light 9-weight M&L 1 steers$240.93/cwt-1.71 vs last sale · ≈ $2,230/hd at 925 lb · 1,117 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers$248.83/cwt+1.78 vs last sale · ≈ $2,177/hd at 875 lb · 921 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers$269.31/cwt+14.55 vs last sale · ≈ $1,960/hd at 728 lb · 867 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
12,129
8,685
18,028
Feeder cattle
11,417
7,631
16,981
Slaughter cattle
712
1,054
1,047
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week: Feeder steers steady to 5.00 higher, heifers steady to 3.00 lower. Very good demand for yearlings this week, best demand was evident on steers as cattle feeders look to buy the most efficient gaining cattle they can find. Cattle feeders remain incredibly optimistic and were willing to chase the market higher in spite of higher corn futures at the start of the week. The rise in corn has since reversed and cash fed cattle in the north are holding a 10.00 basis over the spot month of Aug, which is strengthening cattle feeders' resolve. The market is very active as these long strings of yearlings come to town, as cattle feeders can fill their pens with uniform cattle from a single source. Grass conditions in the western half of the state are sufficient to allow cattle to stay turned out and not have to come to town early. Slaughter cows steady to 5.00 lower, bulls steady.
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 steady to 5.00 higher, heifers steady to 3.00 lower. Very good demand for yearlings this week, best demand was evident on steers as cattle feeders look to buy the most efficient gaining cattle they can find. Cattle feeders remain incredibly optimistic and were willing to chase the market higher in spite of higher corn futures at the start of the week. The rise in corn has since reversed and cash fed cattle in the north are holding a 10.00 basis over the spot month of Aug, which is strengthening cattle feeders' resolve. The market is very active as these long strings of yearlings come to town, as cattle feeders can fill their pens with uniform cattle from a single source. Grass conditions in the western half of the state are sufficient to allow cattle to stay turned out and not have to come to town early. Slaughter cows steady to 5.00 lower, bulls steady.