Name: Smithfield Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2026-01-29
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-01-29

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week, slaughter cattle were mostly steady. Feeder cattle were mostly steady. Demand was good; market activity and buyer interest were active. Offerings of cattle were light, due to inclement weather. Cattle quality was average.

Weight class

Bulls · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb bulls averaged $378.38/cwt on 6 head, down $19.70 from the prior sale. That ranks 15 of 27 comparable sales and sits +0.11 against this barn's trailing median of $378.27.

Average price

$378.38

▼ 19.70 vs prior sale

6 head · 543 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,055

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$225

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

$44.44/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+19.22

vs NC average

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	542	393.20	2,129	4thin
Medium and Large 2	546	348.75	1,904	2thin

One grade step is worth $44.44/cwt here — about $225 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

27 sales

Bulls 500–600 lb: high $443.59, low $309.66, median $378.27 across 27 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 sale6 hd

378.38

—

NC average2 barns · 24 hd

359.16

+19.22

This barn, trailing median27 sales

378.27

+0.11

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	1,574	198.54	3,125	7thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	914	178.00	1,627	1thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,674	171.00	2,863	1thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,022	160.54	1,641	4thin

Every lot, as filed

45 lots · USDA AMS · Powell Livestock Market - Smithfield, NC

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	Medium 1	300–350	340	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	1,377	1
Bulls	Medium 2	400–450	438	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,577	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	558	347.50/cwt	347.50–347.50	1,939	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	200–250	248	477.50/cwt	477.50–477.50	1,184	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	250–300	254	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,143	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	534	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,869	1
Dairy Heifers	Large 3	600–650	632	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	1,011	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	261	430.10/cwt	405.00–455.00	1,123	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	327	422.24/cwt	405.00–455.00	1,381	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	442	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,680	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	670	362.50/cwt	362.50–362.50	2,429	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	642	381.00/cwt	381.00–381.00	2,446	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	664	353.28/cwt	331.00–356.00	2,346	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	354	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,381	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	521	361.16/cwt	348.00–375.00	1,882	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	954	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	2,099	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	466	377.50/cwt	377.50–377.50	1,759	1
Heifers	Small 2-3	600–650	644	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	966	1
Heifers	Medium 1	850–900	870	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	1,740	1
Heifers	Medium 2	200–250	226	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	836	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	766	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	2,298	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	728	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	2,038	1
Bulls	—	—	1,574	198.54/cwt	186.00–213.00	3,125	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,022	160.54/cwt	156.00–165.00	1,641	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,674	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	2,863	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	914	178.00/cwt	178.00–178.00	1,627	1
Stock Cows	Small 1-2	—	774	166.15/cwt	160.00–172.50	1,286	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	373	452.90/cwt	450.00–456.00	1,689	3
Bulls	Small 2	400–450	440	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,320	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	800–850	836	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	2,090	1
Bulls	Small 1	450–500	484	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,355	1
Bulls	Small 1	400–450	416	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,373	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	563	365.90/cwt	361.00–371.00	2,060	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	600–650	600	374.00/cwt	374.00–374.00	2,244	3
Bulls	Medium 1	250–300	290	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,160	1
Bulls	Medium 1	450–500	484	401.00/cwt	401.00–401.00	1,941	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	750–800	774	322.23/cwt	271.00–332.50	2,494	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	613	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,268	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	318	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,431	1
Heifers	Medium 2	350–400	350	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,330	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	520	420.49/cwt	420.00–421.00	2,187	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	469	466.11/cwt	445.00–489.00	2,186	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	425	458.75/cwt	455.00–464.00	1,950	4
Heifers	Small 2	400–450	428	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,134	1
Heifers	Medium 1	450–500	496	381.00/cwt	381.00–381.00	1,890	1

How this sale compares

North Carolina weighted averages

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

North Carolina feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →

Powell Livestock Market - Smithfield, NC

Thu Jan 29, 2026

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Raleigh, NC (RA-LS)

Feeder CattleReceipts 78Last week 215Year ago 542

Slaughter CattleReceipts 14Last week 33Year ago 70

Replacement CattleReceipts 2Last week 1Year ago 4

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	250–300	290	400.00	400.00
1	300–350	340	405.00	405.00
1	450–500	484	401.00	401.00
Bulls — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	400–450	438	360.00	360.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	500–550	534	350.00	350.00
1	550–600	558	347.50	347.50
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	200–250	248	477.50	477.50
1	250–300	254	450.00	450.00
1	300–350	318	450.00	450.00
3	350–400	373	450.00–456.00	452.90
4	400–450	425	455.00–464.00	458.75
2	450–500	469	445.00–489.00	466.11
2	500–550	520	420.00–421.00	420.49
2	550–600	563	361.00–371.00	365.90
4	600–650	613	370.00	370.00
6	750–800	774	271.00–332.50	322.23
1	800–850	836	250.00	250.00
Bulls — Small 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	400–450	440	300.00	300.00
Bulls — Small 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	400–450	416	330.00	330.00
1	450–500	484	280.00	280.00
Dairy Heifers — Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	600–650	632	160.00	160.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	250–300	261	405.00–455.00	430.10
3	300–350	327	405.00–455.00	422.24
1	350–400	354	390.00	390.00
1	400–450	442	380.00	380.00
1	450–500	466	377.50	377.50
2	500–550	521	348.00–375.00	361.16
9	650–700	664	331.00–356.00	353.28
1	700–750	728	280.00	280.00
1	750–800	766	300.00	300.00
Heifers — Small 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	600–650	644	150.00	150.00
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	450–500	496	381.00	381.00
1	850–900	870	200.00	200.00
Heifers — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	200–250	226	370.00	370.00
1	350–400	350	380.00	380.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
3	600–650	600	374.00	374.00
Heifers — Small 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	400–450	428	265.00	265.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	600–650	642	381.00	381.00
1	650–700	670	362.50	362.50
1	950–1000	954	220.00	220.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	1,574	186.00–213.00	198.54
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,022	156.00–165.00	160.54
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,674	171.00	171.00
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	914	178.00	178.00

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Small 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	2	—	774	160.00–172.50	166.15

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

Smithfield Livestock Auction

Reporter comment USDA

Bulls · 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

Every lot, as filed

How this sale compares

Powell Livestock Market - Smithfield, NC

Feeder Cattle

Slaughter Cattle

Replacement Cattle