heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers$198.60/cwt+3.99 vs last sale · ≈ $1,343/hd at 676 lb · 2,357 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers$190.52/cwt-1.02 vs last sale · ≈ $1,370/hd at 719 lb · 2,187 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers$207.89/cwt+8.85 vs last sale · ≈ $1,302/hd at 626 lb · 1,653 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
29,066
9,578
33,688
Feeder cattle
28,986
8,573
32,294
Slaughter cattle
80
1,005
1,394
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week: Only a couple auctions a week ago to compare as this week all locations resumed their regular sale schedules, higher undertone on feeder steers under 650 lbs, over 650 lbs 2.00 to 4.00 lower. Feeder heifers under 650 lbs sold with higher undertones, over 650 lbs steady to 3.00 lower. Moderate to good demand this week, but the winter storms have sure put pressure on the market. Cattle feeders have had a lot of work created for them as the last storm dropped 1 to 2 foot of snow, some death loss of light cattle occurred as well, and now much poorer feeding efficiency resulting in much higher costs of gain. The cash fed cattle market is sitting just under 160.00, but with the weight loss of market ready cattle and the poor feeding conditions there just isn't much reason for a cattle feeder to want to give more money for incoming cattle. Flesh condition is a major factor in the market right now as costs of gain are a major hurdle to overcome. Light fleshed cattle remain easy to sell but those carrying extra flesh are much harder to find bids for. Very large auction receipts again this next week as feeder cattle producers want to get their cattle sold and gone to alleviate their work load. Slaughter cows 2.00 to 4.00 lower, bulls too few to test.
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: Only a couple auctions a week ago to compare as this week all locations resumed their regular sale schedules, higher undertone on feeder steers under 650 lbs, over 650 lbs 2.00 to 4.00 lower. Feeder heifers under 650 lbs sold with higher undertones, over 650 lbs steady to 3.00 lower. Moderate to good demand this week, but the winter storms have sure put pressure on the market. Cattle feeders have had a lot of work created for them as the last storm dropped 1 to 2 foot of snow, some death loss of light cattle occurred as well, and now much poorer feeding efficiency resulting in much higher costs of gain. The cash fed cattle market is sitting just under 160.00, but with the weight loss of market ready cattle and the poor feeding conditions there just isn't much reason for a cattle feeder to want to give more money for incoming cattle. Flesh condition is a major factor in the market right now as costs of gain are a major hurdle to overcome. Light fleshed cattle remain easy to sell but those carrying extra flesh are much harder to find bids for. Very large auction receipts again this next week as feeder cattle producers want to get their cattle sold and gone to alleviate their work load. Slaughter cows 2.00 to 4.00 lower, bulls too few to test.