Name: Saluda Stockyards livestock auction prices — 2026-03-16
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-03-16

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

No comparisons made this week due to limited comparable sales. Light 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 $397.23/cwt on 9 head, up $12.71 from the prior sale (only 11 head in that comparison). That ranks 9 of 15 comparable sales and sits +5.47 against this barn's trailing median of $391.76.

Average price

$397.23

▲ 12.71 vs prior sale

9 head · 532 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,113

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$489

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

$72.44/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+3.20

vs SC average

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	545	420.00	2,289	3thin
Medium and Large 2	529	404.99	2,142	4thin
Medium and Large 3	518	347.56	1,800	2thin

One grade step is worth $72.44/cwt here — about $489 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 sale9 hd

397.23

—

SC average6 barns · 68 hd

394.03

+3.20

This barn, trailing median15 sales

391.76

+5.47

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	—	Average	1,378	188.93	2,603	2thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,228	181.05	2,223	5thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,199	172.04	2,063	7thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,058	154.00	1,629	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	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,170	$2,550	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,170	$3,600	2thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	896	$3,356	4thin
Stock Cows	Open	(<2 yrs)	785	$1,531	1thin
Stock Cows	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	800	$1,200	1thin

Every lot, as filed

69 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	200–250	205	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	1,025	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	450–500	488	384.00/cwt	380.00–395.00	1,874	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	455	427.47/cwt	425.00–430.00	1,945	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	250–300	295	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	1,269	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	515	401.95/cwt	400.00–405.00	2,070	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Fancy	500–550	523	385.03/cwt	380.00–390.00	2,014	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	350–400	368	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	1,674	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	446	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,606	4
Steers	Medium and Large 3	350–400	385	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,348	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	500	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	2,150	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	400–450	415	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,370	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	350–400	370	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	1,573	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	300	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,350	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	290	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,305	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	355	505.00/cwt	505.00–505.00	1,793	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	325	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,300	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	480	352.42/cwt	350.00–355.00	1,692	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	605	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,997	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	500–550	525	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,313	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	420	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	2,016	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	585	395.73/cwt	395.00–400.00	2,315	7
Steers	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	550–600	580	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,146	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	550–600	560	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	2,436	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	450–500	480	324.84/cwt	320.00–330.00	1,559	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	320	425.08/cwt	420.00–430.00	1,360	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	491	441.51/cwt	435.00–450.00	2,168	13
Steers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	680	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,380	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	550	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	2,310	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	365	505.00/cwt	505.00–505.00	1,843	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	405	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	1,964	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	525	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	2,310	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	400–450	415	475.00/cwt	475.00–475.00	1,971	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	550–600	560	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,240	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fancy	350–400	350	535.00/cwt	535.00–535.00	1,873	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,199	172.04/cwt	170.00–174.00	2,063	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,058	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	1,629	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,228	178.49/cwt	178.00–179.00	2,192	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,228	182.76/cwt	180.00–184.00	2,244	3
Bulls	—	—	1,378	188.93/cwt	188.00–190.00	2,603	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	945	3,150.00/head	3,150.00–3,150.00	3,150	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	830	3,250.00/head	3,250.00–3,250.00	3,250	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	800	1,200.00/head	1,200.00–1,200.00	1,200	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	785	1,531.00/head	1,531.00–1,531.00	1,531	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,170	2,550.00/head	2,550.00–2,550.00	2,550	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	905	3,511.46/head	3,200.00–3,750.00	3,511	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	900	3,050.00/head	3,050.00–3,050.00	3,050	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,440	4,150.00/head	4,150.00–4,150.00	4,150	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	250–300	267	424.73/cwt	410.00–450.00	1,134	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	500–550	518	347.56/cwt	335.00–360.00	1,800	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	600–650	619	373.33/cwt	370.00–375.00	2,311	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	350–400	385	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,348	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	250–300	280	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	1,400	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	625	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	2,375	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	329	508.02/cwt	500.00–510.00	1,671	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	200–250	215	530.00/cwt	530.00–530.00	1,140	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	400–450	425	451.41/cwt	440.00–465.00	1,918	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	512	413.32/cwt	410.00–415.00	2,116	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	250–300	273	357.16/cwt	350.00–365.00	975	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	350–400	385	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	1,713	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	410	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	1,763	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	550	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	2,310	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	200–250	215	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	753	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	580	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	2,204	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	468	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	2,200	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	400–450	425	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	1,806	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	520	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,742	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	600–650	610	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,647	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	450–500	485	434.93/cwt	425.00–445.00	2,109	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	350–400	395	472.50/cwt	470.00–475.00	1,866	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 →