heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers$154.24/cwt+18.65 vs last sale · ≈ $1,041/hd at 675 lb · 153 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers$175.03/cwt≈ $1,192/hd at 681 lb · 139 head
light 7-weight L 1 steers$166.00/cwt≈ $1,233/hd at 743 lb · 52 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
2,200
1,500
1,500
Feeder cattle
1,100
400
490
Slaughter cattle
1,080
1,100
1,000
Replacement cattle
20
—
10
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last Thursday, Stocker and feeder cattle 6.00-7.00 higher with most advance on heifers. Buyer attendance was good. Quality more attractive this week. CME Feeders went home 45 to 95 cents in the black on Thursday. The 3/23 CME Feeder Cattle Index was $154.69, down by 28 cents. Slaughter cows 3.00-6.00 higher. Most advance on Lean cows. Slaughter bulls firm. Trade very active with very good demand. Weekly Export Sales data from FAS showed a 44 week high 27,546 MT of beef was sold during the week that ended 3/17. The week’s top buyers were South Korea and China. USDA also reported a record 41,830 MT of beef was shipped during the week. That moved the YTD total to 1.7% ahead of last year’s record pace to 191,931 MT as of 3/17.
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 6.00-7.00 higher with most advance on heifers. Buyer attendance was good. Quality more attractive this week. CME Feeders went home 45 to 95 cents in the black on Thursday. The 3/23 CME Feeder Cattle Index was $154.69, down by 28 cents. Slaughter cows 3.00-6.00 higher. Most advance on Lean cows. Slaughter bulls firm. Trade very active with very good demand. Weekly Export Sales data from FAS showed a 44 week high 27,546 MT of beef was sold during the week that ended 3/17. The week’s top buyers were South Korea and China. USDA also reported a record 41,830 MT of beef was shipped during the week. That moved the YTD total to 1.7% ahead of last year’s record pace to 191,931 MT as of 3/17.