light 6-weight M&L 1 steers$331.55/cwt+2.73 vs last sale · ≈ $2,072/hd at 625 lb · 425 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers$347.74/cwt-6.54 vs last sale · ≈ $1,996/hd at 574 lb · 386 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers$314.36/cwt-1.41 vs last sale · ≈ $2,116/hd at 673 lb · 309 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
5,666
11,821
7,471
Feeder cattle
3,949
8,011
5,913
Slaughter cattle
347
1,327
1,237
Replacement cattle
1,370
2,483
321
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week steers and heifers sold unevenly steady. Slaughter cows sold 8.00 to 10.00 higher and slaughter bulls sold 6.00 higher. Demand was good throughout the week. Artic air mass blew in across the region over the weekend lasting through mid-week. With temperatures below zero and very cold windchills didn't freeze the mood for buyers to purchase livestock. Short supply of calves, feeders and slaughter cattle making it a perfect storm for the sellers as buyers are really having to bid up to get orders filled. Bullish cattle on feed report with new record slaughter steer and heifer prices as week's close should carry over and there could be higher prices paid next week at area auctions.
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 and heifers sold unevenly steady. Slaughter cows sold 8.00 to 10.00 higher and slaughter bulls sold 6.00 higher. Demand was good throughout the week. Artic air mass blew in across the region over the weekend lasting through mid-week. With temperatures below zero and very cold windchills didn't freeze the mood for buyers to purchase livestock. Short supply of calves, feeders and slaughter cattle making it a perfect storm for the sellers as buyers are really having to bid up to get orders filled. Bullish cattle on feed report with new record slaughter steer and heifer prices as week's close should carry over and there could be higher prices paid next week at area auctions.