Compared to last week: Slaughter steers and heifers sold with steadyish undertones in a light test. Holsteins sold steadyish in a very light test. Demand for this nice offering of slaughter cattle was moderate. The weather has been challenging this week, making it difficult to travel and get livestock to the sale. 8 loads of steers sold this week. Non implant cattle show a good premium. Most of the cattle were hauled in overnight, making for good weigh ups. Slaughter cows Boner and Lean 3.00 to 5.00 higher, Breaker to few to call. Bulls to few to make a meaningful comparison.
Traditional weight slaughter lambs in a light test 5.00 higher. Slaughter ewes to few to make a meaningful comparison.
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 sold with steadyish undertones in a light test. Holsteins sold steadyish in a very light test. Demand for this nice offering of slaughter cattle was moderate. The weather has been challenging this week, making it difficult to travel and get livestock to the sale. 8 loads of steers sold this week. Non implant cattle show a good premium. Most of the cattle were hauled in overnight, making for good weigh ups. Slaughter cows Boner and Lean 3.00 to 5.00 higher, Breaker to few to call. Bulls to few to make a meaningful comparison. Traditional weight slaughter lambs in a light test 5.00 higher. Slaughter ewes to few to make a meaningful comparison.