heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers$370.68/cwt-5.91 vs last sale · ≈ $1,757/hd at 474 lb · 605 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers$354.01/cwt-1.00 vs last sale · ≈ $1,522/hd at 430 lb · 527 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers$323.47/cwt-4.08 vs last sale · ≈ $1,853/hd at 573 lb · 408 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
9,425
9,302
7,195
Feeder cattle
6,280
4,552
3,474
Slaughter cattle
1,340
2,000
1,597
Replacement cattle
1,805
2,750
2,124
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week steers less than 700 lbs sold steady to 6.00 lower. Heifers less than 700 lbs sold 3.00 to 10.00 higher. No test last week on weights over 700 lbs. Slaughter cows sold 5.00 to10.00 higher and bulls steady. Demand was good for stocker cattle, bred cattle and slaughter cows. The end of next week December 20, will close out the auction reporting in Wyoming. With this, cow buyers were aggressively buying slaughter cows and more than likely will do the same next week. Most auctions will be shut down over a two-week period until the first full week of the new year.
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 last week steers less than 700 lbs sold steady to 6.00 lower. Heifers less than 700 lbs sold 3.00 to 10.00 higher. No test last week on weights over 700 lbs. Slaughter cows sold 5.00 to10.00 higher and bulls steady. Demand was good for stocker cattle, bred cattle and slaughter cows. The end of next week December 20, will close out the auction reporting in Wyoming. With this, cow buyers were aggressively buying slaughter cows and more than likely will do the same next week. Most auctions will be shut down over a two-week period until the first full week of the new year.