Name: Saluda Stockyards livestock auction prices — 2025-08-18
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-08-18

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steers had no comparisons due to limited comparable sales, feeder heifers were sharply higher, feeder bulls were 7.00 higher, slaughter cows were 4.00 higher, slaughter bulls had no comparisons due to limited comparable sales. Moderate offering of average quality cattle with active buyer participation. Light demand for cattle with excessive hair and flesh.

Weight class

Bulls · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb bulls averaged $347.67/cwt on 25 head. That ranks 3 of 14 comparable sales and sits −46.96 against this barn's trailing median of $394.63.

Average price

$347.67

25 head · 547 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,903

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$90

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

$29.65/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+16.60

vs SC average

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	538	360.72	1,941	14thin
Medium and Large 2	559	331.07	1,851	11thin

One grade step is worth $29.65/cwt here — about $90 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

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 sale25 hd

347.67

—

SC average6 barns · 130 hd

331.07

+16.60

This barn, trailing median14 sales

394.63

−46.96

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	—	Low	1,345	197.67	2,659	3thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,291	168.34	2,174	13
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,440	167.65	2,414	3thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	858	141.85	1,218	3thin

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)	1,087	$2,645	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	930	$1,975	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,163	$2,900	2thin
Stock Cows	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	635	$1,088	2thin

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 2	350–400	385	377.50/cwt	377.50–377.50	1,453	1
Steers	Medium and Large 3	600–650	620	297.50/cwt	297.50–297.50	1,845	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,440	167.65/cwt	165.00–173.00	2,414	3
Bulls	—	—	960	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	1,670	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	575	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	690	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,468	179.43/cwt	178.00–181.00	2,634	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,272	169.55/cwt	157.00–176.00	2,157	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	200–250	200	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	860	1
Stock Cows	Small 1	—	655	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	852	1
Stock Cows	Small 1	—	635	1,087.60/head	875.00–1,250.00	1,088	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	272	437.50/cwt	437.50–437.50	1,190	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	400–450	410	427.50/cwt	427.50–427.50	1,753	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	550–600	582	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,037	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	745	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	2,272	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Full	300–350	325	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	1,333	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	315	427.21/cwt	412.50–435.00	1,346	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	200–250	205	437.44/cwt	435.00–440.00	897	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	568	333.39/cwt	330.00–335.00	1,894	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,225	3,050.00/head	3,050.00–3,050.00	3,050	1
Bulls	—	—	1,565	199.00/cwt	199.00–199.00	3,114	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,130	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	1,514	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,000	152.77/cwt	145.00–159.00	1,528	2
Bulls	—	—	1,510	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	3,322	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	350–400	390	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,424	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	357	397.52/cwt	390.00–400.00	1,419	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fancy	200–250	200	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	890	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	930	1,975.00/head	1,975.00–1,975.00	1,975	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,087	2,644.86/head	2,500.00–2,875.00	2,645	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	1,100	2,750.00/head	2,750.00–2,750.00	2,750	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	550–600	555	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,693	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	600–650	615	242.50/cwt	242.50–242.50	1,491	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	400–450	400	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,320	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	748	282.50/cwt	282.50–282.50	2,113	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	586	323.62/cwt	317.50–330.00	1,896	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	450–500	490	312.50/cwt	312.50–312.50	1,531	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2Value Added	600–650	638	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,042	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	582	335.09/cwt	330.00–337.50	1,950	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	700–750	715	247.50/cwt	247.50–247.50	1,770	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	250–300	295	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,121	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	503	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,761	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	650–700	688	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,445	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	700–750	700	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	2,030	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	300–350	325	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	1,316	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	534	361.68/cwt	357.50–365.00	1,931	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	408	381.29/cwt	370.00–392.50	1,556	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	465	397.05/cwt	382.50–410.00	1,846	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	422	415.82/cwt	415.00–417.50	1,755	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	450–500	453	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,903	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	250–300	265	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,113	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	563	354.94/cwt	352.50–357.50	1,998	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	500–550	545	322.50/cwt	322.50–322.50	1,758	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	359	418.64/cwt	405.00–427.50	1,503	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	485	387.00/cwt	387.00–387.00	1,877	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	439	358.62/cwt	350.00–385.00	1,574	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	469	352.49/cwt	337.50–357.50	1,653	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	340	398.98/cwt	395.00–402.50	1,357	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	520	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	1,703	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	435	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	1,718	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	500–550	543	369.00/cwt	369.00–369.00	2,004	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	415	355.12/cwt	350.00–360.00	1,474	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	570	347.50/cwt	347.50–347.50	1,981	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	500–550	511	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,789	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	340	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,275	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Full	550–600	580	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	1,900	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	534	359.87/cwt	355.00–365.00	1,922	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	360	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,368	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	450–500	485	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,770	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 →