Name: Saluda Stockyards livestock auction prices — 2025-09-29
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-09-29

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steers had no comparisons due to limited comparable sales, feeder heifers were sharply higher on a light test, feeder bulls had no comparisons due to limited comparable sales, slaughter cows were steady on a light test, slaughter bulls had no comparisons due to limited comparable sales. Light 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 $343.70/cwt on 11 head. That ranks 3 of 14 comparable sales and sits −50.93 against this barn's trailing median of $394.63.

Average price

$343.70

11 head · 531 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,825

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$344

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

$52.08/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+13.40

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	372.50	2,004	2thin
Medium and Large 2	533	342.12	1,823	7thin
Medium and Large 3	518	320.42	1,660	2thin

One grade step is worth $52.08/cwt here — about $344 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 sale11 hd

343.70

—

SC average5 barns · 79 hd

330.30

+13.40

This barn, trailing median14 sales

394.63

−50.93

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	1,337	156.43	2,091	3thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,241	160.86	1,996	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,033	144.98	1,498	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	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,320	$2,358	3thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,075	$2,275	1thin
Stock Cows	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	705	$900	1thin

Every lot, as filed

68 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	500–550	505	322.50/cwt	322.50–322.50	1,629	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	650–700	690	272.50/cwt	272.50–272.50	1,880	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	750–800	799	257.50/cwt	257.50–257.50	2,057	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	280	433.33/cwt	425.00–440.00	1,213	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	533	332.60/cwt	320.00–337.50	1,773	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	600–650	605	348.00/cwt	348.00–348.00	2,105	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	500–550	546	389.00/cwt	389.00–389.00	2,124	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	260	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	1,131	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	500–550	530	344.94/cwt	340.00–347.50	1,828	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	365	412.50/cwt	412.50–412.50	1,506	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	650–700	665	300.02/cwt	297.50–307.50	1,995	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	600	347.50/cwt	347.50–347.50	2,085	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	411	425.61/cwt	420.00–427.50	1,749	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	444	411.24/cwt	400.00–415.00	1,826	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	320	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	1,312	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	200–250	225	465.34/cwt	455.00–495.00	1,047	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	200–250	245	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,029	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	468	382.50/cwt	382.50–382.50	1,790	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	369	432.50/cwt	432.50–432.50	1,596	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	320	416.91/cwt	405.00–430.00	1,334	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	400	397.50/cwt	397.50–397.50	1,590	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	250–300	288	437.43/cwt	430.00–445.00	1,260	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	508	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,727	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,400	2,200.00/head	2,200.00–2,200.00	2,200	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,075	2,275.00/head	2,275.00–2,275.00	2,275	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	930	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	2,139	1
Stock Cows	Small 3	—	705	900.00/head	900.00–900.00	900	1
Bred Cows	Small 2	—	835	177.50/cwt	177.50–177.50	1,482	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	400–450	410	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,579	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	350–400	365	422.50/cwt	422.50–422.50	1,542	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	200–250	200	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	920	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,241	160.86/cwt	154.00–174.00	1,996	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,033	144.98/cwt	143.00–147.00	1,498	2
Bulls	—	—	1,337	156.43/cwt	148.00–162.00	2,091	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	350–400	365	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,278	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	750–800	790	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,975	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	400–450	438	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	1,434	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,280	2,437.70/head	2,300.00–2,600.00	2,438	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	890	230.29/cwt	210.00–252.50	2,050	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	538	372.50/cwt	372.50–372.50	2,004	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	350–400	373	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,306	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	300–350	320	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,200	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	600–650	625	297.50/cwt	297.50–297.50	1,859	1
Steers	Medium and Large 3	550–600	555	312.50/cwt	312.50–312.50	1,734	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	250–300	275	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,045	1
Steers	Medium and Large 3	500–550	535	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,792	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	450–500	470	319.41/cwt	310.00–332.50	1,501	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2Value Added	450–500	495	392.50/cwt	392.50–392.50	1,943	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	500–550	518	320.42/cwt	307.50–332.50	1,660	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	725	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,921	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	535	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,926	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	398	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	1,612	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	680	288.76/cwt	287.50–290.00	1,964	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	620	295.00/cwt	292.50–297.50	1,829	2
Steers	Medium and Large 3	450–500	478	339.44/cwt	320.00–357.50	1,623	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	330	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	1,353	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	574	329.99/cwt	327.50–332.50	1,894	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	482	339.29/cwt	330.00–347.50	1,635	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	573	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,006	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	400–450	428	383.83/cwt	370.00–397.50	1,643	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	385	387.50/cwt	387.50–387.50	1,492	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	200–250	245	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	992	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	519	344.34/cwt	340.00–350.00	1,787	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	750–800	770	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	2,079	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	450–500	452	377.50/cwt	377.50–377.50	1,706	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	700–750	735	277.50/cwt	277.50–277.50	2,040	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	250–300	260	417.50/cwt	417.50–417.50	1,086	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Full	550–600	575	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,984	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 →