Name: Walnut Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2026-05-20
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-05-20

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Today at Walnut, slaughter steers and heifers traded higher 6.00-8.00 on light offering. Slaughter cows and bulls were lightly tested with a higher undertone noted.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt

Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	Average	1,318	230.47	3,038	2thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,305	179.00	2,336	1thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,315	158.13	2,079	2thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,150	132.76	1,527	2thin
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,445	145.00	2,095	1thin
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,250	125.00	1,563	1thin
Heifers	Choice	Average	1,330	264.25	3,516	11
Heifers	Select and Choice	Average	1,066	239.26	2,551	4thin
Steers	Choice	Average	1,487	267.53	3,978	28

Every lot, as filed

10 lots · USDA AMS · Walnut Auction Sales Slaughter Cattle - Walnut, IL

Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Bulls	—	—	1,318	230.47/cwt	229.00–232.00	3,038	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,315	158.13/cwt	150.00–165.00	2,079	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,305	179.00/cwt	179.00–179.00	2,336	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,150	132.76/cwt	130.00–135.00	1,527	2
Heifers	Choice	—	1,298	264.98/cwt	260.00–266.00	3,439	10
Heifers	Choice	—	1,655	257.00/cwt	257.00–257.00	4,253	1
Heifers	Select and ChoiceReturn to Feed	—	1,066	239.26/cwt	235.00–245.00	2,551	4
Steers	Choice	—	1,487	267.53/cwt	261.00–271.00	3,978	28
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,445	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	2,095	1
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,250	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,563	1

How this sale compares

Illinois weighted averages

One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every Illinois auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.

Illinois feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →

Walnut Auction Sales Slaughter Cattle - Walnut, IL

Wed May 20, 2026

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Springfield, IL (LS-GX)

Receipts 52Last week 79Year ago 0

Today at Walnut, slaughter steers and heifers traded higher 6.00-8.00 on light offering. Slaughter cows and bulls were lightly tested with a higher undertone noted.

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,318	229.00–232.00	230.47
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,315	150.00–165.00	158.13
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,305	179.00	179.00
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,150	130.00–135.00	132.76
Heifers — Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
10	—	1,298	260.00–266.00	264.98
1	—	1,655	257.00	257.00
Heifers — Select and Choice · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,066	235.00–245.00	239.26
Steers — Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
28	—	1,487	261.00–271.00	267.53
Dairy Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,445	145.00	145.00
Dairy Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,250	125.00	125.00

Head, weight ranges, average weights and price ranges are exactly as USDA AMS filed them — nothing recomputed, nothing rounded — in USDA's own reporting structure. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of that data, not a copy of USDA's document.

Feeder Cattle — prices, barns, and planning

Fed Cattle — the cash market and what quality pays

Beef & Retail — from the box to the grocery shelf

Feed & Hay — the cost side, cash not futures

Cows & Bred Stock — the rebuild market

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