light 7-weight M&L 1 steers$404.12/cwt-1.79 vs last sale · ≈ $2,930/hd at 725 lb · 1,539 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers$387.72/cwt-1.90 vs last sale · ≈ $3,016/hd at 778 lb · 1,317 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers$452.33/cwt+7.07 vs last sale · ≈ $2,832/hd at 626 lb · 1,145 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
18,723
23,330
18,896
Feeder cattle
17,524
—
17,665
Slaughter cattle
1,199
—
1,231
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers unevenly steady. Good to very good demand for steers and heifers this week. With the large swings in the cattle futures complex this week there was some uncertainty in the marketplace, but cattle feeders who waited until the end of the week were able to sell cattle up to 244.00-245.00. The market is very active on light weight and fleshed cattle to background, it's still active on the heavier cattle bound for finishing yards but cattle feeders are a little more wary as they still feel the sting on cattle they sold after the mid-October collapse. Feeder cattle and fat cattle, both, have regained those levels but the Live Cattle futures is struggling to keep up with the cash trade. Lots of demand seen for replacement quality heifers. Very mild weather, for February made it easier for cattle producers to get their stock shipped to town this week as they look to capitalize on this market.
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 unevenly steady. Good to very good demand for steers and heifers this week. With the large swings in the cattle futures complex this week there was some uncertainty in the marketplace, but cattle feeders who waited until the end of the week were able to sell cattle up to 244.00-245.00. The market is very active on light weight and fleshed cattle to background, it's still active on the heavier cattle bound for finishing yards but cattle feeders are a little more wary as they still feel the sting on cattle they sold after the mid-October collapse. Feeder cattle and fat cattle, both, have regained those levels but the Live Cattle futures is struggling to keep up with the cash trade. Lots of demand seen for replacement quality heifers. Very mild weather, for February made it easier for cattle producers to get their stock shipped to town this week as they look to capitalize on this market.