Sale reports / North Carolina / Smithfield Livestock Auction / 2025-12-18

Smithfield Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Smithfield, North Carolina · Thu, Dec 18
● Final83 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2094
Feeder Cattle receipts
236 head
▼ 48 vs last sale 284▲ 29 vs year ago 207 · +14.0%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
70 head
▲ 16 vs last sale 54▲ 3 vs year ago 67 · +4.5%
Replacement Cattle receipts
10 head
▲ 6 vs last sale 4▲ 10 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week, slaughter cattle were mostly steady. Feeder cattle were mostly steady. Demand was good; market activity and buyer interest were active. Offerings of cattle were moderate. Cattle quality was plain to average.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $314.59/cwt on 18 head. That ranks 12 of 30 comparable sales and sits −23.28 against this barn's trailing median of $337.88.
Average price
$314.59
18 head · 544 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,712
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$320
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 1
$52.98/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−13.36
vs NC average
−75.32 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1546320.481,74816thin
Medium 1534267.501,4282thin
One grade step is worth $52.98/cwt here — about $320 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 200–300 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 sale18 hd
314.59
—
NC average9 barns · 251 hd
327.95
−13.36
National average175 barns · 15,310 hd
389.91
−75.32
This barn, trailing median30 sales
337.88
−23.28
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

30 sales
412365318270median 337.8803/0504/2307/1609/1010/29
Heifers 500–600 lb: high $397.67, low $284.44, median $337.88 across 30 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—High1,554175.012,7198thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,387155.542,1579thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,177145.581,71415
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,002109.111,09330

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
Cow-Calf PairsOpenMiddle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,032$2,2001thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenYoung/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)977$2,0382thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenAged (>8 yrs)1,051$1,6605

Every lot

83 lots · USDA AMS · Powell Livestock Market - Smithfield, 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 · Steers16 lots · lightest first
Steers200–250Medium and Large 1212450.00/cwt450.00–450.009541
Steers200–250Medium and Large 1Value Added242455.00/cwt455.00–455.001,1011
Steers250–300Medium and Large 1Value Added272437.50/cwt437.50–437.501,1901
Steers250–300Medium and Large 1282395.00/cwt395.00–395.001,1141
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1332425.00/cwt425.00–425.001,4111
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1Value Added406426.00/cwt426.00–426.001,7302
Steers450–500Medium and Large 2480360.00/cwt360.00–360.001,7281
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1Value Added482400.00/cwt400.00–400.001,9285
Steers450–500Medium 1482355.00/cwt355.00–355.001,7111
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1492360.00/cwt360.00–360.001,7713
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1539353.34/cwt345.00–360.001,9053
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1Value Added580369.00/cwt369.00–369.002,14012
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1618335.00/cwt335.00–335.002,0701
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1714330.00/cwt330.00–330.002,3561
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1Value Added733335.50/cwt335.50–335.502,45910
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1Value Added946251.00/cwt251.00–251.002,3742
Feeder Cattle · Heifers19 lots · lightest first
Heifers200–250Medium 1234287.50/cwt287.50–287.506731
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1250400.00/cwt400.00–400.001,0001
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1321383.39/cwt365.00–402.501,2314
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1Value Added350430.00/cwt430.00–430.001,5051
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1374379.76/cwt340.00–405.001,42013
Heifers400–450Medium 2407305.04/cwt300.00–310.001,2422
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1419352.87/cwt335.00–380.001,4795
Heifers400–450Medium 1431318.85/cwt290.00–330.001,3745
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2438320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,4021
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1482347.95/cwt320.00–372.501,6776
Heifers500–550Medium 1504285.00/cwt285.00–285.001,4361
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1528325.82/cwt300.00–350.001,7209
Heifers550–600Medium 1564250.00/cwt250.00–250.001,4101
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1568313.61/cwt285.00–340.001,7817
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1612302.70/cwt290.00–315.001,8532
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1654280.00/cwt280.00–280.001,8311
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1Value Added717296.00/cwt296.00–296.002,1228
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1724262.57/cwt260.00–265.001,9012
Heifers750–800Medium 2754190.00/cwt190.00–190.001,4331
Feeder Cattle · Bulls33 lots · lightest first
Bulls200–250Medium and Large 1246407.50/cwt407.50–407.501,0021
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 1264430.00/cwt430.00–430.001,1351
Bulls250–300Small 2272270.00/cwt270.00–270.007341
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 2302355.00/cwt355.00–355.001,0721
Bulls300–350Small 2308250.00/cwt250.00–250.007702
Bulls300–350Medium 1309365.03/cwt355.00–375.001,1282
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1316410.00/cwt410.00–410.001,2961
Bulls350–400Medium 1364350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,2742
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1370404.62/cwt390.00–425.001,4976
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 2386350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,3511
Bulls350–400Medium 2398320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,2741
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1405380.00/cwt380.00–380.001,5392
Bulls400–450Medium 1427354.38/cwt340.00–365.001,5136
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 2430320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,3761
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1466365.96/cwt350.00–387.501,7058
Bulls450–500Medium 1470314.96/cwt310.00–320.001,4802
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1521351.50/cwt340.00–367.501,8313
Bulls500–550Medium 1522305.00/cwt305.00–305.001,5921
Bulls550–600Medium 1560260.00/cwt260.00–260.001,4561
Bulls550–600Medium 2570262.50/cwt262.50–262.501,4961
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1587304.86/cwt275.00–320.001,7905
Bulls600–650Medium 1608260.00/cwt260.00–260.001,5811
Bulls650–700Medium 2698230.00/cwt230.00–230.001,6051
Bulls700–750Medium 1714180.00/cwt180.00–180.001,2851
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 1724244.97/cwt230.00–255.001,7743
Bulls750–800Medium 1752237.50/cwt237.50–237.501,7861
Bulls800–850Medium and Large 1818207.47/cwt205.00–210.001,6972
Bulls800–850Medium and Large 2824170.00/cwt170.00–170.001,4011
Bulls850–900Medium and Large 1854200.00/cwt185.00–215.001,7082
Bulls850–900Medium 2864160.00/cwt160.00–160.001,3821
Bulls900–950Medium and Large 1914180.00/cwt180.00–180.001,6452
Bulls900–950Medium and Large 2926180.00/cwt180.00–180.001,6671
Bulls950–1000Medium and Large 1972180.00/cwt180.00–180.001,7501
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,166194.00/cwt194.00–194.002,2621
Bulls——1,609172.30/cwt150.00–182.502,7727
Slaughter Cattle · Cows6 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%92482.40/cwt80.00–86.007616
Cows—Lean 85-90%989106.83/cwt88.00–117.501,05714
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,067128.34/cwt119.00–145.001,36910
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,103160.00/cwt160.00–160.001,7653
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,196141.97/cwt135.00–152.501,69812
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,387155.54/cwt152.00–163.002,1579
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows2 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Small 1-2758172.50/cwt172.50–172.501,3081
Stock Cows—Small 1-2838150.00/cwt150.00–150.001,2571
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs5 lots · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Small 1-27761,375.00/head1,375.00–1,375.001,3751
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,0171,642.63/head1,500.00–1,800.001,6433
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,0322,200.00/head2,200.00–2,200.002,2001
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,1011,685.65/head1,500.00–1,850.001,6862
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,1782,700.00/head2,700.00–2,700.002,7001

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.