light 7-weight M&L 1 steers$301.38/cwt-6.14 vs last sale · ≈ $2,192/hd at 727 lb · 3,128 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers$305.84/cwt+2.52 vs last sale · ≈ $1,913/hd at 626 lb · 2,612 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers$319.13/cwt+0.55 vs last sale · ≈ $2,146/hd at 672 lb · 2,594 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
38,126
29,384
12,209
Feeder cattle
36,526
28,140
11,663
Slaughter cattle
1,600
1,244
546
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week: Feeder steers unevenly steady, heifers 3.00 to 7.00 higher. Very good demand again this week for all weights of steers and heifers, yet there was some pressure on the market at late week. Auction receipts very large as central and East River SD auction markets are in the busiest part time of year. Cash fed cattle were up to 206.00 in Iowa, but the CME Live and Feeder Cattle contracts were down Thursday and that was enough to give some cattle feeders pause and slowed their pursuit of feeder cattle. The sheer volume of cattle that have been offered and sold across the greater region since the start of the year has also caused a little market pressure as cattle feeders filled a lot of empty pens already. The dry winter has made it easy on cattle and their caretakers, allowing cattle to grow and gain easily, this was seen on some of the cattle as they were carrying extra flesh condition, buyers are very critical as breakeven prices are high and cattle will need to gain efficiently.
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 unevenly steady, heifers 3.00 to 7.00 higher. Very good demand again this week for all weights of steers and heifers, yet there was some pressure on the market at late week. Auction receipts very large as central and East River SD auction markets are in the busiest part time of year. Cash fed cattle were up to 206.00 in Iowa, but the CME Live and Feeder Cattle contracts were down Thursday and that was enough to give some cattle feeders pause and slowed their pursuit of feeder cattle. The sheer volume of cattle that have been offered and sold across the greater region since the start of the year has also caused a little market pressure as cattle feeders filled a lot of empty pens already. The dry winter has made it easy on cattle and their caretakers, allowing cattle to grow and gain easily, this was seen on some of the cattle as they were carrying extra flesh condition, buyers are very critical as breakeven prices are high and cattle will need to gain efficiently.