Cattle Market Pulse

Walnut Auction Sales Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Walnut, Illinois · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, February 18, 2026

59 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Walnut Auction Sales Slaughter Cattle report →

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 59 203 0
Slaughter cattle 59 203 0

Today at Walnut, slaughter steers and heifers traded higher 1.00-2.00 on a very light run. No price comparison on slaughter cows, no test on slaughter bulls. Trade was active on light demand.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1115–1160 1126 4 226.00–227.00 $226.26 $2,548
1165 1165 1 202.00 $202.00 $2,353
1428–1439 1435 6 235.00–237.00 $236.34 $3,391

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1115 1115 1 200.00 $200.00 $2,230
1215–1556 1442 21 233.00–237.00 $235.58 $3,397 +11.58

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Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030 1030 85-90% 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,339
1025–1135 1080 85-90% 2 70.00–80.00 $75.25 $813
1230–1275 1253 85-90% 2 125.00–130.00 $127.46 $1,597
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1255–1835 1553 75-80% 5 150.00–155.00 $151.08 $2,346
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1445–2075 1766 80-85% 5 140.00–145.00 $141.49 $2,499

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1420–1595 1522 9 175.00–190.00 $182.33 $2,775

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What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

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.