heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers$237.95/cwt-0.05 vs last sale · ≈ $1,837/hd at 772 lb · 565 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1 steers$232.55/cwt-1.36 vs last sale · ≈ $2,256/hd at 970 lb · 430 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 heifers$230.85/cwt+0.21 vs last sale · ≈ $1,891/hd at 819 lb · 397 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
4,651
1,397
5,300
Feeder cattle
4,651
1,397
5,300
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to two weeks ago: Yearling feeder steers over 850 lbs steady to 2.00 higher, other weights not well compared to last sale's lighter offering. Yearling feeder heifers sold with lower undertones, too few offered two weeks ago to make a complete comparison. A very large offering of yearling steers and heifers, many long strings offered in full loads and multiple load lots, including one string of 1,500 head from one family outfit. Demand was good but cattle feeders are dealing with a Live Cattle futures complex with prices in the 170s, instead of the high 190s as they were all spring and summer long, and now cash fed cattle have dipped into the 180s. These facts are putting a drag on the feeder cattle market as breakevens are much higher than the futures contracts are currently at. Flesh condition was attractive, yet there were some cattle carrying a little more flesh and buyers are very critical of those kinds as they need cattle to gain as efficiently as possible to stand a chance at profitability. The market remains very active as these yearlings are always highly sought after, but buyers aren't able to chase the market like they did earlier in the summer, as cattle feeders are much more cautious now. Next special feeder cattle auction will be in two weeks, Sept. 26, 2024.
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 two weeks ago: Yearling feeder steers over 850 lbs steady to 2.00 higher, other weights not well compared to last sale's lighter offering. Yearling feeder heifers sold with lower undertones, too few offered two weeks ago to make a complete comparison. A very large offering of yearling steers and heifers, many long strings offered in full loads and multiple load lots, including one string of 1,500 head from one family outfit. Demand was good but cattle feeders are dealing with a Live Cattle futures complex with prices in the 170s, instead of the high 190s as they were all spring and summer long, and now cash fed cattle have dipped into the 180s. These facts are putting a drag on the feeder cattle market as breakevens are much higher than the futures contracts are currently at. Flesh condition was attractive, yet there were some cattle carrying a little more flesh and buyers are very critical of those kinds as they need cattle to gain as efficiently as possible to stand a chance at profitability. The market remains very active as these yearlings are always highly sought after, but buyers aren't able to chase the market like they did earlier in the summer, as cattle feeders are much more cautious now. Next special feeder cattle auction will be in two weeks, Sept. 26, 2024.