Name: Shelby Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2026-05-26
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-05-26

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week slaughter cattle were mostly steady, while feeder cattle were mostly steady to 2.00 lower. Trade and demand were moderate with moderate offerings. Quality of cattle was average.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $342.47/cwt on 12 head, down $21.96 from the prior sale. That ranks 12 of 31 comparable sales and sits −14.44 against this barn's trailing median of $356.91.

Average price

$342.47

▼ 21.96 vs prior sale

12 head · 543 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,858

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$137

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

$13.61/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−28.53

vs NC average

−64.97 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	544	343.61	1,870	11thin
Medium and Large 2	525	330.00	1,733	1thin

One grade step is worth $13.61/cwt here — about $137 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

31 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $380.10, low $306.97, median $356.91 across 31 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 sale12 hd

342.47

—

NC average6 barns · 173 hd

371.00

−28.53

National average128 barns · 4,974 hd

407.44

−64.97

This barn, trailing median31 sales

356.91

−14.44

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	1,519	198.92	3,021	9thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,175	175.51	2,062	5thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,435	163.85	2,351	2thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,042	146.48	1,526	39

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	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,150	$2,650	1thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,215	$2,448	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	910	$2,400	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	775	$2,250	1thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	920	$1,776	2thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	870	$1,200	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	903	$3,184	4thin

Every lot, as filed

69 lots · USDA AMS · Cleveland County Agriculture & Livestock Exchange - Shelby, 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
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	577	429.62/cwt	420.00–450.00	2,479	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	474	443.58/cwt	420.00–475.00	2,103	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	553	387.62/cwt	360.00–415.00	2,144	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	317	408.28/cwt	400.00–420.00	1,294	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	618	333.93/cwt	325.00–345.00	2,064	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	429	405.46/cwt	380.00–430.00	1,739	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	375	401.85/cwt	380.00–427.50	1,507	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	474	401.10/cwt	375.00–427.50	1,901	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	200–250	235	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	1,175	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	250–300	281	464.98/cwt	450.00–500.00	1,307	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	576	330.09/cwt	320.00–340.00	1,901	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	703	314.97/cwt	300.00–327.50	2,214	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	424	434.38/cwt	420.00–460.00	1,842	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	330	487.61/cwt	450.00–510.00	1,609	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	710	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,272	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	519	457.42/cwt	420.00–470.00	2,374	24
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	383	479.72/cwt	450.00–495.00	1,837	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	750–800	750	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,325	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	675	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,228	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,215	2,448.46/head	1,700.00–2,950.00	2,448	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	920	1,776.09/head	1,300.00–2,100.00	1,776	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	910	2,400.00/head	2,400.00–2,400.00	2,400	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	620	342.50/cwt	325.00–360.00	2,124	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	289	442.99/cwt	420.00–450.00	1,280	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	665	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,195	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	688	315.02/cwt	310.00–320.00	2,167	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	513	415.34/cwt	390.00–440.00	2,131	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	471	421.99/cwt	390.00–440.00	1,988	11
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,435	163.85/cwt	162.00–166.00	2,351	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,175	175.51/cwt	169.00–183.00	2,062	5
Bulls	—	—	1,509	195.41/cwt	189.00–205.00	2,949	8
Bulls	—	—	1,595	227.00/cwt	227.00–227.00	3,621	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	999	129.50/cwt	122.00–135.00	1,294	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,078	151.74/cwt	138.00–166.00	1,636	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	526	351.33/cwt	340.00–370.00	1,848	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	765	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,448	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	810	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	2,187	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	855	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,651	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	300–350	324	416.27/cwt	370.00–440.00	1,349	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	375	360.85/cwt	350.00–375.00	1,353	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	495	323.33/cwt	300.00–340.00	1,600	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	525	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,733	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	425	446.52/cwt	420.00–485.00	1,898	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	603	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,231	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	250–300	260	400.38/cwt	390.00–410.00	1,041	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	770	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	1,386	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	414	363.78/cwt	355.00–370.00	1,506	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	750–800	750	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,800	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	350–400	363	402.40/cwt	390.00–430.00	1,461	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	400–450	418	365.24/cwt	320.00–395.00	1,527	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	523	343.61/cwt	300.00–370.00	1,797	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	300–350	340	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	850	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	300–350	335	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,173	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	450–500	470	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,175	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	333	364.89/cwt	350.00–380.00	1,215	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	650–700	660	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,815	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	700	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	1,330	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	870	1,200.00/head	1,200.00–1,200.00	1,200	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	775	2,250.00/head	2,250.00–2,250.00	2,250	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	373	494.90/cwt	490.00–500.00	1,846	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	795	3,045.81/head	1,550.00–3,600.00	3,046	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,225	3,600.00/head	3,600.00–3,600.00	3,600	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	450–500	455	364.84/cwt	350.00–380.00	1,660	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	810	171.41/cwt	170.00–172.50	1,388	2
Dairy Steers	Large 3	350–400	395	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,067	1
Dairy Steers	Large 3	500–550	509	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,934	5
Dairy Steers	Large 3	300–350	345	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	897	1
Dairy Steers	Large 3	450–500	465	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,070	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,150	2,650.00/head	2,650.00–2,650.00	2,650	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 →

