher. Demand for this light offering of attractive market ready cattle was good. Boxed beef continues to make large daily gains, increasing packer profit margins. Packers were more willing to give more for the eye appealing cattle this week as market ready supplies are tightening. Weighing conditions were favorable again this week as most cattle were hauled in overnight. Cattle were clean this week, very few had dust on them. Estimated dressed cost 193.00 to 198.00. Slaughter cows Breakers 1.00 to 3.00 higher, Boner steady, Lean 1.00 higher. Slaughter bulls steady to 2.00 higher. Traditional slaughter weight lambs 8.00 to 12.00 higher in a very light test, non traditional weight lambs sold with higher undertones today. Slaughter ewes Good 2-3 20.00 - 25.00 higher, Good 4-5 22.50 to 27.50 higher, Utility 1-2 10.00 - 20.00 higher, Cull 1 test to light to make a meaningful comparison. Demand for this light offering of lambs and ewes was good.