Name: Saluda Stockyards livestock auction prices — 2025-05-12
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-05-12

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: feeder steers 5.00 higher based on limited comparable sales, feeder heifers and bulls no comparisons due to limited comparable sales, slaughter cows 3.50 higher, slaughter bulls 2.00 higher. Light offering of average quality cattle with active buyer participation. There has been heavy rains in the area over the last few days.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $323.47/cwt on 18 head. That ranks 2 of 13 comparable sales and sits −44.92 against this barn's trailing median of $368.39.

Average price

$323.47

18 head · 513 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,661

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$85

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 2

$32.79/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+14.00

vs SC average

−16.41 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	512	325.29	1,665	17thin
Medium and Large 2	540	292.50	1,580	1thin

One grade step is worth $32.79/cwt here — about $85 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 sale18 hd

323.47

—

SC average6 barns · 114 hd

309.47

+14.00

National average164 barns · 12,891 hd

339.88

−16.41

This barn, trailing median13 sales

368.39

−44.92

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	1,750	186.93	3,272	7thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,166	157.59	1,838	17
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,320	157.00	2,072	1thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,113	136.44	1,519	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
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,005	$1,975	1thin

Every lot, as filed

48 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 2	500–550	540	292.50/cwt	292.50–292.50	1,580	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	460	362.50/cwt	362.50–362.50	1,668	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	435	357.50/cwt	357.50–357.50	1,555	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	570	322.30/cwt	315.00–330.00	1,837	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	595	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	2,053	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	430	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,634	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	605	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,118	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	500	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,800	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	500–550	511	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,661	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	600–650	630	352.50/cwt	352.50–352.50	2,221	9
Stock Cows	Small 3	—	478	159.04/cwt	155.00–162.50	760	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	387	354.16/cwt	352.50–355.00	1,371	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	600	307.50/cwt	307.50–307.50	1,845	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	320	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,200	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	423	342.50/cwt	342.50–342.50	1,449	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	525	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,733	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,113	136.44/cwt	130.00–142.00	1,519	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,320	157.00/cwt	157.00–157.00	2,072	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,148	157.19/cwt	140.00–166.00	1,805	16
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,455	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	2,386	1
Bulls	—	—	1,773	190.80/cwt	189.00–192.00	3,383	4
Bulls	—	—	1,720	181.78/cwt	173.00–188.00	3,127	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	407	386.26/cwt	385.00–387.50	1,572	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	330	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,320	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	350–400	360	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,386	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	300–350	340	397.50/cwt	397.50–397.50	1,352	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	868	176.25/cwt	160.00–190.00	1,530	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,005	1,975.00/head	1,975.00–1,975.00	1,975	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	685	262.50/cwt	262.50–262.50	1,798	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	400–450	435	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,044	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	300–350	335	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,039	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	500–550	530	307.50/cwt	307.50–307.50	1,630	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	350–400	368	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,030	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	450–500	490	282.50/cwt	282.50–282.50	1,384	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	430	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	1,365	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	350–400	370	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,166	1
Steers	Medium and Large 3	400–450	440	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,452	1
Steers	Medium and Large 3	650–700	655	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,900	1
Steers	Medium and Large 3	450–500	450	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	1,429	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	387	323.38/cwt	317.50–335.00	1,251	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	400–450	443	347.50/cwt	347.50–347.50	1,539	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	450	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	1,429	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	755	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,774	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	650–700	668	269.74/cwt	260.00–280.00	1,802	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	658	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	2,073	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	450–500	456	336.46/cwt	330.00–340.00	1,534	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	450–500	475	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,758	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	605	297.50/cwt	297.50–297.50	1,800	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 →