Name: Saluda Stockyards livestock auction prices — 2025-03-03
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-03-03

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: no comparisons on feeder cattle due to limited comparable sales, slaughter cows 5.00 higher, slaughter bulls 4.00 higher. Moderate offering of average quality cattle with active buyer participation.

Weight class

Bulls · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb bulls averaged $288.85/cwt on 6 head. That ranks 1 of 15 comparable sales and sits −102.90 against this barn's trailing median of $391.76.

Average price

$288.85

6 head · 539 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,556

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$33

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

$32.03/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+2.25

vs SC average

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 2	514	299.53	1,540	4thin
Medium and Large 3	588	267.50	1,573	2thin

One grade step is worth $32.03/cwt here — about −$33 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

15 sales

Bulls 500–600 lb: high $449.95, low $312.46, median $391.76 across 15 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 sale6 hd

288.85

—

SC average6 barns · 51 hd

286.60

+2.25

This barn, trailing median15 sales

391.76

−102.90

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	—	High	1,869	173.52	3,243	4thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,750	150.00	2,625	1thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,215	149.78	1,820	15

Every lot, as filed

44 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	—	—	1,995	179.48/cwt	179.00–180.00	3,581	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,290	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	2,090	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,423	137.44/cwt	135.00–140.00	1,956	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,750	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	2,625	1
Bulls	—	—	1,743	167.55/cwt	162.00–172.00	2,920	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	450–500	470	268.35/cwt	265.00–270.00	1,261	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	200–250	205	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	554	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	514	299.53/cwt	295.00–310.00	1,540	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	570	236.61/cwt	230.00–240.00	1,349	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	200–250	220	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	682	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	700–750	723	240.01/cwt	237.50–242.50	1,735	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	250–300	250	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	750	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	550–600	588	267.50/cwt	267.50–267.50	1,573	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	400–450	440	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,320	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	378	267.62/cwt	260.00–280.00	1,012	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	522	277.60/cwt	262.50–282.50	1,449	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	313	310.13/cwt	300.00–315.00	971	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	450–500	488	311.99/cwt	300.00–320.00	1,523	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	655	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,801	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	330	272.84/cwt	265.00–280.00	900	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	400–450	440	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,408	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	600–650	610	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,586	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,112	199.89/cwt	161.00–217.00	2,223	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	432	267.96/cwt	265.00–270.00	1,158	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	412	364.92/cwt	360.00–375.00	1,503	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	473	268.52/cwt	262.50–275.00	1,270	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	500–550	510	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,632	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	411	298.65/cwt	295.00–302.50	1,227	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	455	352.53/cwt	345.00–362.50	1,604	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	363	307.45/cwt	295.00–317.50	1,116	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	691	245.58/cwt	242.50–246.00	1,697	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	250–300	275	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	963	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	350–400	360	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,044	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	418	371.83/cwt	365.00–377.50	1,554	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Value Added	350–400	358	399.54/cwt	397.50–402.50	1,430	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	250–300	280	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,064	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	368	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,343	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	350–400	375	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,200	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,138	151.04/cwt	142.00–157.00	1,719	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	500–550	518	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,191	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	300–350	340	292.39/cwt	285.00–300.00	994	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	250–300	283	255.04/cwt	250.00–260.00	722	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	400–450	425	221.21/cwt	220.00–222.50	940	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	450–500	470	248.56/cwt	240.00–257.50	1,168	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 →