light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers$173.30/cwt+5.39 vs last sale · ≈ $1,088/hd at 628 lb · 25 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers$194.94/cwt-0.37 vs last sale · ≈ $1,111/hd at 570 lb · 16 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers$154.61/cwt-3.65 vs last sale · ≈ $901/hd at 583 lb · 12 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
1,370
2,190
2,450
Feeder cattle
330
1,180
1,350
Slaughter cattle
900
1,000
1,100
Replacement cattle
140
10
0
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last Thursday, not enough stocker cattle this week for accurate trends. Feeder steers over 600 lbs firm in a light test. Not enough feeder heifers for accurate trends. CME Feeder cattle closed 7 to 37 cents higher on the board. The CME Feeder Cattle Index for 4/13 was $155.95, up by 9 cents. Slaughter cows 4.00-7.00 higher. Slaughter bulls 2.00-3.00 higher. Trade very active with very good demand. Export Sales data showed 17,242 MT of beef was booked during the week that ended 4/7. That was up 22% from the week prior, but still down 23% form the 5-week average. South Korea was the week's top buyer as well as the top destination for the 18,556 MT total of beef shipped. Accumulated beef exports reached 250,128 MT through 4/7.
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, not enough stocker cattle this week for accurate trends. Feeder steers over 600 lbs firm in a light test. Not enough feeder heifers for accurate trends. CME Feeder cattle closed 7 to 37 cents higher on the board. The CME Feeder Cattle Index for 4/13 was $155.95, up by 9 cents. Slaughter cows 4.00-7.00 higher. Slaughter bulls 2.00-3.00 higher. Trade very active with very good demand. Export Sales data showed 17,242 MT of beef was booked during the week that ended 4/7. That was up 22% from the week prior, but still down 23% form the 5-week average. South Korea was the week's top buyer as well as the top destination for the 18,556 MT total of beef shipped. Accumulated beef exports reached 250,128 MT through 4/7.