light 9-weight M&L 1 steers$250.92/cwt+6.34 vs last sale · ≈ $2,299/hd at 916 lb · 1,452 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1 steers$238.82/cwt+1.75 vs last sale · ≈ $2,349/hd at 984 lb · 1,048 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers$252.34/cwt+4.30 vs last sale · ≈ $2,218/hd at 879 lb · 840 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
9,231
10,167
8,724
Feeder cattle
8,325
9,100
7,597
Slaughter cattle
906
1,067
1,127
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers steady to 5.00 higher. Very good demand for yearling steers and heifers as cattle feeders
continue to hold great leverage over the packers and were able to push fat cattle up to 190.00 this week. The market is very active, especially
if the cattle are coming off grass as the flesh condition is light and very desirable. However, the feedyard backgrounded cattle are easy to sell
as well, as long as the flesh is not too heavy. Feed efficiency is the key factor this year, as the cost of these feeder cattle are so high and will
have a very high breakeven price. Corn prices continue to work lower, much lower than last year, which is helping to support the feeder
market at these price levels. Grass conditions are still good enough west of the Missouri River allowing cattle to stay turned out for the entire
grazing season, drier conditions east of the river has caused some yearlings to come early. Slaughter cows steady to 2.00 higher, 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 and heifers steady to 5.00 higher. Very good demand for yearling steers and heifers as cattle feeders continue to hold great leverage over the packers and were able to push fat cattle up to 190.00 this week. The market is very active, especially if the cattle are coming off grass as the flesh condition is light and very desirable. However, the feedyard backgrounded cattle are easy to sell as well, as long as the flesh is not too heavy. Feed efficiency is the key factor this year, as the cost of these feeder cattle are so high and will have a very high breakeven price. Corn prices continue to work lower, much lower than last year, which is helping to support the feeder market at these price levels. Grass conditions are still good enough west of the Missouri River allowing cattle to stay turned out for the entire grazing season, drier conditions east of the river has caused some yearlings to come early. Slaughter cows steady to 2.00 higher, bulls steady.