Name: Saluda Stockyards livestock auction prices — 2024-12-16
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-12-16

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week feeder Steers and Heifers too few to trend, feeder Bulls 3.00 higher. Slaughter Cows and Bulls steady. Moderate offering 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 $246.45/cwt on 39 head. That ranks 1 of 14 comparable sales and sits −121.91 against this barn's trailing median of $368.36.

Average price

$246.45

39 head · 549 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,354

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$150

per head · Medium and Large 2 over Medium and Large 3

$37.41/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+11.83

vs SC average

−38.50 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 2	549	247.41	1,358	38
Medium and Large 3	575	210.00	1,208	1thin

One grade step is worth $37.41/cwt here — about $150 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

14 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $404.13, low $314.67, median $368.36 across 14 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 sale39 hd

246.45

—

SC average6 barns · 152 hd

234.61

+11.83

National average180 barns · 17,940 hd

284.95

−38.50

This barn, trailing median14 sales

368.36

−121.91

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	—	Average	1,866	146.74	2,738	4thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,175	114.17	1,341	21

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	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	960	$1,275	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	980	$1,250	1thin

Every lot, as filed

57 lots · USDA AMS · Saluda Stockyards - 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	—	—	1,866	146.74/cwt	140.00–151.00	2,738	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,213	117.07/cwt	110.00–127.00	1,420	16
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,053	104.91/cwt	100.00–107.00	1,105	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	450–500	480	240.10/cwt	230.00–250.00	1,152	2
Steers	Medium and Large 3	400–450	425	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	850	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	300–350	320	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	832	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	350–400	360	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	882	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	550–600	575	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,208	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	200–250	240	247.50/cwt	240.00–255.00	594	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	450–500	476	283.60/cwt	280.00–300.00	1,350	8
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	468	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,357	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	200–250	245	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	686	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	200–250	210	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	525	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3Full	250–300	290	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	667	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	450–500	455	217.50/cwt	217.50–217.50	990	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	610	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,495	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	525	275.38/cwt	265.00–285.00	1,446	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	400–450	428	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,284	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fancy	300–350	340	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,292	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	532	292.50/cwt	292.50–292.50	1,556	6
Steers	Medium and Large 3	650–700	665	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,397	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	600–650	603	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,266	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	650–700	665	197.50/cwt	197.50–197.50	1,313	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	260	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	962	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	454	316.50/cwt	312.50–317.50	1,437	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	308	302.50/cwt	302.50–302.50	932	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	300–350	315	357.50/cwt	357.50–357.50	1,126	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	350–400	390	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,326	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	400–450	415	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,494	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Value Added	350–400	365	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,369	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	300–350	325	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,219	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	514	247.66/cwt	240.00–259.00	1,273	18
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	250–300	268	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,018	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	373	364.93/cwt	360.00–370.00	1,361	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	410	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,333	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	980	1,250.00/head	1,250.00–1,250.00	1,250	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	960	1,275.00/head	1,275.00–1,275.00	1,275	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	358	288.71/cwt	282.50–295.00	1,034	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	405	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,418	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	350–400	398	357.50/cwt	357.50–357.50	1,423	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	420	277.50/cwt	277.50–277.50	1,166	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	350–400	380	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,064	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	424	258.14/cwt	250.00–270.00	1,095	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	580	247.18/cwt	240.00–248.00	1,434	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	464	244.07/cwt	240.00–250.00	1,132	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	559	266.94/cwt	255.00–270.00	1,492	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	521	272.52/cwt	270.00–275.00	1,420	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	360	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,116	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	250–300	255	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	714	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	325	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	926	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	700–750	700	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,575	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Full	300–350	330	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	858	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	600–650	618	242.50/cwt	242.50–242.50	1,499	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	550	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,513	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Value Added	400–450	415	282.50/cwt	282.50–282.50	1,172	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	400–450	440	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	968	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	725	214.28/cwt	210.00–215.00	1,554	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 →