Sale reports / South Carolina / Darlington Livestock Auction / 2024-12-17

Darlington Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Darlington, South Carolina · Tue, Dec 17
● Final91 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1956
Feeder Cattle receipts
215 head
102 vs last sale 317 104 vs year ago 111 · +93.7%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
57 head
89 vs last sale 146 2 vs year ago 55 · +3.6%
Replacement Cattle receipts
16 head
43 vs last sale 59 6 vs year ago 22 · 27.3%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week no comparisons made on feeder steers and feeder bulls due to limited comparable sales, slaughter cows 1..00 higher, slaughter bulls too few to trend. Moderate offering of average to plain quality cattle with active buyer participation.

Weight class

Bulls · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb bulls averaged $248.57/cwt on 16 head. That ranks 1 of 19 comparable sales and sits 125.68 against this barn's trailing median of $374.25.
Average price
$248.57
16 head · 549 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,364
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$124
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 3
$42.50/cwt at this weight
vs the market
8.60
vs SC average

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1539270.001,4556thin
Medium and Large 2551236.621,3049thin
Medium and Large 3585227.501,3311thin
One grade step is worth $42.50/cwt here — about $124 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 200–300 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

19 sales
425381337293median 374.2501/0603/0305/0506/2307/28
Bulls 500–600 lb: high $411.45, low $307.05, median $374.25 across 19 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 sale16 hd
248.57
SC average6 barns · 99 hd
257.17
−8.60
This barn, trailing median19 sales
374.25
−125.68
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
BullsAverage1,622132.212,1446thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%High1,651124.612,0577thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,143104.391,19313
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,02495.5897812

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 Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)728$7022thin
Bred Heifers3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,020$1,5002thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenYoung (2-4 yrs)1,088$1,9252thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenMiddle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,085$1,6243thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenAged (>8 yrs)1,015$1,3001thin
Stock CowsOpenYoung (2-4 yrs)833$1,2572thin
Stock CowsOpenMiddle Aged (5-8 yrs)914$9933thin
Stock CowsOpen(<2 yrs)715$9651thin

