light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers$136.51/cwt-2.95 vs last sale · ≈ $833/hd at 610 lb · 25 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers$132.73/cwt≈ $706/hd at 532 lb · 20 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers$132.76/cwt≈ $875/hd at 659 lb · 19 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
1,700
1,600
1,365
Feeder cattle
600
600
400
Slaughter cattle
1,100
1,000
965
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last Thursday, Stocker steers less than 700 lbs weak in a light test. Not enough heifers or feeder steers for accurate trends. CME Feeder cattle trading also saw triple digit losses, ending the day $0.82 to $1.37 in the red. October feeders expired at $156.67. The CME Feeder Cattle Index was $156.03 on 10/26 up by 53 cents. Buyer attendance was light to moderate. Slaughter cows and bulls 1.00-4.00 higher. Grass fed and feeding cows pushed the market higher. Trade active with good demand and good buyer attendance. Beef export sales were a 13 week high of 19,192 MT. South Korea was the top buyer, though China, Japan, Mexico and Taiwan were all contributors. Shipments from the report were 16,725 MT, with South Korea as the top destination. YTD exports are at 753,710 MT through 10/21 according to the weekly data.
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 steers less than 700 lbs weak in a light test. Not enough heifers or feeder steers for accurate trends. CME Feeder cattle trading also saw triple digit losses, ending the day $0.82 to $1.37 in the red. October feeders expired at $156.67. The CME Feeder Cattle Index was $156.03 on 10/26 up by 53 cents. Buyer attendance was light to moderate. Slaughter cows and bulls 1.00-4.00 higher. Grass fed and feeding cows pushed the market higher. Trade active with good demand and good buyer attendance. Beef export sales were a 13 week high of 19,192 MT. South Korea was the top buyer, though China, Japan, Mexico and Taiwan were all contributors. Shipments from the report were 16,725 MT, with South Korea as the top destination. YTD exports are at 753,710 MT through 10/21 according to the weekly data.