light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers$162.50/cwt-4.02 vs last sale · ≈ $1,030/hd at 634 lb · 27 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers$140.00/cwt-14.18 vs last sale · ≈ $834/hd at 596 lb · 14 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers$171.83/cwt≈ $847/hd at 493 lb · 12 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
1,530
2,300
1,242
Feeder cattle
500
1,050
400
Slaughter cattle
1,030
1,200
842
Replacement cattle
—
50
—
Market comments — USDA reporter
No trends due to scheduling conflicts the market has not been reported the last 2 weeks. Trade active with moderate to good demand with an interest out of the cow and bull market. Feeder cattle futures were down by as much as 57 cents on the day. The CME Feeder Cattle Index was another 18 cents stronger to $155.42 on 8/18. Weekly Export Sales data showed beef bookings were 11,108 MT, which were 18.5% weaker from week to week, and 4.3% lower than the same week last year. Both Japan and South Korea bought 2,800 MT during the week as the top buyers. South Korea and Japan were also the top destinations for the 19,662 MT shipped during the week.
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
No trends due to scheduling conflicts the market has not been reported the last 2 weeks. Trade active with moderate to good demand with an interest out of the cow and bull market. Feeder cattle futures were down by as much as 57 cents on the day. The CME Feeder Cattle Index was another 18 cents stronger to $155.42 on 8/18. Weekly Export Sales data showed beef bookings were 11,108 MT, which were 18.5% weaker from week to week, and 4.3% lower than the same week last year. Both Japan and South Korea bought 2,800 MT during the week as the top buyers. South Korea and Japan were also the top destinations for the 19,662 MT shipped during the week.