heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers$240.77/cwt-5.80 vs last sale · ≈ $2,115/hd at 878 lb · 1,552 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers$254.36/cwt-3.16 vs last sale · ≈ $2,101/hd at 826 lb · 1,549 head
light 9-weight M&L 1 steers$236.90/cwt-2.22 vs last sale · ≈ $2,178/hd at 919 lb · 1,271 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
20,758
16,509
28,387
Feeder cattle
19,639
15,393
27,226
Slaughter cattle
1,119
1,116
1,161
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers 3.00 to 8.00 lower. Moderate to good demand for all weights of steers and heifers, but with the continued down pressure from the futures contracts, cattle feeders have been put on the defensive. The market is still active for those thin fleshed cattle but there is much more apprehension in the minds of cattle producers as the futures contracts fail to follow the cash market. The cash fed cattle market only at 185.00, while most outgoing fat cattle need 190.00 to breakeven. The summer months of the Live Cattle contract have now dipped into the 160s, yet the feeder market has not gone down to make for breakevens that align with the futures. Grass is green and starting to grow, corn planters have started rolling in the southeast corner of the state. Auction receipts are declining, as is normal for this time of year, and cattle feeders are willing to compete heavily to fill their pens in spite of a futures complex that is not supportive. Slaughter cows steady to 2.00 higher, bulls sold with lower undertones.
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 3.00 to 8.00 lower. Moderate to good demand for all weights of steers and heifers, but with the continued down pressure from the futures contracts, cattle feeders have been put on the defensive. The market is still active for those thin fleshed cattle but there is much more apprehension in the minds of cattle producers as the futures contracts fail to follow the cash market. The cash fed cattle market only at 185.00, while most outgoing fat cattle need 190.00 to breakeven. The summer months of the Live Cattle contract have now dipped into the 160s, yet the feeder market has not gone down to make for breakevens that align with the futures. Grass is green and starting to grow, corn planters have started rolling in the southeast corner of the state. Auction receipts are declining, as is normal for this time of year, and cattle feeders are willing to compete heavily to fill their pens in spite of a futures complex that is not supportive. Slaughter cows steady to 2.00 higher, bulls sold with lower undertones.