Sale reports / North Carolina / Smithfield Livestock Auction / 2026-05-28

Smithfield Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Smithfield, North Carolina · Thu, May 28
● Final74 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2094
Feeder Cattle receipts
237 head
35 vs last sale 272 29 vs year ago 266 · 10.9%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
68 head
30 vs last sale 38 15 vs year ago 53 · +28.3%
Replacement Cattle receipts
13 head
9 vs last sale 4 12 vs year ago 1 · +1,200.0%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week, slaughter cattle were 4.00 to 8.00 higher. Feeder cattle were unevenly steady to mixed. Demand was good; market activity and buyer were active. Offerings of cattle were moderate. Cattle quality was plain to average.

Weight class

Bulls · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb bulls averaged $399.68/cwt on 29 head, up $2.69 from the prior sale. That ranks 24 of 28 comparable sales and sits +22.15 against this barn's trailing median of $377.54.
Average price
$399.68
2.69 vs prior sale
29 head · 542 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,166
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$460
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Small 1
$85.81/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+6.88
vs NC average

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1542410.812,22823
Medium and Large 2539363.411,9605thin
Small 1544325.001,7681thin
One grade step is worth $85.81/cwt here — about $460 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

28 sales
458404350296median 377.5412/1803/0504/3007/0908/20
Bulls 500–600 lb: high $443.59, low $309.66, median $377.54 across 28 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 sale29 hd
399.68
NC average7 barns · 117 hd
392.80
+6.88
This barn, trailing median28 sales
377.54
+22.15
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 · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
BullsAverage1,721219.503,7778thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,114168.811,88116
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,488160.962,39512
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,001136.531,36628

Every lot, as filed

74 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.
ClassGrade / descriptionWeightAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
HeifersMedium and Large 1Fleshy550–600572345.00/cwt345.00–345.001,9731
CowsLean 85-90%972126.73/cwt110.00–135.001,23211
CowsLean 85-90%85692.51/cwt90.00–95.007922
CowsBoner 80-85%1,128140.00/cwt140.00–140.001,5791
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,244145.00/cwt145.00–145.001,8041
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,510162.41/cwt152.50–178.002,45211
CowsLean 85-90%1,041149.58/cwt137.50–162.501,55715
HeifersSmall 1350–400376350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,3162
Dairy SteersSmall 3650–700692130.00/cwt130.00–130.009001
BullsSmall 1500–550544325.00/cwt325.00–325.001,7681
BullsSmall 1250–300290410.00/cwt410.00–410.001,1891
BullsSmall 1400–450434350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,5191
HeifersSmall 1400–450412305.00/cwt305.00–305.001,2571
BullsSmall 1300–350330400.00/cwt400.00–400.001,3201
HeifersSmall 1450–500456290.00/cwt290.00–290.001,3221
BullsMedium and Large 1300–350320499.46/cwt485.00–520.001,5984
HeifersMedium and Large 1Fleshy450–500484370.00/cwt370.00–370.001,7911
BullsMedium and Large 1Fleshy600–650624327.57/cwt320.00–335.002,0442
HeifersMedium and Large 1Value Added300–350328525.00/cwt525.00–525.001,7222
Stock CowsSmall 2667154.88/cwt150.00–170.001,0334
Stock CowsSmall 1-2658200.00/cwt200.00–200.001,3161
BullsMedium and Large 1200–250230508.55/cwt480.00–535.001,1705
HeifersMedium and Large 1500–550532387.07/cwt370.00–415.002,0596
HeifersMedium and Large 1400–450423461.26/cwt445.00–475.001,9518
BullsMedium and Large 1550–600576397.64/cwt367.50–415.002,2907
BullsMedium and Large 1450–500478439.67/cwt420.00–460.002,10212
BullsMedium and Large 1400–450442453.45/cwt440.00–460.002,0043
BullsMedium and Large 1500–550524413.58/cwt400.00–440.002,16714
BullsMedium and Large 1250–300285496.51/cwt490.00–500.001,4153
HeifersMedium and Large 1350–400373465.35/cwt430.00–475.001,73614
SteersMedium and Large 1850–900878287.50/cwt287.50–287.502,5241
BullsMedium and Large 1600–650614367.02/cwt350.00–376.002,2544
BullsMedium and Large 1900–950944200.00/cwt200.00–200.001,8881
HeifersMedium and Large 1250–300292474.79/cwt460.00–490.001,3862
HeifersMedium and Large 1650–700672310.00/cwt310.00–310.002,0831
HeifersMedium and Large 1550–600576360.02/cwt330.00–375.002,0744
BullsMedium and Large 1650–700675327.33/cwt317.50–350.002,2095
BullsMedium and Large 1350–400365498.44/cwt470.00–515.001,8199
BullsMedium and Large 1950–1000950220.00/cwt220.00–220.002,0901
SteersMedium and Large 1800–850824290.00/cwt290.00–290.002,3901
HeifersMedium and Large 1200–250240480.00/cwt480.00–480.001,1521
HeifersMedium and Large 1450–500470447.70/cwt420.00–470.002,10412
SteersMedium and Large 1950–1000992230.00/cwt230.00–230.002,2821
HeifersMedium and Large 1600–650618320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,9781
BullsMedium and Large 1700–750727301.23/cwt290.00–312.502,1902
BullsMedium and Large 2600–650606282.50/cwt282.50–282.501,7121
SteersMedium and Large 1300–350346485.00/cwt485.00–485.001,6781
HeifersMedium and Large 1Value Added350–400391506.00/cwt506.00–506.001,9788
BullsMedium and Large 1Value Added450–500450467.50/cwt467.50–467.502,1047
BullsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed550–600553437.54/cwt430.00–445.002,4202
SteersMedium and Large 1450–500477436.31/cwt435.00–440.002,0814
BullsMedium and Large 2550–600576377.50/cwt377.50–377.502,1741
SteersMedium and Large 1Value Added750–800780370.00/cwt370.00–370.002,8864
BullsMedium and Large 2400–450430420.15/cwt400.00–430.001,8077
HeifersMedium and Large 2400–450421411.20/cwt385.00–435.001,7314
BullsMedium and Large 1Value Added300–350314560.00/cwt560.00–560.001,7581
BullsMedium and Large 2500–550530359.89/cwt350.00–375.001,9074
HeifersMedium and Large 2450–500482347.48/cwt345.00–350.001,6752
BullsMedium and Large 2350–400373442.20/cwt435.00–450.001,6492
SteersMedium and Large 2550–600598405.00/cwt405.00–405.002,4221
HeifersMedium and Large 2350–400368415.00/cwt415.00–415.001,5271
HeifersMedium and Large 1300–350325458.15/cwt450.00–470.001,4893
BullsMedium and Large 2450–500490355.00/cwt355.00–355.001,7401
HeifersMedium and Large 1Fleshy500–550538370.00/cwt370.00–370.001,9911
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-21,032200.31/cwt195.00–205.002,0672
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-2884217.50/cwt217.50–217.501,9232
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-21,022206.76/cwt200.00–220.002,1133
BullsMedium and Large 2300–350328449.81/cwt435.00–460.001,4754
HeifersMedium and Large 2200–250224400.00/cwt400.00–400.008961
CowsBoner 80-85%1,116168.39/cwt161.00–180.001,87913
CowsBoner 80-85%1,097185.98/cwt185.00–187.002,0402
Bulls1,835210.97/cwt205.00–217.503,8715
Bulls1,530233.71/cwt221.00–260.003,5763
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,096212.50/cwt212.50–212.502,3291

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.