Sale reports / South Carolina / Darlington Livestock Auction / 2024-05-21

Darlington Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Darlington, South Carolina · Tue, May 21
● Final53 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1956
Feeder Cattle receipts
146 head
▲ 7 vs last sale 139▼ 90 vs year ago 236 · −38.1%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
55 head
▲ 17 vs last sale 38▲ 5 vs year ago 50 · +10.0%
Replacement Cattle receipts
7 head
▲ 3 vs last sale 4▼ 10 vs year ago 17 · −58.8%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week no comparisons on feeder cattle due to limited comparable sales, slaughter cows 15.00 higher and slaughter bulls, 4.50 higher. Moderate offering of average quality cattle with active buyer participation.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $249.58/cwt on 28 head. That ranks 1 of 22 comparable sales and sits −90.33 against this barn's trailing median of $339.91.
Average price
$249.58
28 head · 563 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,405
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$84
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 2
$17.62/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+10.41
vs SC average
−26.88 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1560257.131,44116thin
Medium and Large 2566239.511,35612thin
One grade step is worth $17.62/cwt here — about $84 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 sale28 hd
249.58
—
SC average5 barns · 126 hd
239.16
+10.41
National average163 barns · 12,702 hd
276.46
−26.88
This barn, trailing median22 sales
339.91
−90.33
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

22 sales
396349302255median 339.9103/1004/2107/0709/1511/03
Heifers 500–600 lb: high $381.92, low $268.91, median $339.91 across 22 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—Low1,426146.332,08710
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,488141.522,1063thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,151138.111,58910
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,029117.201,20615

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
BullsN/A(<2 yrs)795$1,3911thin
Stock CowsOpen(<2 yrs)810$1,0941thin
Stock CowsOpenYoung (2-4 yrs)816$1,0205

Every lot

53 lots · USDA AMS · Low Country Livestock Exchange - Darlington, SC
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 · Steers9 lots · lightest first
Steers250–300Medium and Large 1275332.50/cwt332.50–332.509141
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1350320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,1201
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1Value Added391315.00/cwt315.00–315.001,2323
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1450307.50/cwt307.50–307.501,3841
Steers450–500Medium and Large 2Fleshy485242.50/cwt242.50–242.501,1761
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1528301.00/cwt301.00–301.001,5892
Steers500–550Medium and Large 2530261.08/cwt252.00–270.001,3842
Steers550–600Medium and Large 2590262.50/cwt262.50–262.501,5492
Steers600–650Medium and Large 3615222.50/cwt222.50–222.501,3681
Feeder Cattle · Heifers19 lots · lightest first
Heifers200–250Medium and Large 1220296.00/cwt296.00–296.006512
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 3252240.00/cwt240.00–240.006053
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 3305192.50/cwt192.50–192.505871
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1320300.00/cwt300.00–300.009601
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 2335277.50/cwt277.50–277.509301
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 3378208.74/cwt207.50–210.007892
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1Value Added414271.00/cwt271.00–271.001,12217
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2418257.17/cwt252.50–259.001,0758
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1425262.50/cwt262.50–262.501,1161
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2Fleshy440242.50/cwt242.50–242.501,0671
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 3445220.00/cwt220.00–220.009791
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 3460200.00/cwt200.00–200.009201
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2478250.20/cwt242.50–257.501,1962
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1Value Added497262.00/cwt262.00–262.001,30211
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2523235.00/cwt235.00–235.001,2292
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1531250.00/cwt250.00–250.001,3284
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1Value Added561271.00/cwt271.00–271.001,5207
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 2575240.41/cwt232.50–243.001,38210
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1583243.40/cwt243.00–245.001,4195
Feeder Cattle · Bulls12 lots · lightest first
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 2Fleshy320262.50/cwt262.50–262.508401
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 2365260.00/cwt260.00–260.009491
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1383310.00/cwt310.00–310.001,1873
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 2415250.00/cwt250.00–250.001,0381
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 3420242.50/cwt242.50–242.501,0191
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1460290.85/cwt290.00–292.501,3383
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 2485250.00/cwt250.00–250.001,2133
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 3Fleshy500240.00/cwt240.00–240.001,2001
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 2513252.50/cwt252.50–252.501,2957
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 2571252.50/cwt252.50–252.501,4425
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 2610250.00/cwt250.00–250.001,5256
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 3680222.50/cwt222.50–222.501,5131
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls3 lots · lightest first
Bulls——785122.50/cwt122.50–122.509621
Bulls——1,359145.87/cwt137.00–154.001,9827
Bulls——1,983159.86/cwt157.00–162.003,1702
Slaughter Cattle · Cows5 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%97399.14/cwt77.50–114.009655
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,039129.16/cwt127.00–132.001,3424
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,057126.23/cwt121.00–131.001,33410
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,225144.07/cwt137.00–150.001,7656
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,488141.52/cwt138.00–144.002,1063
Replacement Cattle · Bulls1 lot · lightest first
Bulls—Medium and Large 27951,391.00/head1,391.00–1,391.001,3911
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows4 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Small 3665748.00/head748.00–748.007481
Stock Cows—Small 2718940.61/head888.00–974.009413
Stock Cows—Small 28101,094.00/head1,094.00–1,094.001,0941
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 21,2601,529.00/head1,529.00–1,529.001,5291

This sale against other markets

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.