heavy 9-weight M&L 1 steers$135.01/cwt+5.25 vs last sale · ≈ $1,300/hd at 963 lb · 1,389 head
light 9-weight M&L 1 heifers$124.85/cwt+2.98 vs last sale · ≈ $1,155/hd at 925 lb · 1,178 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers$142.08/cwt+7.47 vs last sale · ≈ $1,037/hd at 730 lb · 1,152 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
20,016
17,255
12,782
Feeder cattle
18,710
15,956
11,305
Slaughter cattle
1,306
1,299
1,477
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week: Feeder steers under 900 lbs 5.00 to 8.00 higher, over 900 lbs 2.00 to 5.00 higher. Feeder heifers under 700 lbs 5.00 to 8.00 higher, over 700 lbs 3.00 to 5.00 higher. Very good demand for feeder cattle this week as the cash fed cattle market broke out from the 120.00 mark it had been stuck at. Yearlings are being pulled from grass already, some never got turned out, as the drought intensifies from the very hot temperatures. Cattle feeders were wanting to get yearlings bought and placed in their yards, as the late months of 2021 and early 2022 CME Live Cattle futures are presently rather attractive. Feed costs are a major concern however, but a large correction occurred midweek that brought old corn back below 6.50 and new corn to 5.50. As costs of gain are so much higher than last year cattle feeders are very critical of cattle carrying too much flesh. Those cattle convert feed to gain less efficiently and sell several dollars back from a green one. Heifers are also selling at a large discount to steers as they just don’t possess the frame size necessary to get as big as the steers, which results in a net return of fewer dollars per head. Slaughter cows 2.00 to 4.00 lower, bulls 2.00 lower.
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: Feeder steers under 900 lbs 5.00 to 8.00 higher, over 900 lbs 2.00 to 5.00 higher. Feeder heifers under 700 lbs 5.00 to 8.00 higher, over 700 lbs 3.00 to 5.00 higher. Very good demand for feeder cattle this week as the cash fed cattle market broke out from the 120.00 mark it had been stuck at. Yearlings are being pulled from grass already, some never got turned out, as the drought intensifies from the very hot temperatures. Cattle feeders were wanting to get yearlings bought and placed in their yards, as the late months of 2021 and early 2022 CME Live Cattle futures are presently rather attractive. Feed costs are a major concern however, but a large correction occurred midweek that brought old corn back below 6.50 and new corn to 5.50. As costs of gain are so much higher than last year cattle feeders are very critical of cattle carrying too much flesh. Those cattle convert feed to gain less efficiently and sell several dollars back from a green one. Heifers are also selling at a large discount to steers as they just don’t possess the frame size necessary to get as big as the steers, which results in a net return of fewer dollars per head. Slaughter cows 2.00 to 4.00 lower, bulls 2.00 lower.