light 6-weight M&L 1 steers$310.21/cwt≈ $1,948/hd at 628 lb · 393 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers$376.59/cwt≈ $1,823/hd at 484 lb · 346 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers$324.83/cwt≈ $1,718/hd at 529 lb · 345 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
9,302
352
9,982
Feeder cattle
4,552
282
4,977
Slaughter cattle
2,000
43
2,547
Replacement cattle
2,750
27
2,458
Market comments — USDA reporter
Limited sales last week for a market comparison. However, a sharply higher undertone was noted on this calves and feeder sales. Compared to two weeks ago slaughter and feeding cows sold 3.00 to 7.00 higher instances 10.00 higher on lean cows, with slaughter bulls trading steady. Demand was very good for light weight calves with several loads going to graze out in California for the winter. Some heading to the southern plains for wheat grazing. Quite a few, younger cows going back to feed or into a rebreed program. Hopefully Mother Nature will bring some much-needed moisture to the area so ranchers can keep ahold of their lively hood of ranching. Still ample hay stocks on hand with prices firming up a tick as demand has picked up.
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
Limited sales last week for a market comparison. However, a sharply higher undertone was noted on this calves and feeder sales. Compared to two weeks ago slaughter and feeding cows sold 3.00 to 7.00 higher instances 10.00 higher on lean cows, with slaughter bulls trading steady. Demand was very good for light weight calves with several loads going to graze out in California for the winter. Some heading to the southern plains for wheat grazing. Quite a few, younger cows going back to feed or into a rebreed program. Hopefully Mother Nature will bring some much-needed moisture to the area so ranchers can keep ahold of their lively hood of ranching. Still ample hay stocks on hand with prices firming up a tick as demand has picked up.