Name: Saluda Stockyards livestock auction prices — 2025-04-28
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-04-28

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

*Correction to Feeder Bulls 4-29-2025* Compared to last week: feeder steers 3.75 higher, feeder heifers no comparisons due to limited comparable sales, feeder bulls 2.50 higher, slaughter cows steady, slaughter bulls no comparisons due to limited comparable sales. 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 $323.00/cwt on 12 head. That ranks 3 of 14 comparable sales and sits −71.63 against this barn's trailing median of $394.63.

Average price

$323.00

12 head · 550 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,778

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$241

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

$45.10/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+7.95

vs SC average

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	535	340.10	1,820	6thin
Medium and Large 2	572	308.08	1,762	5thin
Medium and Large 3	535	295.00	1,578	1thin

One grade step is worth $45.10/cwt here — about $241 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

14 sales

Bulls 500–600 lb: high $449.95, low $312.46, median $394.63 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 sale12 hd

323.00

—

SC average6 barns · 115 hd

315.05

+7.95

This barn, trailing median14 sales

394.63

−71.63

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	1,720	170.72	2,936	5thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,136	146.84	1,668	27
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,474	134.65	1,985	7thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	993	128.48	1,276	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	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,030	$2,040	4thin
Bulls	N/A	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,110	$2,350	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	850	$2,000	1thin
Stock Cows	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	745	$1,325	1thin

Every lot, as filed

67 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	Medium and Large 2Full	350–400	372	367.50/cwt	367.50–367.50	1,367	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Full	600–650	600	252.50/cwt	252.50–252.50	1,515	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	200–250	235	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	881	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	427	333.63/cwt	327.50–342.50	1,425	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	600–650	613	344.00/cwt	344.00–344.00	2,109	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	688	312.50/cwt	312.50–312.50	2,150	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	615	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	1,953	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	420	409.74/cwt	407.50–412.50	1,721	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	600–650	614	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,781	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	550–600	599	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,737	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	487	324.16/cwt	322.50–327.50	1,579	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	581	286.55/cwt	282.50–290.00	1,665	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	351	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	1,439	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	511	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,686	4
Stock Cows	Small 2	—	745	1,325.00/head	1,325.00–1,325.00	1,325	1
Bred Cows	Small 1	—	945	1,925.00/head	1,925.00–1,925.00	1,925	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	705	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	2,115	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	523	347.50/cwt	347.50–347.50	1,817	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	200–250	225	412.50/cwt	412.50–412.50	928	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	340	415.04/cwt	412.50–417.50	1,411	2
Stock Cows	Small 2	—	750	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	1,275	1
Bulls	—	—	1,855	179.29/cwt	176.00–182.00	3,326	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	993	128.48/cwt	120.00–137.00	1,276	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,488	129.40/cwt	126.00–133.00	1,925	3
Bulls	—	—	1,395	154.00/cwt	146.00–160.00	2,148	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,464	138.58/cwt	130.00–154.00	2,029	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,147	146.01/cwt	137.00–155.00	1,675	25
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,090	2,193.35/head	2,150.00–2,250.00	2,193	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	1,110	2,350.00/head	2,350.00–2,350.00	2,350	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	995	1,850.00/head	1,850.00–1,850.00	1,850	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,015	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,269	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	998	157.21/cwt	157.00–157.50	1,569	2
Bulls	—	—	2,100	187.00/cwt	187.00–187.00	3,927	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	300–350	330	387.50/cwt	387.50–387.50	1,279	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	700	262.50/cwt	262.50–262.50	1,838	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	350–400	383	338.30/cwt	335.00–340.00	1,296	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	250–300	283	352.49/cwt	347.50–355.00	998	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	850	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,275	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	2,027	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	400–450	444	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,554	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	538	285.14/cwt	275.00–295.00	1,534	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	400–450	440	267.50/cwt	267.50–267.50	1,177	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	300–350	339	344.94/cwt	340.00–355.00	1,169	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	500–550	535	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,578	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	450–500	455	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,502	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Value Added	600–650	612	337.50/cwt	337.50–337.50	2,066	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	475	367.50/cwt	367.50–367.50	1,746	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	700–750	735	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,727	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	300–350	305	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	976	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	350–400	390	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,209	1
Steers	Medium and Large 3	350–400	360	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,278	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	773	237.50/cwt	237.50–237.50	1,836	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	360	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,260	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	378	333.93/cwt	327.50–345.00	1,262	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	340	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,292	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	465	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,581	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	555	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,471	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	535	340.10/cwt	335.00–342.50	1,820	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	330	371.35/cwt	367.50–380.00	1,225	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	800–850	800	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,800	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	700–750	711	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,920	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	427	306.14/cwt	300.00–322.50	1,307	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	305	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,022	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	380	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	1,577	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	250–300	255	432.50/cwt	430.00–435.00	1,103	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	572	308.08/cwt	300.00–310.00	1,762	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	450–500	478	345.95/cwt	345.00–347.50	1,654	5

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 →