heavy 8-weight M&L 1 heifers$137.00/cwt+1.17 vs last sale · ≈ $1,204/hd at 879 lb · 740 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 heifers$140.78/cwt-1.93 vs last sale · ≈ $1,160/hd at 824 lb · 573 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers$147.51/cwt-2.20 vs last sale · ≈ $1,292/hd at 876 lb · 565 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
9,711
16,807
9,549
Feeder cattle
8,438
15,523
7,894
Slaughter cattle
1,273
1,284
1,655
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week: Feeder cattle narrowly compared this week as offerings were limited, feeder steers unevenly steady, heifers steady to 3.00 higher. Very good demand remains for all weights and classes of feeder cattle. Fewer feeder cattle auctions this week as auction markets are on their summer schedule, there has been some rain across the state which is allowing cattle producers to stretch their pastures a little further. Cattle feeders remain eager to buy yearlings, especially those off grass as their desirable light flesh condition allows them to better convert feed to gain. But there is still very good demand for those yearlings coming out of backgrounding yards in heavier flesh as the back months of the CME Live Cattle contract are much more attractive than the current spot month. Corn futures have been holding around the 5.50 mark as there has been some timely rain in areas that were very dry and desperately needing rain. The cash fed cattle market remains with a positive basis over the futures, 5.00 over in the north, which is helping to add some optimism to the minds of cattle feeders. Slaughter cows steady to 2.00 lower, full decline on the fleshy Breaker cows, bulls 5.00 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 cattle narrowly compared this week as offerings were limited, feeder steers unevenly steady, heifers steady to 3.00 higher. Very good demand remains for all weights and classes of feeder cattle. Fewer feeder cattle auctions this week as auction markets are on their summer schedule, there has been some rain across the state which is allowing cattle producers to stretch their pastures a little further. Cattle feeders remain eager to buy yearlings, especially those off grass as their desirable light flesh condition allows them to better convert feed to gain. But there is still very good demand for those yearlings coming out of backgrounding yards in heavier flesh as the back months of the CME Live Cattle contract are much more attractive than the current spot month. Corn futures have been holding around the 5.50 mark as there has been some timely rain in areas that were very dry and desperately needing rain. The cash fed cattle market remains with a positive basis over the futures, 5.00 over in the north, which is helping to add some optimism to the minds of cattle feeders. Slaughter cows steady to 2.00 lower, full decline on the fleshy Breaker cows, bulls 5.00 lower.