Cattle Market Pulse

Walnut Auction Sales Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Walnut, Illinois · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 6, 2026

31 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 31 53 0
Slaughter cattle 31 53 0

Today at Walnut, slaughter steers and heifers traded lower 1.00-3.00 on a light offering. No price comparison on slaughter cows with slaughter bulls trading higher 20.00 on light but better offering. Trade was active, demand good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030 1030 1 258.00 $258.00 $2,657
1330 1330 1 242.00 $242.00 $3,219
1328–1720 1413 12 248.00–252.00 $249.49 $3,525
1770 1770 1 205.00 $205.00 $3,628

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095–1130 1113 2 231.00–235.00 $232.97 $2,593
1285–1575 1461 4 245.00–252.00 $247.50 $3,616

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300 1300 75-80% 1 160.00 $160.00 $2,080
1775 1775 75-80% 1 150.00 $150.00 $2,662

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1665–2135 1788 4 202.00–209.00 $205.49 $3,674

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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.