Cleveland County Agriculture & Livestock Exchange - Shelby, NC

Tue May 26, 2026

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 232Last week 299Year ago 234

Slaughter CattleReceipts 68Last week 55Year ago 65

Replacement CattleReceipts 12Last week 23Year ago 42

Compared to last week slaughter cattle were mostly steady, while feeder cattle were mostly steady to 2.00 lower. Trade and demand were moderate with moderate offerings. Quality of cattle was average.

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	350–400	373	490.00–500.00	494.90
5	400–450	425	420.00–485.00	446.52
9	450–500	474	420.00–475.00	443.58
24	500–550	519	420.00–470.00	457.42
10	550–600	577	420.00–450.00	429.62
2	600–650	603	370.00	370.00
2	650–700	688	310.00–320.00	315.02
1	700–750	710	320.00	320.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	200–250	235	500.00	500.00
4	250–300	281	450.00–500.00	464.98
4	300–350	330	450.00–510.00	487.61
9	350–400	383	450.00–495.00	479.72
7	400–450	424	420.00–460.00	434.38
11	450–500	471	390.00–440.00	421.99
9	500–550	513	390.00–440.00	415.34
2	550–600	553	360.00–415.00	387.62
2	600–650	620	325.00–360.00	342.50
1	650–700	675	330.00	330.00
1	750–800	750	310.00	310.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
6	300–350	324	370.00–440.00	416.27
5	350–400	363	390.00–430.00	402.40
5	400–450	418	320.00–395.00	365.24
2	450–500	455	350.00–380.00	364.84
4	500–550	523	300.00–370.00	343.61
1	650–700	660	275.00	275.00
1	750–800	750	240.00	240.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	300–350	335	350.00	350.00
1	450–500	470	250.00	250.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4	250–300	289	420.00–450.00	442.99
9	300–350	317	400.00–420.00	408.28
14	350–400	375	380.00–427.50	401.85
6	400–450	429	380.00–430.00	405.46
11	450–500	474	375.00–427.50	401.10
7	500–550	526	340.00–370.00	351.33
4	550–600	576	320.00–340.00	330.09
4	600–650	618	325.00–345.00	333.93
1	650–700	665	330.00	330.00
4	700–750	703	300.00–327.50	314.97
1	750–800	765	320.00	320.00
1	800–850	810	270.00	270.00
1	850–900	855	310.00	310.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	250–300	260	390.00–410.00	400.38
2	300–350	333	350.00–380.00	364.89
6	350–400	375	350.00–375.00	360.85
4	400–450	414	355.00–370.00	363.78
3	450–500	495	300.00–340.00	323.33
1	500–550	525	330.00	330.00
1	700–750	700	190.00	190.00
1	750–800	770	180.00	180.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	300–350	340	250.00	250.00
Dairy Steers — Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	300–350	345	260.00	260.00
1	350–400	395	270.00	270.00
1	450–500	465	230.00	230.00
5	500–550	509	380.00	380.00

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	2	—	1,215	1,700.00–2,950.00	2,448.46
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	2	—	920	1,300.00–2,100.00	1,776.09
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	—	910	2,400.00	2,400.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	1	—	870	1,200.00	1,200.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	—	775	2,250.00	2,250.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	—	1,150	2,650.00	2,650.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	3	—	795	1,550.00–3,600.00	3,045.81
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	1	—	1,225	3,600.00	3,600.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,435	162.00–166.00	163.85
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,175	169.00–183.00	175.51
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
11	—	999	122.00–135.00	129.50
26	—	1,078	138.00–166.00	151.74
2	—	810	170.00–172.50	171.41
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	1,509	189.00–205.00	195.41
1	—	1,595	227.00	227.00

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

Shelby Livestock Auction

Reporter comment USDA

Heifers · 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

Cleveland County Agriculture & Livestock Exchange - Shelby, NC

Feeder Cattle

Replacement Cattle

Slaughter Cattle