Name: Saluda Stockyards livestock auction prices — 2025-02-24
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-02-24

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: no comparisons on feeder cattle due to limited comparable sales, slaughter cows 8.50 higher based on limited comparable sales, slaughter bulls steady. 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 $258.61/cwt on 9 head. That ranks 1 of 13 comparable sales and sits −109.78 against this barn's trailing median of $368.39.

Average price

$258.61

9 head · 537 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,388

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$146

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

$42.50/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+10.88

vs SC average

−48.40 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	533	271.25	1,444	4thin
Medium and Large 2	522	261.67	1,365	3thin
Medium and Large 3	568	228.75	1,298	2thin

One grade step is worth $42.50/cwt here — about $146 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

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 sale9 hd

258.61

—

SC average6 barns · 82 hd

247.73

+10.88

National average189 barns · 18,586 hd

307.01

−48.40

This barn, trailing median13 sales

368.39

−109.78

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	1,426	155.02	2,211	7thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,294	148.06	1,916	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	960	115.72	1,111	2thin

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)	850	$1,250	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	765	$940	1thin

Every lot, as filed

52 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
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	555	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,443	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	420	312.50/cwt	312.50–312.50	1,313	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	405	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,377	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	450–500	469	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	1,489	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	600–650	615	237.50/cwt	237.50–237.50	1,461	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	520	282.50/cwt	282.50–282.50	1,469	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	850	1,250.00/head	1,250.00–1,250.00	1,250	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Value Added	300–350	300	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,140	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Value Added	200–250	235	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	928	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	640	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,504	1
Steers	Medium and Large 3Full	400–450	400	227.50/cwt	227.50–227.50	910	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	200–250	225	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	765	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	200–250	200	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	560	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	340	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	969	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Small 3	—	765	940.00/head	940.00–940.00	940	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	525	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,601	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	565	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,300	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	400–450	448	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	1,467	2
Bulls	—	—	1,600	163.45/cwt	147.00–171.00	2,615	3
Bulls	—	—	1,153	134.92/cwt	127.00–144.00	1,556	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	960	115.72/cwt	107.00–124.00	1,111	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,283	144.07/cwt	130.00–157.00	1,848	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,337	164.01/cwt	160.00–170.00	2,193	3
Bulls	—	—	1,725	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	3,278	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	550–600	565	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,469	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	400–450	408	280.03/cwt	275.00–285.00	1,143	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	500–550	545	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,444	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	200–250	245	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	686	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	500–550	545	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,335	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	550–600	590	212.50/cwt	212.50–212.50	1,254	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	775	117.50/cwt	117.50–117.50	911	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	350–400	360	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	1,143	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	300	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	990	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	400–450	430	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,505	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fancy	350–400	380	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	1,501	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	425	337.32/cwt	330.00–345.00	1,434	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	200–250	223	405.17/cwt	400.00–420.00	904	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	370	360.48/cwt	352.50–370.00	1,334	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	400–450	435	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,305	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	295	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	988	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	500–550	525	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,444	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	895	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	1,378	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	250–300	269	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	915	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	372	316.63/cwt	310.00–330.00	1,178	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	500	277.50/cwt	277.50–277.50	1,388	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	463	280.85/cwt	280.00–282.50	1,300	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	320	404.77/cwt	400.00–410.00	1,295	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	250–300	296	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,243	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	443	281.94/cwt	270.00–287.50	1,249	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	600–650	645	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,677	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	300–350	310	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,023	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Fancy	350–400	380	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,140	1

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 →