light 5-weight M&L 1 steers$252.50/cwt≈ $1,285/hd at 509 lb · 21 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers$252.50/cwt≈ $1,199/hd at 475 lb · 20 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers$243.09/cwt≈ $1,133/hd at 466 lb · 17 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
185
323
423
Feeder cattle
102
19
29
Slaughter cattle
83
304
394
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week slaughter steers were 1.00 lower with slaughter heifers mostly steady and a light offering of steers and heifers to get a good comparison. Holstein slaughter steers were 2.00 higher this week. Cows had instances of higher/lower with no bulls last week to compare. Feeder steers and heifers were sharply higher with good groups of value added steers and heifers and bulls mostly steady. Some good groups of value added Holstein feeder heifers that sold high. A light test on all classes of cattle this week due to weather.
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 slaughter steers were 1.00 lower with slaughter heifers mostly steady and a light offering of steers and heifers to get a good comparison. Holstein slaughter steers were 2.00 higher this week. Cows had instances of higher/lower with no bulls last week to compare. Feeder steers and heifers were sharply higher with good groups of value added steers and heifers and bulls mostly steady. Some good groups of value added Holstein feeder heifers that sold high. A light test on all classes of cattle this week due to weather.