Sale reports / North Carolina / Smithfield Livestock Auction / 2026-01-22

Smithfield Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Smithfield, North Carolina · Thu, Jan 22
● Final77 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2094
Feeder Cattle receipts
215 head
▼ 90 vs last sale 305▲ 198 vs year ago 17 · +1,164.7%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
33 head
▼ 42 vs last sale 75▲ 28 vs year ago 5 · +560.0%
Replacement Cattle receipts
1 head
▼ 3 vs last sale 4▲ 0 vs year ago 1 · +0.0%
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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 light. Cattle quality was average.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Bulls · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb bulls averaged $398.08/cwt on 24 head. That ranks 28 of 31 comparable sales and sits +35.78 against this barn's trailing median of $362.30.
Average price
$398.08
24 head · 540 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,150
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$987
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Small 1
$194.47/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+30.51
vs NC average

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1535419.472,24320
Medium 1587319.691,8772thin
Medium and Large 2540300.001,6201thin
Small 1558225.001,2561thin
One grade step is worth $194.47/cwt here — about $987 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 sale24 hd
398.08
—
NC average9 barns · 187 hd
367.56
+30.51
This barn, trailing median31 sales
362.30
+35.78
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

31 sales
428378327277median 362.3003/0504/3007/1609/1010/29
Bulls 500–600 lb: high $414.25, low $290.80, median $362.30 across 31 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—Average1,736203.483,5326thin
CowsPremium White 65-75%Average1,567182.172,8553thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,543176.992,7314thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,199168.362,0189thin
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,007146.111,4725thin

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 PairsOpenYoung/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)776$1,0501thin

Every lot

77 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 · Steers11 lots · lightest first
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1404485.00/cwt485.00–485.001,9591
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1494450.00/cwt450.00–450.002,2231
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1504380.00/cwt380.00–380.001,9151
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1573389.98/cwt380.00–400.002,2352
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1Value Added606395.00/cwt395.00–395.002,3945
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1624375.49/cwt375.00–376.002,3432
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1672340.00/cwt340.00–340.002,2851
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1Value Added689372.00/cwt372.00–372.002,5636
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1702320.00/cwt320.00–320.002,2461
Steers800–850Medium 1800240.00/cwt240.00–240.001,9201
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1940207.50/cwt207.50–207.501,9511
Feeder Cattle · Heifers22 lots · lightest first
Heifers200–250Small 1208300.00/cwt300.00–300.006241
Heifers250–300Small 1258290.00/cwt290.00–290.007481
Heifers250–300Small 2260235.00/cwt235.00–235.006111
Heifers250–300Medium 1276340.00/cwt340.00–340.009381
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1294384.13/cwt377.50–390.001,1293
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 2322359.63/cwt350.00–370.001,1582
Heifers300–350Medium 1324350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,1341
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1330389.11/cwt380.00–405.001,2844
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2352370.00/cwt370.00–370.001,3021
Heifers350–400Medium 1378367.78/cwt360.00–375.001,3902
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1380410.18/cwt395.00–445.001,5599
Heifers350–400Small 2394220.00/cwt220.00–220.008671
Heifers400–450Medium 1414370.00/cwt370.00–370.001,5321
Heifers400–450Small 2414242.54/cwt240.00–245.001,0042
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1427419.66/cwt392.50–442.501,79212
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1471399.04/cwt380.00–420.001,8797
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1516374.75/cwt355.00–405.001,93410
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1556380.00/cwt380.00–380.002,1131
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1628315.00/cwt315.00–315.001,9781
Heifers650–700Medium 1650270.00/cwt270.00–270.001,7551
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 2682230.00/cwt230.00–230.001,5691
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 1968210.00/cwt210.00–210.002,0331
Feeder Cattle · Bulls33 lots · lightest first
Bulls200–250Medium and Large 2240350.00/cwt350.00–350.008401
Bulls200–250Medium and Large 1245456.22/cwt450.00–462.501,1182
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 1280462.50/cwt435.00–490.001,2952
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 2315398.33/cwt380.00–415.001,2552
Bulls300–350Small 1320335.94/cwt320.00–350.001,0752
Bulls300–350Medium 1331385.51/cwt377.00–400.001,2763
Bulls300–350Medium 2348350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,2181
Bulls350–400Small 2352255.00/cwt255.00–255.008981
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 2360400.00/cwt400.00–400.001,4401
Bulls350–400Medium 2369350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,2923
Bulls350–400Medium 1371395.70/cwt370.00–420.001,4683
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1373463.07/cwt430.00–500.001,72711
Bulls400–450Small 2402250.00/cwt250.00–250.001,0051
Bulls400–450Medium 2416350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,4561
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1419479.45/cwt430.00–500.002,00913
Bulls400–450Medium 1432410.00/cwt410.00–410.001,7711
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1Fleshy446420.00/cwt420.00–420.001,8731
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 2462395.00/cwt395.00–395.001,8251
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1489434.14/cwt350.00–490.002,12317
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1524429.85/cwt390.00–445.002,25216
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 2540300.00/cwt300.00–300.001,6201
Bulls550–600Small 1558225.00/cwt225.00–225.001,2561
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1577377.97/cwt335.00–425.002,1814
Bulls550–600Medium 1587319.69/cwt300.00–340.001,8772
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1627341.74/cwt335.00–350.002,1433
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1Value Added628355.00/cwt355.00–355.002,2292
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1692340.00/cwt340.00–340.002,3531
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 2742240.11/cwt200.00–280.001,7822
Bulls750–800Medium and Large 2754180.00/cwt180.00–180.001,3571
Bulls750–800Medium 2760190.00/cwt190.00–190.001,4441
Bulls750–800Medium and Large 1784315.00/cwt315.00–315.002,4701
Bulls850–900Medium and Large 2896188.00/cwt188.00–188.001,6841
Bulls950–1000Medium and Large 2966171.00/cwt171.00–171.001,6521
Feeder Cattle · Dairy Heifers1 lot · lightest first
Dairy Heifers1000–1050Large 31,028177.50/cwt177.50–177.501,8253
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,513196.06/cwt185.00–205.002,9664
Bulls——2,182218.32/cwt216.00–221.004,7642
Slaughter Cattle · Cows7 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%920125.00/cwt125.00–125.001,1501
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,029151.39/cwt140.00–160.001,5584
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,173168.89/cwt164.00–175.001,9817
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,218180.00/cwt180.00–180.002,1921
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,360153.00/cwt153.00–153.002,0811
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,543176.99/cwt170.00–180.002,7314
Cows—Premium White 65-75%1,567182.17/cwt182.00–182.502,8553
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs1 lot · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Small 1-27761,050.00/head1,050.00–1,050.001,0501

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.