Name: Meridian Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2026-03-16
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-03-16

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

As compared to the last market: feeder calves sold higher in spots. Slaughter cattle sold steady.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $443.85/cwt on 13 head, down $12.97 from the prior sale (only 11 head in that comparison). That ranks 14 of 24 comparable sales and sits +3.93 against this barn's trailing median of $439.92.

Average price

$443.85

▼ 12.97 vs prior sale

13 head · 556 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,470

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$186

per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 3

$89.03/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+5.63

vs MS average

−28.27 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	520	485.00	2,522	4thin
Medium and Large 1	555	447.00	2,481	3thin
Medium and Large 2	573	433.72	2,485	3thin
Medium and Large 3	590	395.97	2,336	3thin

One grade step is worth $89.03/cwt here — about $186 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

24 sales

Steers 500–600 lb: high $480.61, low $344.60, median $439.92 across 24 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale13 hd

443.85

—

MS average13 barns · 102 hd

438.23

+5.63

National average160 barns · 7,757 hd

472.12

−28.27

This barn, trailing median24 sales

439.92

+3.93

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

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	1,308	183.65	2,403	3thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,363	172.54	2,352	2thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	938	168.45	1,580	2thin

Replacement cattle Per head

By class, stage and age

Bred stock and pairs are reported per head, not per hundredweight — these prices are never mixed with the $/cwt figures above.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	965	$2,705	2thin
Bred Heifers	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	805	$2,600	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,160	$4,350	2thin

Every lot, as filed

52 lots · USDA AMS · Meridian Stockyard - Meridian, MS

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
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	615	442.00/cwt	442.00–442.00	2,718	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	200–250	215	610.00/cwt	610.00–610.00	1,312	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	250–300	260	620.00/cwt	620.00–620.00	1,612	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	520	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	2,522	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	470	489.08/cwt	483.00–495.00	2,299	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	793	349.00/cwt	349.00–349.00	2,768	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	573	433.72/cwt	430.00–438.00	2,485	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	535	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	2,434	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	510	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	2,015	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	450–500	460	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	2,231	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	565	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	2,401	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	405	505.00/cwt	505.00–505.00	2,045	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	645	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,387	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	463	492.46/cwt	490.00–495.00	2,280	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	565	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	2,232	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	350–400	366	474.68/cwt	450.00–485.00	1,737	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	560	378.00/cwt	378.00–378.00	2,117	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	480	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	2,208	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	355	495.00/cwt	495.00–495.00	1,757	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	515	401.42/cwt	393.00–410.00	2,067	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	310	535.00/cwt	535.00–535.00	1,659	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	425	515.18/cwt	500.00–530.00	2,190	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	683	407.60/cwt	395.00–410.00	2,784	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	485	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	2,425	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	565	443.00/cwt	443.00–443.00	2,503	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	200–250	230	600.00/cwt	600.00–600.00	1,380	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	620	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	2,325	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	280	680.00/cwt	680.00–680.00	1,904	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	425	498.00/cwt	498.00–498.00	2,117	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	313	566.81/cwt	550.00–590.00	1,774	3
Steers	Medium and Large 3	450–500	470	462.65/cwt	460.00–465.00	2,174	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	310	581.23/cwt	565.00–595.00	1,802	4
Steers	Medium and Large 3	350–400	369	531.14/cwt	520.00–545.00	1,960	4
Steers	Medium and Large 3	550–600	590	395.97/cwt	394.00–400.00	2,336	3
Steers	Medium and Large 3	400–450	440	475.00/cwt	475.00–475.00	2,090	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	675	373.00/cwt	373.00–373.00	2,518	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	619	410.96/cwt	393.00–418.00	2,544	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	375	690.00/cwt	690.00–690.00	2,588	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	938	168.45/cwt	166.00–171.00	1,580	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,363	172.54/cwt	172.00–173.00	2,352	2
Bulls	—	—	1,155	179.47/cwt	179.00–180.00	2,073	2
Bulls	—	—	1,615	192.00/cwt	192.00–192.00	3,101	1
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	805	2,600.00/head	2,600.00–2,600.00	2,600	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	965	2,704.66/head	2,600.00–2,800.00	2,705	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,160	4,350.00/head	4,350.00–4,350.00	4,350	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	450–500	485	452.47/cwt	450.00–455.00	2,194	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	550–600	550	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,035	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	300–350	330	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	1,551	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	450–500	483	412.68/cwt	408.00–420.00	1,993	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	470	439.96/cwt	435.00–445.00	2,068	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	535	388.00/cwt	388.00–388.00	2,076	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	435	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	1,979	1

How this sale compares

Mississippi weighted averages

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

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

Meridian Stockyard - Meridian, MS

Mon Mar 16, 2026

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Jackson, MS (LS-JK)

Feeder CattleReceipts 156Last week 124Year ago 188

Slaughter CattleReceipts 11Last week 12Year ago 36

Replacement CattleReceipts 14Last week 15Year ago 22

As compared to the last market: feeder calves sold higher in spots. Slaughter cattle sold steady.

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	500–550	520	485.00	485.00
4	600–650	615	442.00	442.00
2	750–800	793	349.00	349.00
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	200–250	215	610.00	610.00
1	250–300	260	620.00	620.00
4	300–350	310	565.00–595.00	581.23
1	400–450	425	498.00	498.00
5	450–500	470	483.00–495.00	489.08
3	550–600	573	430.00–438.00	433.72
1	600–650	620	375.00	375.00
1	650–700	675	373.00	373.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	250–300	280	680.00	680.00
1	350–400	375	690.00	690.00
2	400–450	425	500.00–530.00	515.18
4	450–500	485	500.00	500.00
1	500–550	535	455.00	455.00
2	550–600	565	443.00	443.00
5	600–650	619	393.00–418.00	410.96
6	650–700	683	395.00–410.00	407.60
Steers — Medium and Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
4	350–400	369	520.00–545.00	531.14
1	400–450	440	475.00	475.00
3	450–500	470	460.00–465.00	462.65
3	550–600	590	394.00–400.00	395.97
Bulls — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	450–500	460	485.00	485.00
1	500–550	510	395.00	395.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	400–450	405	505.00	505.00
2	450–500	463	490.00–495.00	492.46
1	550–600	565	425.00	425.00
1	600–650	645	370.00	370.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
2	450–500	485	450.00–455.00	452.47
1	550–600	550	370.00	370.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	200–250	230	600.00	600.00
3	300–350	313	550.00–590.00	566.81
1	400–450	435	455.00	455.00
1	450–500	480	460.00	460.00
2	500–550	515	393.00–410.00	401.42
1	550–600	565	395.00	395.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	300–350	330	470.00	470.00
7	350–400	366	450.00–485.00	474.68
3	450–500	483	408.00–420.00	412.68
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	300–350	310	535.00	535.00
1	350–400	355	495.00	495.00
3	450–500	470	435.00–445.00	439.96
1	500–550	535	388.00	388.00
1	550–600	560	378.00	378.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	938	166.00–171.00	168.45
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,363	172.00–173.00	172.54
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,155	179.00–180.00	179.47
1	—	1,615	192.00	192.00

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	1	—	805	2,600.00	2,600.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	2	—	965	2,600.00–2,800.00	2,704.66
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	2	—	1,160	4,350.00	4,350.00

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

More

Meridian Livestock Auction

Reporter comment USDA

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

What quality paid 500–600 lb

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

How it compared 500–600 lb

Slaughter cattle

Replacement cattle Per head

Every lot, as filed

How this sale compares

Meridian Stockyard - Meridian, MS

Feeder Cattle

Slaughter Cattle

Replacement Cattle