Name: Saluda Stockyards livestock auction prices — 2026-03-09
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-03-09

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

No comparisons due to limited comparable sales. Moderate buyer participation on average quality cattle.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $373.74/cwt on 8 head, down $15.41 from the prior sale (only 12 head in that comparison). That ranks 9 of 13 comparable sales and sits +5.35 against this barn's trailing median of $368.39.

Average price

$373.74

▼ 15.41 vs prior sale

8 head · 559 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,089

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$323

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

$71.67/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+13.80

vs SC average

−40.04 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	548	396.67	2,175	3thin
Medium and Large 2	564	368.73	2,080	4thin
Medium and Large 3	570	325.00	1,853	1thin

One grade step is worth $71.67/cwt here — about $323 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

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 sale8 hd

373.74

—

SC average6 barns · 90 hd

359.94

+13.80

National average182 barns · 10,991 hd

413.78

−40.04

This barn, trailing median13 sales

368.39

+5.35

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	1,363	167.67	2,286	3thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,217	162.09	1,973	7thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,085	151.95	1,649	9thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	946	135.34	1,280	15

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)	1,165	$2,575	2thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	645	$1,850	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	675	$900	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	870	$2,150	1thin
Stock Cows	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	645	$925	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
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	323	535.08/cwt	530.00–540.00	1,728	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	618	369.88/cwt	360.00–380.00	2,286	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	555	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,220	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	564	368.73/cwt	365.00–370.00	2,080	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	760	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	2,318	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	430	417.56/cwt	415.00–420.00	1,796	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	430	450.58/cwt	445.00–465.00	1,937	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	850–900	850	242.50/cwt	242.50–242.50	2,061	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	400–450	435	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,610	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	600	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	2,160	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	550–600	570	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,853	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	545	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	2,153	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	375	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	1,763	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	315	472.87/cwt	470.00–480.00	1,490	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	200–250	215	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	1,032	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	250–300	273	450.09/cwt	440.00–460.00	1,229	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	470	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,974	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	628	378.90/cwt	370.00–380.00	2,379	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	568	408.08/cwt	395.00–410.00	2,318	8
Steers	Medium and Large 2Value Added	750–800	795	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	2,524	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	300–350	325	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,138	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	328	530.00/cwt	530.00–530.00	1,738	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	200–250	245	520.00/cwt	520.00–520.00	1,274	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	469	406.91/cwt	380.00–420.00	1,908	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	530	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,988	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	540	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	2,403	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	720	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,836	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	373	511.58/cwt	500.00–530.00	1,908	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	345	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	1,656	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	595	357.50/cwt	350.00–365.00	2,127	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	454	467.44/cwt	450.00–485.00	2,122	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	428	484.20/cwt	470.00–495.00	2,072	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	485	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	2,280	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	450–500	495	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,733	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	350–400	375	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	1,613	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	400–450	445	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,602	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	250–300	285	515.00/cwt	515.00–515.00	1,468	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	894	132.20/cwt	128.00–139.00	1,182	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,088	143.97/cwt	140.00–146.00	1,566	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,217	162.09/cwt	160.00–164.00	1,973	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,110	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	1,654	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,073	153.43/cwt	151.00–158.00	1,646	6
Bulls	—	—	1,450	198.00/cwt	198.00–198.00	2,871	1
Bulls	—	—	1,120	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	1,848	1
Bulls	—	—	1,520	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	2,128	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Small 2	—	870	2,150.00/head	2,150.00–2,150.00	2,150	1
Stock Cows	Small 3	—	645	925.00/head	925.00–925.00	925	1
Bred Cows	Small 1	—	645	1,850.00/head	1,850.00–1,850.00	1,850	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 3	—	955	2,200.00/head	2,200.00–2,200.00	2,200	1
Bred Cows	Small 3	—	675	900.00/head	900.00–900.00	900	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,375	2,950.00/head	2,950.00–2,950.00	2,950	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	350–400	350	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,260	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	200–250	240	550.00/cwt	550.00–550.00	1,320	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	572	378.64/cwt	375.00–390.00	2,166	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	400–450	405	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,296	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	650–700	695	297.50/cwt	297.50–297.50	2,068	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	500–550	523	280.05/cwt	270.00–290.00	1,465	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	350–400	359	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	1,741	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	450–500	484	411.42/cwt	385.00–425.00	1,991	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	519	438.78/cwt	435.00–440.00	2,277	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	350–400	364	492.41/cwt	490.00–495.00	1,792	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	530	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,120	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	715	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	2,181	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	355	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	1,562	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	483	396.07/cwt	375.00–410.00	1,913	12
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	360	530.00/cwt	530.00–530.00	1,908	2

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 →