Every lot, as filed

91 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
BullsMedium and Large 2Fleshy300–350330300.00/cwt300.00–300.009901
BullsMedium and Large 2Fleshy650–700680215.00/cwt215.00–215.001,4621
BullsMedium and Large 3200–250210220.00/cwt220.00–220.004621
BullsMedium and Large 3650–700653190.00/cwt190.00–190.001,2413
BullsMedium and Large 2250–300295330.00/cwt330.00–330.009741
BullsMedium and Large 3250–300285250.00/cwt250.00–250.007131
BullsMedium and Large 3550–600585227.50/cwt227.50–227.501,3311
BullsMedium and Large 2300–350340350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,1901
BullsMedium and Large 3400–450425240.00/cwt240.00–240.001,0201
BullsMedium and Large 3450–500480230.00/cwt230.00–230.001,1041
BullsMedium and Large 2400–450421325.43/cwt315.00–332.501,3705
BullsMedium and Large 2200–250235334.68/cwt320.00–350.007862
BullsMedium and Large 2500–550531251.14/cwt245.00–260.001,3344
BullsMedium and Large 2600–650632220.00/cwt220.00–220.001,3903
BullsMedium and Large 2450–500483267.47/cwt260.00–272.501,2923
BullsMedium and Large 1300–350324378.63/cwt360.00–385.001,2274
HeifersMedium and Large 1Fancy200–250215320.00/cwt320.00–320.006881
BullsMedium and Large 1250–300288381.54/cwt370.00–392.501,0992
BullsMedium and Large 2350–400385345.00/cwt345.00–345.001,3281
BullsMedium and Large 1450–500457296.27/cwt290.00–302.501,3544
BullsMedium and Large 1500–550539270.00/cwt270.00–270.001,4556
BullsMedium and Large 1400–450437365.00/cwt365.00–365.001,5957
HeifersMedium and Large 2Full200–250240230.00/cwt230.00–230.005521
HeifersMedium and Large 2Fleshy500–550545210.00/cwt210.00–210.001,1451
HeifersMedium and Large 1500–550533245.00/cwt245.00–245.001,3062
HeifersMedium and Large 1400–450425270.00/cwt270.00–270.001,1481
HeifersMedium and Large 2Fleshy450–500482211.64/cwt210.00–215.001,0203
HeifersMedium and Large 1Fancy300–350308297.50/cwt297.50–297.509162
HeifersMedium and Large 3350–400375200.00/cwt200.00–200.007501
HeifersMedium and Large 2500–550535217.50/cwt215.00–220.001,1642
HeifersMedium and Large 3250–300250220.00/cwt220.00–220.005501
HeifersMedium and Large 3500–550545190.00/cwt190.00–190.001,0361
HeifersMedium and Large 2Fleshy300–350335212.50/cwt212.50–212.507121
HeifersMedium and Large 2Fleshy550–600585199.91/cwt190.00–210.001,1692
HeifersMedium and Large 3200–250225230.00/cwt230.00–230.005181
HeifersMedium and Large 2600–650635210.00/cwt210.00–210.001,3341
HeifersMedium and Large 2400–450429240.20/cwt230.00–250.001,0304
HeifersMedium and Large 2650–700650210.00/cwt210.00–210.001,3651
HeifersMedium and Large 2350–400395230.00/cwt230.00–230.009091
HeifersMedium and Large 2300–350333228.72/cwt225.00–232.507622
HeifersMedium and Large 1450–500474252.50/cwt252.50–252.501,1977
HeifersMedium and Large 1550–600560232.50/cwt232.50–232.501,3021
HeifersMedium and Large 1600–650605230.83/cwt230.00–232.501,3973
HeifersMedium and Large 1350–400378263.47/cwt257.50–277.509967
HeifersMedium and Large 2450–500473238.48/cwt220.00–245.001,1287
HeifersMedium and Large 2550–600578217.42/cwt215.00–220.001,2572
SteersMedium and Large 2500–55050825.00/cwt25.00–25.001272
SteersMedium and Large 3300–350325220.00/cwt220.00–220.007151
SteersMedium and Large 3450–500490230.00/cwt230.00–230.001,1272
SteersMedium and Large 2Fleshy550–600560242.50/cwt242.50–242.501,3581
SteersMedium and Large 3600–650628206.18/cwt200.00–212.501,2952
SteersMedium and Large 1300–350330402.50/cwt402.50–402.501,3281
SteersMedium and Large 2350–400390332.50/cwt332.50–332.501,2971
SteersMedium and Large 2300–350345320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,1041
SteersMedium and Large 2400–450425330.00/cwt330.00–330.001,4031
SteersMedium and Large 2650–700656220.00/cwt220.00–220.001,4434
SteersMedium and Large 2450–500458316.51/cwt290.00–340.001,4503
SteersMedium and Large 2600–650615237.50/cwt237.50–237.501,4611
SteersMedium and Large 1400–450425331.43/cwt325.00–345.001,4093
SteersMedium and Large 1350–400377391.13/cwt385.00–400.001,4755
SteersMedium and Large 1500–550523290.22/cwt284.00–300.001,51813
SteersMedium and Large 1250–300295370.00/cwt370.00–370.001,0921
SteersMedium and Large 2550–600560272.50/cwt272.50–272.501,5261
BullsMedium and Large 2Fleshy500–550540242.50/cwt242.50–242.501,3101
BullsMedium and Large 2Fleshy350–400360300.00/cwt300.00–300.001,0802
BullsMedium and Large 1200–250243370.10/cwt360.00–380.008992
BullsMedium and Large 2Fleshy400–450405290.00/cwt290.00–290.001,1751
BullsMedium and Large 1Fancy300–350320415.00/cwt415.00–415.001,3281
BullsMedium and Large 1Fancy200–250200405.00/cwt405.00–405.008101
BullsMedium and Large 2Fleshy550–600574220.63/cwt210.00–232.501,2664
BullsMedium and Large 1350–400375376.63/cwt360.00–390.001,4124
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 11,1331,611.53/head1,550.00–1,675.001,6122
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 21,0151,300.00/head1,300.00–1,300.001,3001
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 21,0651,875.00/head1,875.00–1,875.001,8751
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 11,1101,975.00/head1,975.00–1,975.001,9751
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 29901,650.00/head1,650.00–1,650.001,6501
Bred CowsSmall 3728702.37/head670.00–730.007022
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 21,0201,500.00/head1,500.00–1,500.001,5002
Stock CowsSmall 3805725.00/head725.00–725.007251
Stock CowsSmall 1680986.00/head986.00–986.009861
Stock CowsMedium and Large 29851,527.00/head1,527.00–1,527.001,5271
Stock CowsMedium and Large 29681,127.28/head1,115.00–1,139.001,1272
Stock CowsSmall 1715965.00/head965.00–965.009651
Bulls1,952149.73/cwt144.00–154.002,9233
Bulls1,292114.68/cwt105.00–125.001,4823
CowsLean 85-90%1,009106.99/cwt100.00–113.001,0804
CowsBoner 80-85%1,139101.93/cwt76.00–112.001,16111
CowsBoner 80-85%1,165117.94/cwt115.00–121.001,3742
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,713131.50/cwt131.00–132.002,2532
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,626121.86/cwt118.00–128.001,9815
CowsLean 85-90%1,03189.87/cwt60.00–102.009278

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.