Name: Saluda Stockyards livestock auction prices — 2026-03-02
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-03-02

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

No comparisons made this week 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 $427.23/cwt on 11 head, up $22.21 from the prior sale (only 16 head in that comparison). That ranks 12 of 15 comparable sales and sits +35.47 against this barn's trailing median of $391.76.

Average price

$427.23

▲ 22.21 vs prior sale

11 head · 533 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,276

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$231

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

$62.82/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+16.48

vs SC average

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	522	455.78	2,378	6thin
Medium and Large 2	546	392.97	2,146	5thin

One grade step is worth $62.82/cwt here — about $231 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

15 sales

Bulls 500–600 lb: high $449.95, low $312.46, median $391.76 across 15 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

427.23

—

SC average6 barns · 109 hd

410.75

+16.48

This barn, trailing median15 sales

391.76

+35.47

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	1,520	171.50	2,607	2thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,118	178.85	2,000	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,036	169.16	1,752	8thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	950	144.39	1,372	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)	1,192	$2,950	4thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,115	$2,950	5
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,048	$2,720	5
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	855	$2,475	4thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	895	$2,200	1thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	830	$2,150	1thin
Stock Cows	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	755	$1,850	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 2	750–800	755	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,341	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	400–450	440	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,540	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	567	393.18/cwt	380.00–410.00	2,229	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	325	527.50/cwt	525.00–530.00	1,714	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	711	322.48/cwt	320.00–335.00	2,293	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	400–450	419	464.17/cwt	460.00–465.00	1,945	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	395	520.00/cwt	520.00–520.00	2,054	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	250–300	275	566.42/cwt	560.00–580.00	1,558	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	512	416.61/cwt	410.00–420.00	2,133	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	300–350	340	550.00/cwt	550.00–550.00	1,870	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	445	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	1,936	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	250–300	290	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,015	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	800–850	808	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,586	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	420	516.90/cwt	510.00–530.00	2,171	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	705	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,186	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	428	467.59/cwt	450.00–485.00	2,001	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	383	513.22/cwt	490.00–530.00	1,966	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	478	411.22/cwt	410.00–415.00	1,966	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	463	444.86/cwt	440.00–450.00	2,060	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	770	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	2,272	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	318	499.74/cwt	490.00–505.00	1,589	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	300–350	343	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	1,423	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	294	547.61/cwt	535.00–560.00	1,610	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	523	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,092	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	400–450	410	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,558	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	588	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,176	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	462	463.29/cwt	460.00–470.00	2,140	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	370	530.00/cwt	530.00–530.00	1,961	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	350–400	370	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,554	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	250–300	265	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,193	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	326	552.94/cwt	530.00–580.00	1,803	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	350–400	395	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	1,797	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fancy	500–550	545	540.00/cwt	540.00–540.00	2,943	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fancy	400–450	410	570.00/cwt	570.00–570.00	2,337	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fancy	300–350	308	600.00/cwt	600.00–600.00	1,848	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Fancy	450–500	460	465.00/cwt	465.00–465.00	2,139	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	988	154.08/cwt	153.00–155.00	1,522	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	875	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,094	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,102	176.07/cwt	174.00–178.00	1,940	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,036	169.16/cwt	165.00–173.00	1,752	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,142	183.03/cwt	180.00–188.00	2,090	6
Bulls	—	—	1,405	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	2,037	1
Bulls	—	—	1,635	198.00/cwt	198.00–198.00	3,237	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,250	2,850.00/head	2,850.00–2,850.00	2,850	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	985	3,250.00/head	3,250.00–3,250.00	3,250	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 3	—	895	2,200.00/head	2,200.00–2,200.00	2,200	1
Bred Cows	Small 2	—	655	1,700.00/head	1,700.00–1,700.00	1,700	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 3	—	840	2,250.00/head	2,250.00–2,250.00	2,250	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,058	2,948.23/head	2,800.00–3,100.00	2,948	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 3	—	835	2,300.00/head	2,300.00–2,300.00	2,300	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,172	2,983.78/head	2,950.00–3,000.00	2,984	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,145	2,701.31/head	2,650.00–2,750.00	2,701	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	940	2,700.00/head	2,700.00–2,700.00	2,700	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 3	—	755	1,850.00/head	1,850.00–1,850.00	1,850	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,185	3,202.95/head	3,100.00–3,250.00	3,203	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,010	2,569.43/head	2,450.00–2,700.00	2,569	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 3	—	830	2,150.00/head	2,150.00–2,150.00	2,150	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	622	377.40/cwt	370.00–390.00	2,347	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	472	484.93/cwt	480.00–495.00	2,289	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	300–350	320	411.72/cwt	400.00–425.00	1,318	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	500–550	515	392.65/cwt	385.00–400.00	2,022	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	450–500	470	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	2,092	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	300–350	325	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,073	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	517	438.94/cwt	420.00–455.00	2,269	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	850–900	860	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	2,709	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	200–250	235	520.00/cwt	520.00–520.00	1,222	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	350–400	395	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	1,916	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 →