heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers$284.75/cwt+10.90 vs last sale · ≈ $1,624/hd at 570 lb · 2,715 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers$263.02/cwt-0.54 vs last sale · ≈ $1,645/hd at 625 lb · 2,702 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers$295.59/cwt-2.70 vs last sale · ≈ $1,546/hd at 523 lb · 1,793 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
34,398
35,044
42,603
Feeder cattle
33,180
33,482
40,724
Slaughter cattle
1,218
1,562
1,879
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week: Steer calves steady to 5.00 lower, heifer calves 3.00 to 5.00 lower. Yearling feeder steers 10.00 to 15.00 lower, heifers 8.00 to 10.00 lower, instances of 15.00 to 18.00 lower. Demand was very uneven, as was the path of the cattle futures this week. The extreme volatility in the futures contracts is making it very difficult fo feeder cattle producers to make marketing decisions, and for cattle buyers to formulate breakeven prices as the board swings wildly from day to day. The best demand remains on light cattle to background, as these cattle have some many more marketing options available, time period wise. There is still hope amongst these backgrounders that the futures will recover some as everyone is fully aware of how small the national cow herd has become. Cattle feeders have been kicked in the gut by this flop in the futures contracts, as all the signals this summer were telling them that the market would stay extremely good, only now to see Dec Live Cattle at 165.00 when they were counting on it being in the mid 190s. East River cattle producers are selling their calves in greater numbers now, as they normally do this time of year. The weather has been extremely mild, temps in the 50s and 60s this week, has made it very easy for cattle to put on a little extra flesh condition. Buyers are extremely critical of too much flesh as they are struggling to find cattle that will break even at realistic prices. Slaughter cows steady to 3.00 lower, bulls 4.00 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: Steer calves steady to 5.00 lower, heifer calves 3.00 to 5.00 lower. Yearling feeder steers 10.00 to 15.00 lower, heifers 8.00 to 10.00 lower, instances of 15.00 to 18.00 lower. Demand was very uneven, as was the path of the cattle futures this week. The extreme volatility in the futures contracts is making it very difficult fo feeder cattle producers to make marketing decisions, and for cattle buyers to formulate breakeven prices as the board swings wildly from day to day. The best demand remains on light cattle to background, as these cattle have some many more marketing options available, time period wise. There is still hope amongst these backgrounders that the futures will recover some as everyone is fully aware of how small the national cow herd has become. Cattle feeders have been kicked in the gut by this flop in the futures contracts, as all the signals this summer were telling them that the market would stay extremely good, only now to see Dec Live Cattle at 165.00 when they were counting on it being in the mid 190s. East River cattle producers are selling their calves in greater numbers now, as they normally do this time of year. The weather has been extremely mild, temps in the 50s and 60s this week, has made it very easy for cattle to put on a little extra flesh condition. Buyers are extremely critical of too much flesh as they are struggling to find cattle that will break even at realistic prices. Slaughter cows steady to 3.00 lower, bulls 4.00 lower.