Sale reports / North Carolina / Smithfield Livestock Auction / 2026-05-28

Smithfield Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Smithfield, North Carolina · Thu, May 28
● Final74 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2094
Feeder Cattle receipts
237 head
▼ 35 vs last sale 272▼ 29 vs year ago 266 · −10.9%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
68 head
▲ 30 vs last sale 38▲ 15 vs year ago 53 · +28.3%
Replacement Cattle receipts
13 head
▲ 9 vs last sale 4▲ 12 vs year ago 1 · +1,200.0%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week, slaughter cattle were 4.00 to 8.00 higher. Feeder cattle were unevenly steady to mixed. Demand was good; market activity and buyer were active. Offerings of cattle were moderate. Cattle quality was plain to average.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Bulls · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb bulls averaged $399.68/cwt on 29 head, up $2.69 from the prior sale. That ranks 29 of 31 comparable sales and sits +37.38 against this barn's trailing median of $362.30.
Average price
$399.68
▲ 2.69 vs prior sale
29 head · 542 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,166
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$460
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Small 1
$85.81/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+6.88
vs NC average

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1542410.812,22823
Medium and Large 2539363.411,9605thin
Small 1544325.001,7681thin
One grade step is worth $85.81/cwt here — about $460 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 sale29 hd
399.68
—
NC average7 barns · 117 hd
392.80
+6.88
This barn, trailing median31 sales
362.30
+37.38
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—Average1,721219.503,7778thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,114168.811,88116
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,488160.962,39512
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,001136.531,36628

Every lot

74 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 · Steers7 lots · lightest first
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1346485.00/cwt485.00–485.001,6781
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1477436.31/cwt435.00–440.002,0814
Steers550–600Medium and Large 2598405.00/cwt405.00–405.002,4221
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1Value Added780370.00/cwt370.00–370.002,8864
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1824290.00/cwt290.00–290.002,3901
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1878287.50/cwt287.50–287.502,5241
Steers950–1000Medium and Large 1992230.00/cwt230.00–230.002,2821
Feeder Cattle · Heifers22 lots · lightest first
Heifers200–250Medium and Large 2224400.00/cwt400.00–400.008961
Heifers200–250Medium and Large 1240480.00/cwt480.00–480.001,1521
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1292474.79/cwt460.00–490.001,3862
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1325458.15/cwt450.00–470.001,4893
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1Value Added328525.00/cwt525.00–525.001,7222
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2368415.00/cwt415.00–415.001,5271
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1373465.35/cwt430.00–475.001,73614
Heifers350–400Small 1376350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,3162
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1Value Added391506.00/cwt506.00–506.001,9788
Heifers400–450Small 1412305.00/cwt305.00–305.001,2571
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2421411.20/cwt385.00–435.001,7314
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1423461.26/cwt445.00–475.001,9518
Heifers450–500Small 1456290.00/cwt290.00–290.001,3221
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1470447.70/cwt420.00–470.002,10412
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2482347.48/cwt345.00–350.001,6752
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1Fleshy484370.00/cwt370.00–370.001,7911
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1532387.07/cwt370.00–415.002,0596
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1Fleshy538370.00/cwt370.00–370.001,9911
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1Fleshy572345.00/cwt345.00–345.001,9731
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1576360.02/cwt330.00–375.002,0744
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1618320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,9781
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1672310.00/cwt310.00–310.002,0831
Feeder Cattle · Bulls28 lots · lightest first
Bulls200–250Medium and Large 1230508.55/cwt480.00–535.001,1705
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 1285496.51/cwt490.00–500.001,4153
Bulls250–300Small 1290410.00/cwt410.00–410.001,1891
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1Value Added314560.00/cwt560.00–560.001,7581
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1320499.46/cwt485.00–520.001,5984
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 2328449.81/cwt435.00–460.001,4754
Bulls300–350Small 1330400.00/cwt400.00–400.001,3201
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1365498.44/cwt470.00–515.001,8199
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 2373442.20/cwt435.00–450.001,6492
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 2430420.15/cwt400.00–430.001,8077
Bulls400–450Small 1434350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,5191
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1442453.45/cwt440.00–460.002,0043
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1Value Added450467.50/cwt467.50–467.502,1047
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1478439.67/cwt420.00–460.002,10212
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 2490355.00/cwt355.00–355.001,7401
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1524413.58/cwt400.00–440.002,16714
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 2530359.89/cwt350.00–375.001,9074
Bulls500–550Small 1544325.00/cwt325.00–325.001,7681
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed553437.54/cwt430.00–445.002,4202
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1576397.64/cwt367.50–415.002,2907
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 2576377.50/cwt377.50–377.502,1741
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 2606282.50/cwt282.50–282.501,7121
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1614367.02/cwt350.00–376.002,2544
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1Fleshy624327.57/cwt320.00–335.002,0442
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1675327.33/cwt317.50–350.002,2095
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 1727301.23/cwt290.00–312.502,1902
Bulls900–950Medium and Large 1944200.00/cwt200.00–200.001,8881
Bulls950–1000Medium and Large 1950220.00/cwt220.00–220.002,0901
Feeder Cattle · Dairy Steers1 lot · lightest first
Dairy Steers650–700Small 3692130.00/cwt130.00–130.009001
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,530233.71/cwt221.00–260.003,5763
Bulls——1,835210.97/cwt205.00–217.503,8715
Slaughter Cattle · Cows8 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%85692.51/cwt90.00–95.007922
Cows—Lean 85-90%972126.73/cwt110.00–135.001,23211
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,041149.58/cwt137.50–162.501,55715
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,097185.98/cwt185.00–187.002,0402
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,116168.39/cwt161.00–180.001,87913
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,128140.00/cwt140.00–140.001,5791
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,244145.00/cwt145.00–145.001,8041
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,510162.41/cwt152.50–178.002,45211
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows5 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Small 1-2658200.00/cwt200.00–200.001,3161
Stock Cows—Small 2667154.88/cwt150.00–170.001,0334
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2884217.50/cwt217.50–217.501,9232
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,022206.76/cwt200.00–220.002,1133
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,032200.31/cwt195.00–205.002,0672
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows1 lot · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,096212.50/cwt212.50–212.502,3291

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.