heavy 8-weight M&L 1 heifers$234.96/cwt+6.95 vs last sale · ≈ $2,042/hd at 869 lb · 1,863 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1 steers$234.45/cwt+1.62 vs last sale · ≈ $2,281/hd at 973 lb · 1,740 head
light 9-weight M&L 1 steers$241.02/cwt+4.42 vs last sale · ≈ $2,245/hd at 931 lb · 1,259 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
15,871
11,635
23,503
Feeder cattle
15,059
10,555
22,019
Slaughter cattle
812
1,080
1,484
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week: Yearling feeder steers 2.00 to 4.00 higher, yearling heifers unevenly steady. Good demand for these yearlings as they are coming straight off grass, in that highly desirable light flesh condition. The market is active, yet it's not as rapid paced as it was earlier this summer as the futures contracts pulled the cash markets down. Cash fed cattle down to 180.00 this week as packers have been able to wrestle the leverage that the cattle feeders have held. Dry conditions West River causing producers to send yearlings to town, it's still early for spring born calves and there isn't pressure to sell them yet. The corn crop looks to produce a bountiful harvest, which is helping to support the feeder cattle market in spite of the headwinds it's facing from a weaker futures complex. Slaughter cows and bulls mostly 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.
Compared to last week: Yearling feeder steers 2.00 to 4.00 higher, yearling heifers unevenly steady. Good demand for these yearlings as they are coming straight off grass, in that highly desirable light flesh condition. The market is active, yet it's not as rapid paced as it was earlier this summer as the futures contracts pulled the cash markets down. Cash fed cattle down to 180.00 this week as packers have been able to wrestle the leverage that the cattle feeders have held. Dry conditions West River causing producers to send yearlings to town, it's still early for spring born calves and there isn't pressure to sell them yet. The corn crop looks to produce a bountiful harvest, which is helping to support the feeder cattle market in spite of the headwinds it's facing from a weaker futures complex. Slaughter cows and bulls mostly steady.