light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers$138.93/cwt-6.95 vs last sale · ≈ $866/hd at 623 lb · 45 head
heavy 5-weight S 1-2 steers$129.00/cwt≈ $725/hd at 562 lb · 17 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers$131.35/cwt≈ $835/hd at 636 lb · 16 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
1,540
1,570
1,700
Feeder cattle
600
670
500
Slaughter cattle
900
900
1,190
Replacement cattle
40
—
10
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last Thursday, Stocker and feeder cattle weak to 6.00 lower. Quality not as attractive as last week as many lots today where unvaccinated. Feeders also rallied triple digits on Thursday, gaining $3+ in the 2021 contracts. The 10/6 CME Feeder Cattle Index bounced 92 cents to $153.80. Slaughter cows and bulls unevenly steady. Trade active with good demand especially for grass fed offerings. USDA’s weekly data release showed 15,633 MT of beef was sold for export during the week of 9/30. That was down 3% wk/wk and down by 37% form the same week last year. China was the top buyer, with 6k MT booked. Total commitments to China sit at 142,126 MT, which is 123% above last year’s total commitments – which in itself was 522% above the previous record.
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 Thursday, Stocker and feeder cattle weak to 6.00 lower. Quality not as attractive as last week as many lots today where unvaccinated. Feeders also rallied triple digits on Thursday, gaining $3+ in the 2021 contracts. The 10/6 CME Feeder Cattle Index bounced 92 cents to $153.80. Slaughter cows and bulls unevenly steady. Trade active with good demand especially for grass fed offerings. USDA’s weekly data release showed 15,633 MT of beef was sold for export during the week of 9/30. That was down 3% wk/wk and down by 37% form the same week last year. China was the top buyer, with 6k MT booked. Total commitments to China sit at 142,126 MT, which is 123% above last year’s total commitments – which in itself was 522% above the previous record.