heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers$291.68/cwt-3.40 vs last sale · ≈ $2,270/hd at 778 lb · 1,433 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 heifers$289.27/cwt-10.60 vs last sale · ≈ $1,957/hd at 677 lb · 1,358 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers$313.96/cwt-6.33 vs last sale · ≈ $2,111/hd at 672 lb · 1,356 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
18,896
27,723
24,136
Feeder cattle
17,665
26,224
22,424
Slaughter cattle
1,231
1,499
1,712
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week: Feeder steers 4.00 to 8.00 lower, heifers 2.00 to 8.00 lower. Good demand for all weights of steers and heifers, however with the weakness in the CME Live and Feeder Cattle futures contracts, and a lower fed cash cattle trade, cattle feeders were looking to buy feeder cattle cheaper. Cash fed cattle topped at 208.00, with sales of 203.00 by late week as Feb Live Cattle fell to 200.00 and April down to less than 197.00. Cattle feeders were willing to accept lower money, as it is still much higher than what was expected a couple of months ago. The weakness in the futures complex was too great to ignore, which pulled the cash feeder cattle market lower. Packers are starting to cut kills as the boxed beef values work lower, making cattle feeders rethink their extreme bullish mindsets'. A little snow at the end of the week, followed by an artic blast in the forecast for next week along with more snow chances, but overall the winter in the north has been very mild.
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 4.00 to 8.00 lower, heifers 2.00 to 8.00 lower. Good demand for all weights of steers and heifers, however with the weakness in the CME Live and Feeder Cattle futures contracts, and a lower fed cash cattle trade, cattle feeders were looking to buy feeder cattle cheaper. Cash fed cattle topped at 208.00, with sales of 203.00 by late week as Feb Live Cattle fell to 200.00 and April down to less than 197.00. Cattle feeders were willing to accept lower money, as it is still much higher than what was expected a couple of months ago. The weakness in the futures complex was too great to ignore, which pulled the cash feeder cattle market lower. Packers are starting to cut kills as the boxed beef values work lower, making cattle feeders rethink their extreme bullish mindsets'. A little snow at the end of the week, followed by an artic blast in the forecast for next week along with more snow chances, but overall the winter in the north has been very mild.