Cattle Market Pulse

South Central Livestock Market Report

Fitzgerald, Georgia · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, December 16, 2024

174 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest South Central Livestock report →

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 174 147 140
Feeder cattle 135 120 122
Slaughter cattle 8 13 2
Replacement cattle 31 14 16

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to a week ago slaughter cows and bulls steady. Feeder steers, bulls and heifers steady. Steer and heifer calves steady. Bull calves 5.00 lower. Replacement cattle steady.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380–385 382 3 343.00–350.00 $346.00 $1,322 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
451–465 457 3 274.00–280.00 $277.35 $1,267 +0.65
551–585 565 3 236.00–242.00 $238.67 $1,348 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
351–395 379 3 325.00–330.00 $327.59 $1,242 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335–349 342 2 308.00–315.00 $311.57 $1,066 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
351–370 357 3 333.00–343.00 $337.11 $1,203 -17.13
410–435 423 3 325.00–330.00 $328.33 $1,389 —
530–545 538 2 266.00–270.00 $267.97 $1,442 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–349 322 4 335.00–345.00 $339.46 $1,093 -13.10
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 value added 385 1 370.00 $370.00 $1,424 —
405–420 413 2 340.00–343.00 $341.53 $1,411 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1325 1173 80-85% 2 97.00–98.00 $97.57 $1,144 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915 915 85-90% 1 92.00 $92.00 $842 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1230–1605 1418 2 115.00–117.00 $116.13 $1,647 —
1405–1635 1520 2 130.00–135.00 $132.69 $2,017 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1185–1425 1305 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 103.00–117.00 $109.36 $1,427

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
950–1010 980 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 150.00–158.00 $154.12 $1,510

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
860–1130 995 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 1,775.00–1,800.00 $1,789.20 —

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Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

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.