Name: Saluda Stockyards livestock auction prices — 2025-01-06
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-01-06

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

No comparisons made this week due to sale being closed for the holidays. Moderate offering of average to plain quality cattle with active buyer participation.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $250.29/cwt on 8 head. That ranks 1 of 13 comparable sales and sits −118.11 against this barn's trailing median of $368.39.

Average price

$250.29

8 head · 549 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,374

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$339

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 3

$80.46/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+10.42

vs SC average

−54.95 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	542	265.46	1,439	5thin
Medium and Large 2	543	245.00	1,329	2thin
Medium and Large 3	595	185.00	1,101	1thin

One grade step is worth $80.46/cwt here — about $339 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

13 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $404.13, low $314.67, median $368.39 across 13 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 sale8 hd

250.29

—

SC average3 barns · 54 hd

239.87

+10.42

National average163 barns · 22,771 hd

305.24

−54.95

This barn, trailing median13 sales

368.39

−118.11

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	—	Average	1,730	149.20	2,581	8thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,678	133.00	2,232	3thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,143	127.20	1,453	34
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	903	103.99	939	9thin

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)	1,205	$1,618	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,190	$1,550	1thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,143	$1,522	3thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,103	$1,433	4thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,145	$1,375	1thin

Every lot, as filed

66 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
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	575	267.50/cwt	267.50–267.50	1,538	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	655	257.50/cwt	257.50–257.50	1,687	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	600–650	613	248.73/cwt	247.50–250.00	1,525	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	400–450	410	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	984	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	350–400	370	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	925	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	505	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,263	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	380	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,102	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	505	279.19/cwt	272.50–280.00	1,410	10
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	468	289.29/cwt	285.00–297.50	1,354	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	500–550	541	182.96/cwt	180.00–195.00	990	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	750–800	760	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	1,482	1
Steers	Medium and Large 3	400–450	430	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,183	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	300–350	346	208.50/cwt	207.50–210.00	721	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	250–300	290	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	638	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	300–350	315	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	851	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	700–750	738	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	1,181	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	400–450	410	191.36/cwt	182.50–200.00	785	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	988	113.06/cwt	112.00–115.00	1,117	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,235	138.00/cwt	134.00–141.00	1,704	10
Bulls	—	—	1,730	149.20/cwt	142.00–157.00	2,581	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	903	103.99/cwt	100.00–110.00	939	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,630	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	2,119	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,162	127.52/cwt	120.00–132.00	1,482	16
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	450–500	480	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	864	1
Steers	Medium and Large 3	500–550	520	217.50/cwt	217.50–217.50	1,131	1
Steers	Medium and Large 3	450–500	455	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,229	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	600–650	605	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	1,119	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	550–600	595	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	1,101	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,775	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	2,467	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fancy	350–400	365	397.50/cwt	397.50–397.50	1,451	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fancy	300–350	325	416.00/cwt	416.00–416.00	1,352	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fancy	400–450	405	343.73/cwt	342.50–345.00	1,392	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	330	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,238	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	530	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,564	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	350–400	355	212.64/cwt	202.50–222.50	755	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	360	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,026	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,190	1,550.00/head	1,550.00–1,550.00	1,550	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,143	1,522.19/head	1,475.00–1,600.00	1,522	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	500–550	530	322.50/cwt	322.50–322.50	1,709	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	360	367.43/cwt	365.00–370.00	1,323	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	200–250	220	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	660	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	565	243.65/cwt	240.00–247.50	1,377	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	525	302.50/cwt	302.50–302.50	1,588	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	370	347.50/cwt	347.50–347.50	1,286	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	470	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	1,539	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Value Added	400–450	400	352.50/cwt	352.50–352.50	1,410	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	527	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,476	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	485	292.50/cwt	292.50–292.50	1,419	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	437	303.02/cwt	300.00–307.50	1,324	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	200–250	243	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	972	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	429	296.47/cwt	292.50–297.50	1,272	14
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Value Added	350–400	378	372.50/cwt	372.50–372.50	1,408	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Value Added	250–300	293	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	1,201	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,205	1,618.31/head	1,525.00–1,700.00	1,618	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,103	1,432.57/head	1,350.00–1,550.00	1,433	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,145	1,375.00/head	1,375.00–1,375.00	1,375	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	350–400	390	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,346	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	413	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,177	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	605	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,422	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	476	261.44/cwt	250.00–267.50	1,244	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	580	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,392	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	555	222.52/cwt	220.00–225.00	1,235	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	450–500	460	292.50/cwt	292.50–292.50	1,346	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	450–500	482	240.57/cwt	230.00–247.50	1,160	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	400–450	420	287.06/cwt	286.00–290.00	1,206	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	615	261.23/cwt	260.00–262.50	1,607	2

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 →