Compared to last week: Slaughter steers and heifers 5.00 to 10.00 higher. Very good demand for this lighter offering of longtime fed, very high quality grading steers and heifers. The market was very active on the no implant cattle, started active on the conventional cattle and turned very active as the sale progressed. Cattle were fairly clean, weighing condition ranged from fair to full, the market was active throughout. 9 full loads, balance smaller packages.
Slaughter lambs steady to 5.00 lower, except 80-100 lbs 10.00 to 25.00 lower. Slaughter ewes steady. Moderate to good demand for all weights of slaughter lambs, however there remains some pressure on the market as the offering of lambs has been large since the start of the year. Good demand for slaughter ewes, very good demand for the replacement ewes.
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 5.00 to 10.00 higher. Very good demand for this lighter offering of longtime fed, very high quality grading steers and heifers. The market was very active on the no implant cattle, started active on the conventional cattle and turned very active as the sale progressed. Cattle were fairly clean, weighing condition ranged from fair to full, the market was active throughout. 9 full loads, balance smaller packages. Slaughter lambs steady to 5.00 lower, except 80-100 lbs 10.00 to 25.00 lower. Slaughter ewes steady. Moderate to good demand for all weights of slaughter lambs, however there remains some pressure on the market as the offering of lambs has been large since the start of the year. Good demand for slaughter ewes, very good demand for the replacement ewes.