heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers$209.80/cwt≈ $1,200/hd at 572 lb · 14 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers$210.00/cwt≈ $1,035/hd at 493 lb · 13 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 bulls$160.00/cwt≈ $934/hd at 584 lb · 11 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
1,000
2,000
1,310
Feeder cattle
300
—
410
Slaughter cattle
700
—
900
Replacement cattle
—
2,000
—
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last Thursday, stocker and feeder cattle weak in a light test. Today's supply mostly small lots and singles. CME Feeders are also mixed, but are mostly higher for Thursday. The 12/05 CME Feeder Cattle Index was $224.23, another 45 cent increase. Slaughter cows 1.00-2.00 lower. Slaughter bulls weak. Trade active 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, stocker and feeder cattle weak in a light test. Today's supply mostly small lots and singles. CME Feeders are also mixed, but are mostly higher for Thursday. The 12/05 CME Feeder Cattle Index was $224.23, another 45 cent increase. Slaughter cows 1.00-2.00 lower. Slaughter bulls weak. Trade active with light to moderate demand.