Name: Saluda Livestock Exchange livestock auction prices — 2026-08-17
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-08-17

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week, feeder steers sharply lower, feeder heifers 9.00 higher, feeder bulls sharply lower, slaughter cows sharply lower, slaughter bulls 7.00 lower. All based on limited comparable sales. Moderate offering of plain to average quality cattle with active buyer participation. Light demand for cattle with excess hair and flesh.

Weight class

Bulls · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb bulls averaged $327.94/cwt on 32 head, down $20.36 from the prior sale. That ranks 6 of 32 comparable sales and sits −66.11 against this barn's trailing median of $394.05.

Average price

$327.94

▼ 20.36 vs prior sale

32 head · 543 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,779

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$94

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

$23.55/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+7.03

vs SC average

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	536	342.66	1,838	12thin
Medium and Large 2	546	319.11	1,743	20

One grade step is worth $23.55/cwt here — about $94 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

32 sales

Bulls 500–600 lb: high $456.37, low $307.28, median $394.05 across 32 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 sale32 hd

327.94

—

SC average6 barns · 71 hd

320.92

+7.03

This barn, trailing median32 sales

394.05

−66.11

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	—	Low	1,487	198.34	2,950	9thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,432	170.70	2,445	16
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,163	169.16	1,967	29
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,021	148.24	1,514	10

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	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,175	$3,226	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,085	$2,700	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,154	$2,384	4thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,375	$2,375	1thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,036	$2,196	5
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,145	$3,033	3thin
Stock Cows	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,097	$2,038	2thin
Stock Cows	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,020	$1,775	1thin

Every lot, as filed

95 lots · USDA AMS · Saluda Livestock Exchange - Saluda, SC

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
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fancy	300–350	300	497.50/cwt	480.00–515.00	1,493	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	623	317.41/cwt	310.00–325.00	1,977	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	925	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	2,313	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	334	435.76/cwt	420.00–450.00	1,455	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	730	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	2,117	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	625	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,875	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	550–600	565	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	2,232	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	500–550	528	387.58/cwt	370.00–405.00	2,046	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fancy	500–550	505	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,020	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	870	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	2,436	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	285	510.00/cwt	510.00–510.00	1,454	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	710	302.50/cwt	302.50–302.50	2,148	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	455	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,775	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	553	332.49/cwt	330.00–340.00	1,839	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	373	435.65/cwt	425.00–450.00	1,625	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	481	367.21/cwt	365.00–370.00	1,766	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	613	334.02/cwt	330.00–335.00	2,048	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	527	364.34/cwt	355.00–367.50	1,920	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	515	346.13/cwt	340.00–365.00	1,783	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	564	323.60/cwt	320.00–335.00	1,825	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	424	402.00/cwt	390.00–410.00	1,704	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	365	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,643	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	345	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,553	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	427	399.98/cwt	395.00–405.00	1,708	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	200–250	228	503.21/cwt	500.00–510.00	1,147	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	250–300	275	526.84/cwt	510.00–550.00	1,449	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	434	385.87/cwt	380.00–390.00	1,675	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	508	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,626	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	400–450	430	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	1,742	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	960	2,525.00/head	2,525.00–2,525.00	2,525	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,170	3,050.00/head	3,050.00–3,050.00	3,050	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,375	2,375.00/head	2,375.00–2,375.00	2,375	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,020	1,775.00/head	1,775.00–1,775.00	1,775	1
Bred Cows	Small 1	—	800	1,850.00/head	1,850.00–1,850.00	1,850	1
Bulls	—	—	1,478	183.18/cwt	170.00–194.00	2,707	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,538	160.06/cwt	158.00–161.00	2,462	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,408	173.15/cwt	167.00–179.00	2,438	13
Bulls	—	—	1,492	205.92/cwt	198.00–216.00	3,072	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	968	162.78/cwt	161.00–165.00	1,576	4
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,305	3,525.00/head	3,525.00–3,525.00	3,525	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,085	2,700.00/head	2,700.00–2,700.00	2,700	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,057	138.55/cwt	124.00–151.00	1,464	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,084	163.35/cwt	160.00–166.00	1,771	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,204	172.22/cwt	168.00–180.00	2,074	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	300–350	345	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,173	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	680	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,836	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,095	2,282.82/head	2,150.00–2,500.00	2,283	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,175	3,225.64/head	3,150.00–3,300.00	3,226	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,097	2,038.42/head	1,992.00–2,089.00	2,038	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,154	2,383.75/head	2,100.00–2,500.00	2,384	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	250–300	282	371.86/cwt	365.00–380.00	1,049	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	300–350	315	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,166	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	400–450	428	313.01/cwt	300.00–325.00	1,340	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	250–300	265	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	941	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	250–300	295	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	1,195	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	300–350	344	413.75/cwt	400.00–420.00	1,423	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	800–850	823	238.22/cwt	225.00–250.00	1,961	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	350–400	375	344.80/cwt	335.00–350.00	1,293	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	450–500	490	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,421	1
Steers	Medium and Large 3	400–450	405	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,418	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	376	372.44/cwt	365.00–380.00	1,400	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	429	344.62/cwt	330.00–370.00	1,478	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	300–350	305	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,068	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	475	357.93/cwt	340.00–370.00	1,700	9
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	555	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,832	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	533	294.98/cwt	290.00–300.00	1,572	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	476	344.94/cwt	340.00–355.00	1,642	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	519	322.91/cwt	310.00–330.00	1,676	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	400–450	428	364.94/cwt	360.00–370.00	1,562	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	385	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,367	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	200–250	240	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,008	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	638	287.35/cwt	275.00–300.00	1,833	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	603	274.94/cwt	260.00–290.00	1,658	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	450–500	480	364.66/cwt	355.00–375.00	1,750	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	750–800	768	259.76/cwt	245.00–275.00	1,995	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	550–600	575	272.57/cwt	265.00–280.00	1,567	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	561	317.07/cwt	305.00–327.50	1,779	13
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	600–650	625	292.46/cwt	270.00–305.00	1,828	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	450–500	475	332.50/cwt	320.00–345.00	1,579	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	290	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	1,450	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	550–600	561	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	2,020	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	700–750	725	255.21/cwt	245.00–265.00	1,850	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	850–900	885	212.36/cwt	200.00–225.00	1,879	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	650–700	680	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,836	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	318	487.48/cwt	485.00–490.00	1,550	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	450–500	475	406.68/cwt	405.00–410.00	1,932	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	400–450	407	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	1,689	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	520	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,742	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	345	372.50/cwt	365.00–380.00	1,285	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	720	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,620	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	382	413.37/cwt	400.00–420.00	1,579	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	715	297.50/cwt	295.00–300.00	2,127	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	465	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,814	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	400–450	405	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	1,762	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Value Added	400–450	424	429.25/cwt	425.00–435.00	1,820	7

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.

South Carolina feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →