light 9-weight L 1-2 steers$159.00/cwt≈ $1,433/hd at 901 lb · 13 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers$175.00/cwt≈ $1,194/hd at 682 lb · 11 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
1,240
1,050
1,400
Feeder cattle
240
370
300
Slaughter cattle
1,000
650
1,100
Replacement cattle
—
30
—
Market comments — USDA reporter
No trends due to the holidays the last 2 weeks and market not reported. Trade active with very good demand. Feeder cattle futures ended the Thursday session triple digits lower with losses of as much as 0.6%. March feeders are still down by $1.32 to $1.42 through midday. The CME Feeder Cattle Index for 1/3 was $228.65, up by $3.60.
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
No trends due to the holidays the last 2 weeks and market not reported. Trade active with very good demand. Feeder cattle futures ended the Thursday session triple digits lower with losses of as much as 0.6%. March feeders are still down by $1.32 to $1.42 through midday. The CME Feeder Cattle Index for 1/3 was $228.65, up by $3.60.