light 9-weight M&L 1 steers$243.43/cwt≈ $2,196/hd at 902 lb · 185 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers$278.05/cwt-4.36 vs last sale · ≈ $1,606/hd at 577 lb · 164 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers$245.30/cwt≈ $2,166/hd at 883 lb · 124 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
1,328
1,228
1,291
Feeder cattle
1,208
1,146
1,202
Slaughter cattle
120
82
89
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to the last sale two weeks ago, steers and heifers sold 4.00 to 10.00 lower. Slaughter cows 3.00 to 5.00 lower. Pretty typical October calf run this week, with the weaned and worked cattle finding more outlets than those coming right off the cow or without a full health program. There were a few exceptions to the unweaned rule this week with some consignments coming right out of the pasture whose reputation seemed to mitigate the risk factors. Cattle futures were still mostly lackluster Tuesday yet greatly improved from Monday's meltdown; still, any kind of volatility is bound to make market participants a little skittish. Supply moderate, demand moderate to good.
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 the last sale two weeks ago, steers and heifers sold 4.00 to 10.00 lower. Slaughter cows 3.00 to 5.00 lower. Pretty typical October calf run this week, with the weaned and worked cattle finding more outlets than those coming right off the cow or without a full health program. There were a few exceptions to the unweaned rule this week with some consignments coming right out of the pasture whose reputation seemed to mitigate the risk factors. Cattle futures were still mostly lackluster Tuesday yet greatly improved from Monday's meltdown; still, any kind of volatility is bound to make market participants a little skittish. Supply moderate, demand moderate to good.