Sale reports / South Carolina / Darlington Livestock Auction / 2025-05-20

Darlington Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Darlington, South Carolina · Tue, May 20
● Final89 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1956
Feeder Cattle receipts
209 head
83 vs last sale 126 63 vs year ago 146 · +43.2%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
46 head
8 vs last sale 38 9 vs year ago 55 · 16.4%
Replacement Cattle receipts
22 head
4 vs last sale 18 15 vs year ago 7 · +214.3%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

No comparisons made this week due to limited comparable sales. Moderate offerings of plain to average quality cattle with active buyer participation.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $290.18/cwt on 11 head. That ranks 1 of 18 comparable sales and sits 61.45 against this barn's trailing median of $351.63.
Average price
$290.18
11 head · 560 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,625
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$155
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 2
$23.27/cwt at this weight
vs the market
19.30
vs SC average
44.08 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1576304.381,7534thin
Medium and Large 3527283.351,4933thin
Medium and Large 2569281.111,5984thin
One grade step is worth $23.27/cwt here — about $155 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

18 sales
396372348324median 351.6301/0602/2404/1405/2608/04
Heifers 500–600 lb: high $381.92, low $338.37, median $351.63 across 18 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 sale11 hd
290.18
SC average6 barns · 115 hd
309.48
−19.30
National average158 barns · 12,726 hd
334.26
−44.08
This barn, trailing median18 sales
351.63
−61.45
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
BullsAverage1,542178.672,7543thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,342151.472,0337thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,161140.481,6308thin
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,095128.861,4115thin

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)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,155$1,6251thin
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,033$1,5252thin
Bred Heifers3rd Stage (7-9 mo)(<2 yrs)665$1,0001thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenYoung (2-4 yrs)850$1,8132thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenMiddle Aged (5-8 yrs)740$1,7251thin

