Name: Saluda Stockyards livestock auction prices — 2025-09-01
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-09-01

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steers had no comparisons due to limited comparable sales, feeder heifers and bulls were sharply higher, slaughter cows were steady to 3.00 lower, slaughter bulls had no comparisons. Moderate offering of average quality cattle with active buyer participation. Light demand for cattle with excessive hair and flesh.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $336.69/cwt on 21 head. That ranks 3 of 14 comparable sales and sits −31.66 against this barn's trailing median of $368.36.

Average price

$336.69

21 head · 522 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,758

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$40

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

$8.11/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−8.68

vs SC average

−34.82 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	522	340.17	1,776	12thin
Medium and Large 2	523	332.06	1,735	9thin

One grade step is worth $8.11/cwt here — about $40 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

14 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $404.13, low $314.67, median $368.36 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 sale21 hd

336.69

—

SC average6 barns · 148 hd

345.38

−8.68

National average145 barns · 7,681 hd

371.51

−34.82

This barn, trailing median14 sales

368.36

−31.66

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	1,440	185.38	2,669	2thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,202	169.55	2,039	12
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,488	166.13	2,472	3thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,046	133.58	1,397	6thin

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)	1,240	$2,750	10
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,145	$2,606	5
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,132	$2,237	9
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,183	$2,000	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,055	$1,750	2thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	795	$1,150	1thin

Every lot, as filed

66 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	600–650	610	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,983	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	200–250	215	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	968	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	455	416.20/cwt	407.50–422.50	1,894	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	328	440.53/cwt	425.00–450.00	1,445	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	440	417.50/cwt	417.50–417.50	1,837	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	522	340.17/cwt	339.00–341.00	1,776	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	500–550	540	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	2,025	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	456	386.13/cwt	385.00–387.50	1,761	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	450–500	490	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,887	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fancy	300–350	305	486.00/cwt	486.00–486.00	1,482	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	274	423.01/cwt	420.00–427.50	1,159	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	325	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	1,349	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	367	413.70/cwt	405.00–417.50	1,518	15
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	515	374.26/cwt	370.00–375.00	1,927	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,184	2,801.48/head	2,500.00–3,000.00	2,801	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	975	233.85/cwt	230.00–237.50	2,280	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	420	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	1,722	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,390	2,300.00/head	2,300.00–2,300.00	2,300	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	895	2.15/cwt	2.15–2.15	19	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	610	326.17/cwt	320.00–330.00	1,990	8
Stock Cows	Small 2	—	750	147.50/cwt	147.50–147.50	1,106	1
Bred Cows	Small 2	—	795	1,150.00/head	1,150.00–1,150.00	1,150	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,165	1,900.00/head	1,900.00–1,900.00	1,900	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,143	2,572.32/head	2,550.00–2,600.00	2,572	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,264	2,795.03/head	2,000.00–3,050.00	2,795	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,248	2,695.33/head	2,350.00–3,050.00	2,695	3
Bulls	—	—	1,440	185.38/cwt	178.00–191.00	2,669	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	938	123.79/cwt	121.00–126.00	1,161	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,488	166.13/cwt	163.00–170.00	2,472	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,120	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	1,613	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,290	178.28/cwt	171.00–185.00	2,300	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,100	138.48/cwt	131.00–142.00	1,523	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	990	1,825.00/head	1,825.00–1,825.00	1,825	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	975	1,700.00/head	1,700.00–1,700.00	1,700	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 3	—	945	1,600.00/head	1,600.00–1,600.00	1,600	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 3	—	1,085	1,900.00/head	1,900.00–1,900.00	1,900	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,072	2,029.43/head	1,600.00–2,650.00	2,029	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,164	168.22/cwt	160.00–179.00	1,958	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	345	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,311	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	470	387.50/cwt	382.50–392.50	1,821	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	519	335.15/cwt	330.00–337.50	1,739	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	493	343.78/cwt	337.50–350.00	1,695	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	350–400	383	352.58/cwt	350.00–355.00	1,350	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	738	202.59/cwt	200.00–205.00	1,495	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	450–500	470	430.54/cwt	420.00–437.50	2,024	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	550	322.50/cwt	322.50–322.50	1,774	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	600–650	620	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,860	1
Steers	Medium and Large 3	550–600	550	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	1,801	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	500–550	533	323.74/cwt	322.50–325.00	1,726	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	440	362.50/cwt	355.00–370.00	1,595	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	434	402.48/cwt	395.00–410.00	1,747	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	450–500	495	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,856	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	633	311.83/cwt	305.00–315.00	1,974	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	400–450	400	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	1,580	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	520	357.50/cwt	357.50–357.50	1,859	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	400–450	410	426.10/cwt	420.00–432.50	1,747	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	520	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,924	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	250–300	290	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	1,334	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2Value Added	600–650	625	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	2,047	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	583	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,836	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	600–650	622	306.70/cwt	300.00–310.00	1,908	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	400–450	423	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	1,840	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	393	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,651	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	580	330.12/cwt	322.50–338.00	1,915	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Full	500–550	520	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,664	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Full	450–500	485	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,552	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 →