heavy 5-weight M&L 2-3 heifers$173.60/cwt-16.40 vs last sale · ≈ $983/hd at 566 lb · 34 head
light 7-weight L 1 heifers$190.00/cwt+15.00 vs last sale · ≈ $1,336/hd at 703 lb · 19 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers$226.04/cwt-25.64 vs last sale · ≈ $934/hd at 413 lb · 16 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
1,690
3,000
2,190
Feeder cattle
670
1,850
1,180
Slaughter cattle
1,000
1,100
1,000
Replacement cattle
20
50
10
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last Thursday, not enough stocker or feeder cattle this week for accurate trends. Feeder cattle futures were 1.4% to 1.6% higher on triple digit gains of as much as $3.80. The CME Feeder Cattle Index was 7 cents lower on 4/05 to $193.22. Slaughter cows and bulls steady. Trade active with good demand. Weekly USDA data showed 13,458 MT of beef export sales for the week that ended 3/30. That was up 20% for the week, but was still 2.4k under the 3-week average. South Korea was the top buyer. Accumulated beef commitments were 359.5k MT as of 3/30.
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 cattle this week for accurate trends. Feeder cattle futures were 1.4% to 1.6% higher on triple digit gains of as much as $3.80. The CME Feeder Cattle Index was 7 cents lower on 4/05 to $193.22. Slaughter cows and bulls steady. Trade active with good demand. Weekly USDA data showed 13,458 MT of beef export sales for the week that ended 3/30. That was up 20% for the week, but was still 2.4k under the 3-week average. South Korea was the top buyer. Accumulated beef commitments were 359.5k MT as of 3/30.