Sale reports / North Carolina / Shelby Livestock Auction / 2026-05-26

Shelby Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Shelby, North Carolina · Tue, May 26
● Final69 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2092
Feeder Cattle receipts
232 head
▼ 67 vs last sale 299▼ 2 vs year ago 234 · −0.9%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
68 head
▲ 13 vs last sale 55▲ 3 vs year ago 65 · +4.6%
Replacement Cattle receipts
12 head
▼ 11 vs last sale 23▼ 30 vs year ago 42 · −71.4%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week slaughter cattle were mostly steady, while feeder cattle were mostly steady to 2.00 lower. Trade and demand were moderate with moderate offerings. Quality of cattle was average.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $342.47/cwt on 12 head, down $21.96 from the prior sale. That ranks 19 of 34 comparable sales and sits +1.25 against this barn's trailing median of $341.23.
Average price
$342.47
▼ 21.96 vs prior sale
12 head · 543 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,858
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$137
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 2
$13.61/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−28.53
vs NC average
−64.97 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1544343.611,87011thin
Medium and Large 2525330.001,7331thin
One grade step is worth $13.61/cwt here — about $137 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.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale12 hd
342.47
—
NC average6 barns · 173 hd
371.00
−28.53
National average128 barns · 4,974 hd
407.44
−64.97
This barn, trailing median34 sales
341.23
+1.25
A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

34 sales
394352311269median 341.2303/0304/2807/0709/0110/27
Heifers 500–600 lb: high $380.10, low $282.79, median $341.23 across 34 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Bulls—Average1,519198.923,0219thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,175175.512,0625thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,435163.852,3512thin
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,042146.481,52639

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 $/cwt figures above.
ClassStageAgeAvg wt$/headHead
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,150$2,6501thin
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,215$2,4482thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)910$2,4001thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)775$2,2501thin
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)920$1,7762thin
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)870$1,2001thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenYoung/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)903$3,1844thin

Every lot

69 lots · USDA AMS · Cleveland County Agriculture & Livestock Exchange - Shelby, NC
Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added. Grouped by class and set lightest first; USDA files them in sale-ring order.
ClassWeightGrade / descriptionAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Feeder Cattle · Steers8 lots · lightest first
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1373494.90/cwt490.00–500.001,8462
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1425446.52/cwt420.00–485.001,8985
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1474443.58/cwt420.00–475.002,1039
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1519457.42/cwt420.00–470.002,37424
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1577429.62/cwt420.00–450.002,47910
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1603370.00/cwt370.00–370.002,2312
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1688315.02/cwt310.00–320.002,1672
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1710320.00/cwt320.00–320.002,2721
Feeder Cattle · Heifers22 lots · lightest first
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 2260400.38/cwt390.00–410.001,0412
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1289442.99/cwt420.00–450.001,2804
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1317408.28/cwt400.00–420.001,2949
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 2333364.89/cwt350.00–380.001,2152
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 3340250.00/cwt250.00–250.008501
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1375401.85/cwt380.00–427.501,50714
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2375360.85/cwt350.00–375.001,3536
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2414363.78/cwt355.00–370.001,5064
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1429405.46/cwt380.00–430.001,7396
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1474401.10/cwt375.00–427.501,90111
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2495323.33/cwt300.00–340.001,6003
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2525330.00/cwt330.00–330.001,7331
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1526351.33/cwt340.00–370.001,8487
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1576330.09/cwt320.00–340.001,9014
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1618333.93/cwt325.00–345.002,0644
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1665330.00/cwt330.00–330.002,1951
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 2700190.00/cwt190.00–190.001,3301
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1703314.97/cwt300.00–327.502,2144
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1765320.00/cwt320.00–320.002,4481
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 2770180.00/cwt180.00–180.001,3861
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1810270.00/cwt270.00–270.002,1871
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1855310.00/cwt310.00–310.002,6511
Feeder Cattle · Bulls20 lots · lightest first
Bulls200–250Medium and Large 1235500.00/cwt500.00–500.001,1751
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 1281464.98/cwt450.00–500.001,3074
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 2324416.27/cwt370.00–440.001,3496
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1330487.61/cwt450.00–510.001,6094
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 3335350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,1731
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 2363402.40/cwt390.00–430.001,4615
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1383479.72/cwt450.00–495.001,8379
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 2418365.24/cwt320.00–395.001,5275
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1424434.38/cwt420.00–460.001,8427
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 2455364.84/cwt350.00–380.001,6602
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 3470250.00/cwt250.00–250.001,1751
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1471421.99/cwt390.00–440.001,98811
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1513415.34/cwt390.00–440.002,1319
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 2523343.61/cwt300.00–370.001,7974
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1553387.62/cwt360.00–415.002,1442
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1620342.50/cwt325.00–360.002,1242
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 2660275.00/cwt275.00–275.001,8151
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1675330.00/cwt330.00–330.002,2281
Bulls750–800Medium and Large 1750310.00/cwt310.00–310.002,3251
Bulls750–800Medium and Large 2750240.00/cwt240.00–240.001,8001
Feeder Cattle · Dairy Steers4 lots · lightest first
Dairy Steers300–350Large 3345260.00/cwt260.00–260.008971
Dairy Steers350–400Large 3395270.00/cwt270.00–270.001,0671
Dairy Steers450–500Large 3465230.00/cwt230.00–230.001,0701
Dairy Steers500–550Large 3509380.00/cwt380.00–380.001,9345
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,509195.41/cwt189.00–205.002,9498
Bulls——1,595227.00/cwt227.00–227.003,6211
Slaughter Cattle · Cows5 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%810171.41/cwt170.00–172.501,3882
Cows—Lean 85-90%999129.50/cwt122.00–135.001,29411
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,078151.74/cwt138.00–166.001,63626
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,175175.51/cwt169.00–183.002,0625
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,435163.85/cwt162.00–166.002,3512
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows6 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-27752,250.00/head2,250.00–2,250.002,2501
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-28701,200.00/head1,200.00–1,200.001,2001
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-29102,400.00/head2,400.00–2,400.002,4001
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-29201,776.09/head1,300.00–2,100.001,7762
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,1502,650.00/head2,650.00–2,650.002,6501
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,2152,448.46/head1,700.00–2,950.002,4482
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs2 lots · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-27953,045.81/head1,550.00–3,600.003,0463
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,2253,600.00/head3,600.00–3,600.003,6001

This sale against other markets

North Carolina weighted averages
One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every North Carolina auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.