The market was off this week with a culmination of factors playing against sellers. The futures board has been erratic up to steadily dropping the end of last week into this week. Our government needs to stay out of the cattle market and worry about things they should actually be trying to control. Along with the emotions of the border reopening, grazing and water in short supply, and the typical health challenges we need to find a bottom for everything to level out. Praying for rain and all our friends and neighbors in Jack and Palo Pinto Counties!
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
The market was off this week with a culmination of factors playing against sellers. The futures board has been erratic up to steadily dropping the end of last week into this week. Our government needs to stay out of the cattle market and worry about things they should actually be trying to control. Along with the emotions of the border reopening, grazing and water in short supply, and the typical health challenges we need to find a bottom for everything to level out. Praying for rain and all our friends and neighbors in Jack and Palo Pinto Counties!