light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers$169.79/cwt-3.51 vs last sale · ≈ $1,056/hd at 622 lb · 27 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers$165.50/cwt≈ $1,124/hd at 679 lb · 17 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers$145.05/cwt≈ $963/hd at 664 lb · 12 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
2,330
1,370
1,720
Feeder cattle
430
330
620
Slaughter cattle
1,500
900
1,100
Replacement cattle
400
140
0
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last Thursday, not enough stocker or feeder this week for accurate trends. Most offerings today where small lots and singles. CME Feeder cattle closed up by $2.37 to $2.97 in the front months. April feeders expire a week from today to be settled against the index. The 4/20 CME Feeder Cattle Index was down by 76 cents to $153.90. Slaughter cows and bulls steady to 3.00 lower. USDA reported 15,021 MT of beef bookings from the week that ended 4/14. That was down from 17.2k MT the week sooner and was down from 24.6k MT from the same week the year prior. Beef exports were 20,965 MT from the week, up 7.5% from the same week last year. Accumulated beef exports are at a record pace of 271,093 MT through 4/14. Trade slow to moderate with light to moderate demand.
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 or feeder this week for accurate trends. Most offerings today where small lots and singles. CME Feeder cattle closed up by $2.37 to $2.97 in the front months. April feeders expire a week from today to be settled against the index. The 4/20 CME Feeder Cattle Index was down by 76 cents to $153.90. Slaughter cows and bulls steady to 3.00 lower. USDA reported 15,021 MT of beef bookings from the week that ended 4/14. That was down from 17.2k MT the week sooner and was down from 24.6k MT from the same week the year prior. Beef exports were 20,965 MT from the week, up 7.5% from the same week last year. Accumulated beef exports are at a record pace of 271,093 MT through 4/14. Trade slow to moderate with light to moderate demand.