Every lot, as filed

89 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 3650–700675240.00/cwt240.00–240.001,6201
HeifersMedium and Large 3200–250230299.84/cwt292.50–307.506902
HeifersMedium and Large 2Fleshy450–500460285.00/cwt285.00–285.001,3111
HeifersMedium and Large 3700–750710245.00/cwt245.00–245.001,7401
HeifersMedium and Large 2200–250200330.00/cwt330.00–330.006601
BullsMedium and Large 3450–500470330.00/cwt330.00–330.001,5511
HeifersMedium and Large 1200–250220385.00/cwt385.00–385.008471
HeifersMedium and Large 1Fancy200–250215430.00/cwt430.00–430.009251
HeifersMedium and Large 2450–500475302.08/cwt295.00–320.001,4355
HeifersMedium and Large 3300–350317290.98/cwt280.00–305.009225
HeifersMedium and Large 3350–400370286.00/cwt280.00–292.501,0582
BullsMedium and Large 2600–650614301.71/cwt295.00–305.001,8523
BullsMedium and Large 2450–500484365.70/cwt360.00–380.001,7706
BullsMedium and Large 2400–450432385.04/cwt380.00–390.001,6633
BullsMedium and Large 3300–350335340.00/cwt340.00–340.001,1391
BullsMedium and Large 2300–350332383.32/cwt380.00–390.001,2733
HeifersMedium and Large 1400–450415355.00/cwt355.00–355.001,4731
BullsMedium and Large 1500–550525342.38/cwt340.00–350.001,7974
BullsMedium and Large 1350–400360407.40/cwt400.00–415.001,4672
BullsMedium and Large 2500–550520330.00/cwt330.00–330.001,7161
BullsMedium and Large 1550–600570350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,9951
BullsMedium and Large 2250–300295390.00/cwt390.00–390.001,1511
BullsMedium and Large 1300–350321399.58/cwt395.00–405.001,2836
BullsMedium and Large 3500–550527285.00/cwt285.00–285.001,5023
BullsMedium and Large 1250–300275421.52/cwt400.00–435.001,1593
BullsMedium and Large 1200–250220428.56/cwt400.00–445.009433
BullsMedium and Large 2Full300–350315352.50/cwt352.50–352.501,1101
BullsMedium and Large 2350–400390390.00/cwt390.00–390.001,5211
BullsMedium and Large 1400–450405395.00/cwt395.00–395.001,6001
HeifersMedium and Large 1500–550540310.00/cwt310.00–310.001,6741
HeifersMedium and Large 2500–550540292.50/cwt292.50–292.501,5801
HeifersMedium and Large 2350–400353335.04/cwt330.00–340.001,1832
HeifersMedium and Large 2400–450410333.84/cwt330.00–337.501,3692
HeifersMedium and Large 1250–300272379.29/cwt365.00–400.001,0323
HeifersMedium and Large 1350–400368366.70/cwt350.00–380.001,3496
HeifersMedium and Large 1550–600588302.50/cwt302.50–302.501,7793
HeifersMedium and Large 3600–650640250.00/cwt250.00–250.001,6001
HeifersMedium and Large 1300–350315400.00/cwt400.00–400.001,2601
HeifersMedium and Large 3400–450412280.00/cwt280.00–280.001,1544
HeifersMedium and Large 2250–300285350.00/cwt350.00–350.009982
HeifersMedium and Large 1450–500460340.00/cwt340.00–340.001,5641
SteersMedium and Large 2Value Added600–650625330.00/cwt330.00–330.002,0634
SteersMedium and Large 1Value Added700–750725295.00/cwt295.00–295.002,1393
HeifersMedium and Large 2550–600578277.31/cwt260.00–290.001,6033
HeifersMedium and Large 2300–350328345.04/cwt340.00–350.001,1322
HeifersMedium and Large 3500–550527283.35/cwt282.50–285.001,4933
HeifersMedium and Large 3450–500475273.90/cwt270.00–280.001,3015
SteersMedium and Large 1450–500466390.00/cwt390.00–390.001,8173
SteersMedium and Large 3250–300275300.00/cwt300.00–300.008251
SteersMedium and Large 1400–450430400.00/cwt400.00–400.001,7201
SteersMedium and Large 2500–550520355.00/cwt355.00–355.001,8461
SteersMedium and Large 1300–350305400.00/cwt400.00–400.001,2201
SteersMedium and Large 1500–550520380.00/cwt380.00–380.001,9761
SteersMedium and Large 3550–600595262.50/cwt262.50–262.501,5621
Dairy HeifersMedium and Large 3650–700665190.00/cwt190.00–190.001,2641
SteersMedium and Large 1350–400368407.59/cwt405.00–412.501,5005
BullsMedium and Large 3250–300290306.19/cwt302.50–310.008882
BullsMedium and Large 2Fleshy450–500480340.00/cwt340.00–340.001,6321
BullsMedium and Large 2Fleshy600–650630270.00/cwt270.00–270.001,7011
BullsMedium and Large 2Fleshy350–400375360.00/cwt360.00–360.001,3501
BullsMedium and Large 1Fancy200–250235451.74/cwt450.00–455.001,0623
BullsMedium and Large 1Fancy250–300266450.77/cwt445.00–455.001,1994
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,364155.76/cwt150.00–160.002,1254
CowsBoner 80-85%1,180150.52/cwt150.00–151.001,7762
CowsBoner 80-85%1,154137.14/cwt120.00–144.001,5836
CowsLean 85-90%1,050124.07/cwt113.00–132.001,3034
CowsLean 85-90%1,275148.00/cwt148.00–148.001,8871
BullsMedium and Large 11,130205.00/cwt205.00–205.002,3171
BullsMedium and Large 21,145182.50/cwt182.50–182.502,0901
BullsMedium and Large 2875195.00/cwt195.00–195.001,7061
BullsMedium and Large 2870227.50/cwt227.50–227.501,9791
Cow-Calf PairsSmall 27401,725.00/head1,725.00–1,725.001,7251
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 37901,775.00/head1,775.00–1,775.001,7751
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 36651,000.00/head1,000.00–1,000.001,0001
Stock CowsMedium and Large 3857148.18/cwt137.50–160.001,2703
Stock CowsSmall 2810155.00/cwt155.00–155.001,2561
Stock CowsMedium and Large 21,165153.00/cwt153.00–153.001,7821
Stock CowsSmall 11,210149.00/cwt149.00–149.001,8031
Stock CowsMedium and Large 3873132.65/cwt130.00–135.001,1582
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 39101,850.00/head1,850.00–1,850.001,8501
Bred CowsMedium and Large 38801,300.00/head1,300.00–1,300.001,3001
Stock CowsMedium and Large 2905161.25/cwt155.00–167.501,4592
Bred CowsMedium and Large 21,1551,625.00/head1,625.00–1,625.001,6251
Bred CowsMedium and Large 2840197.50/cwt197.50–197.501,6591
Bred CowsMedium and Large 21,1851,750.00/head1,750.00–1,750.001,7501
Bulls1,685176.00/cwt176.00–176.002,9661
Bulls1,520200.00/cwt200.00–200.003,0401
Bulls1,420160.00/cwt160.00–160.002,2721
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,313145.74/cwt141.00–148.001,9143

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.