Sale reports / South Carolina / Darlington Livestock Auction / 2023-10-17

Darlington Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Darlington, South Carolina · Tue, Oct 17
● Final55 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1956
Feeder Cattle receipts
308 head
▲ 83 vs last sale 225▲ 5 vs year ago 303 · +1.7%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
129 head
▲ 46 vs last sale 83▼ 3 vs year ago 132 · −2.3%
Replacement Cattle receipts
31 head
▲ 10 vs last sale 21▲ 5 vs year ago 26 · +19.2%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

No comparisons made this week on all classes of feeder cattle due to limited comparable sales. Slaughter cows were 3.00 higher, slaughter bull were 2.00 lower. There was an average offering of average to plain quality cattle with active buyer participation. A light demand for cattle with excessive hair.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb heifers averaged $189.69/cwt on 53 head.
Average price
$189.69
53 head · 446 lb average
Value per head Derived
$846
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
−$209
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 3
$33.66/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−8.53
vs SC average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1300217.506531thin
Medium and Large 2414198.3882119thin
Medium and Large 3469183.8486233
One grade step is worth $33.66/cwt here — about −$209 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 0–100 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 0–100 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale53 hd
189.69
—
SC average5 barns · 428 hd
198.22
−8.53
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
Bulls—Average1,588113.331,7999thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,45491.071,3245thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,14488.571,01341
CowsLean 85-90%Average97079.1176716

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 $/cwt figures above.
ClassStageAgeAvg wt$/headHead
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,078$1,0966
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,062$1,0836
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,145$1,0531thin
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)875$7703thin
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)780$6303thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenYoung (2-4 yrs)1,060$1,4453thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenMiddle Aged (5-8 yrs)955$1,1251thin
Stock CowsOpen(<2 yrs)717$9393thin
Stock CowsOpenMiddle Aged (5-8 yrs)925$7591thin
Stock CowsOpenYoung (2-4 yrs)755$6972thin
Stock CowsOpenAged (>8 yrs)700$4201thin

Every lot, as filed

55 lots · USDA AMS · Low Country Livestock Exchange - Darlington, SC
Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.
ClassGrade / descriptionWeightAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
HeifersMedium and Large 3—537184.09/cwt177.50–187.5098910
BullsMedium and Large 2—480220.00/cwt220.00–220.001,0561
BullsMedium and Large 2—345235.00/cwt235.00–235.008111
BullsMedium and Large 3—580194.38/cwt190.00–199.001,1272
BullsMedium and Large 2—362224.83/cwt220.00–235.008143
BullsMedium and Large 2—425219.80/cwt212.50–230.009343
BullsMedium and Large 3—478207.50/cwt207.50–207.509925
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 2—9451,475.00/head1,475.00–1,475.001,4751
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 2—9551,125.00/head1,125.00–1,125.001,1251
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 1—1,0701,700.00/head1,700.00–1,700.001,7001
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 1—1,1651,160.00/head1,160.00–1,160.001,1601
Bred CowsMedium and Large 2—1,1451,053.00/head1,053.00–1,053.001,0531
Bred CowsSmall 3—710540.00/head540.00–540.005401
Stock CowsMedium and Large 2—925759.00/head759.00–759.007591
Bred CowsMedium and Large 2—815675.69/head671.00–680.006762
Stock CowsMedium and Large 2—840756.00/head756.00–756.007561
Bred CowsMedium and Large 2—875770.15/head696.00–847.007703
HeifersMedium and Large 2—361200.49/cwt197.50–201.007247
BullsMedium and Large 3—607195.00/cwt195.00–195.001,1842
HeifersMedium and Large 3—280190.00/cwt190.00–190.005321
HeifersMedium and Large 3—423180.00/cwt180.00–180.007616
HeifersMedium and Large 3—329188.73/cwt185.00–195.006214
HeifersMedium and Large 1—300217.50/cwt217.50–217.506531
HeifersMedium and Large 2—200200.00/cwt200.00–200.004001
HeifersMedium and Large 3—489184.51/cwt183.00–187.009028
HeifersMedium and Large 2—420198.21/cwt190.00–205.008323
HeifersMedium and Large 2—470195.87/cwt190.00–199.009215
HeifersMedium and Large 2—510197.26/cwt190.00–201.001,0063
SteersMedium and Large 2—589217.02/cwt215.00–219.001,2786
SteersMedium and Large 3—615170.00/cwt170.00–170.001,0461
SteersMedium and Large 2—675202.50/cwt202.50–202.501,3671
HeifersMedium and Large 3—380185.00/cwt185.00–185.007031
SteersMedium and Large 2—450205.00/cwt205.00–205.009231
SteersMedium and Large 2—418220.00/cwt220.00–220.009204
SteersMedium and Large 1—477240.45/cwt237.50–250.001,1474
HeifersMedium and Large 3—557179.99/cwt175.00–185.001,0033
BullsMedium and Large 2—540210.00/cwt210.00–210.001,1341
BullsMedium and Large 3—260220.00/cwt220.00–220.005721
BullsMedium and Large 1—450245.00/cwt245.00–245.001,1031
BullsMedium and Large 2—275237.59/cwt230.00–240.006534
BullsMedium and Large 3—378202.69/cwt187.50–210.007669
BullsMedium and Large 3—334203.92/cwt197.50–217.506816
Bred CowsMedium and Large 2—1,0781,096.48/head990.00–1,200.001,0966
Bred CowsMedium and Large 2—1,0621,083.16/head825.00–1,275.001,0836
Stock CowsMedium and Large 2—717939.15/head898.00–1,000.009393
Stock CowsSmall 1—670637.00/head637.00–637.006371
Stock CowsSmall 3—700420.00/head420.00–420.004201
Bulls——1,773119.29/cwt116.00–123.002,1155
Bulls——1,356105.88/cwt99.00–110.001,4364
CowsBoner 80-85%—1,18191.14/cwt88.00–98.001,07625
CowsBoner 80-85%—1,07382.52/cwt66.00–87.0088515
CowsBoner 80-85%—1,280115.00/cwt115.00–115.001,4721
CowsLean 85-90%—1,00490.58/cwt89.00–94.009094
CowsLean 85-90%—95875.28/cwt60.00–86.0072112
CowsBreaker 75-80%—1,45491.07/cwt88.00–94.001,3245

How this sale compares

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