Compared to last week: Slaughter steers and heifers 3.00 to 5.00 lower, Holstein steers Select & Choice 4.00 to 5.00 lower, Choice 2-3 1.00 to 2.00 higher. Demand for this light offering of hard fed cattle was moderate. The best demand is black hided cattle as well as non implant cattle. Boxed beef continues to jump and knock on 3 bills, packers still not willing to chase the market. Producers are on the wrong side of the market with cost of gain closing in on $1.20. 10 loads of steers, 3 loads of heifers with the balance being part loads and packages. Estimated dressed cost 185.00 to 190.00. Slaughter cows Breaker 5.00 higher, Boner 2 lower, Lean 4.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold with lower undertones in a light test.
A light offering of traditional slaughter weight lambs, keeps the demand high and helps them sell with higher undertones. A large offering of lighter lambs again this week, with demand very good for them whether they are heading to slaughter or going back out on feed. The lambs under 140 pounds sold 9.00 to 13.00 lower. Slaughter ewes Good 4-5 7.00 to 10.00 lower, Good 2-3 5.00 to 6.00 lower, Utility 1-2 3.00 to 5.00 lower, Cull 1 to few to make a meaningful comparison. Demand for the slaughter 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 and heifers 3.00 to 5.00 lower, Holstein steers Select & Choice 4.00 to 5.00 lower, Choice 2-3 1.00 to 2.00 higher. Demand for this light offering of hard fed cattle was moderate. The best demand is black hided cattle as well as non implant cattle. Boxed beef continues to jump and knock on 3 bills, packers still not willing to chase the market. Producers are on the wrong side of the market with cost of gain closing in on $1.20. 10 loads of steers, 3 loads of heifers with the balance being part loads and packages. Estimated dressed cost 185.00 to 190.00. Slaughter cows Breaker 5.00 higher, Boner 2 lower, Lean 4.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold with lower undertones in a light test. A light offering of traditional slaughter weight lambs, keeps the demand high and helps them sell with higher undertones. A large offering of lighter lambs again this week, with demand very good for them whether they are heading to slaughter or going back out on feed. The lambs under 140 pounds sold 9.00 to 13.00 lower. Slaughter ewes Good 4-5 7.00 to 10.00 lower, Good 2-3 5.00 to 6.00 lower, Utility 1-2 3.00 to 5.00 lower, Cull 1 to few to make a meaningful comparison. Demand for the slaughter ewes was good.