Sale reports / South Carolina / Darlington Livestock Auction / 2025-01-21

Darlington Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Darlington, South Carolina · Tue, Jan 21
● Final50 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1956
Feeder Cattle receipts
95 head
▼ 73 vs last sale 168▼ 56 vs year ago 151 · −37.1%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
14 head
▼ 29 vs last sale 43▼ 25 vs year ago 39 · −64.1%
Replacement Cattle receipts
7 head
▲ 3 vs last sale 4▼ 7 vs year ago 14 · −50.0%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

No comparisons made this week on feeder cattle due to limited comparable sales. Slaughter cows 4.00 higher based on limited comparable sales, slaughter bulls too few to trend. Light offerings of average quality cattle with active buyer participation.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Bulls · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb bulls averaged $251.25/cwt on 6 head. That ranks 1 of 24 comparable sales and sits −98.77 against this barn's trailing median of $350.02.
Average price
$251.25
6 head · 556 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,397
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$90
per head · Medium and Large 2 over Medium and Large 3
$18.75/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−22.97
vs SC average

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 2553263.751,4572thin
Medium and Large 3558245.001,3674thin
One grade step is worth $18.75/cwt here — about $90 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 sale6 hd
251.25
—
SC average6 barns · 93 hd
274.22
−22.97
This barn, trailing median24 sales
350.02
−98.77
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

24 sales
425369313257median 350.0203/0305/1907/1409/1510/27
Bulls 500–600 lb: high $411.46, low $271.08, median $350.02 across 24 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—High1,648155.502,5622thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%High1,369142.931,9563thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,083133.331,4436thin
CowsLean 85-90%Average980124.681,2223thin

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)1,020$1,3001thin

Every lot

50 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 · Steers6 lots · lightest first
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1335392.54/cwt390.00–395.001,3152
Steers450–500Medium and Large 2465295.00/cwt295.00–295.001,3721
Steers500–550Medium and Large 2545270.00/cwt270.00–270.001,4722
Steers600–650Medium and Large 2610270.00/cwt270.00–270.001,6471
Steers650–700Medium and Large 2660255.00/cwt255.00–255.001,6831
Steers700–750Medium and Large 2Fleshy700235.00/cwt235.00–235.001,6451
Feeder Cattle · Heifers15 lots · lightest first
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1250340.00/cwt340.00–340.008501
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 2290300.00/cwt300.00–300.008701
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 2310270.00/cwt270.00–270.008371
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1374318.76/cwt302.50–330.001,1927
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2378271.72/cwt270.00–275.001,0273
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 3390250.00/cwt250.00–250.009751
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1420290.00/cwt290.00–290.001,2181
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2425271.86/cwt270.00–272.501,1554
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 3440260.00/cwt260.00–260.001,1441
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 3490250.00/cwt250.00–250.001,2251
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2514252.52/cwt245.00–260.001,2984
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 3525200.00/cwt200.00–200.001,0501
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2Fleshy540225.00/cwt225.00–225.001,2152
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 3590207.50/cwt207.50–207.501,2241
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 2Fleshy630230.00/cwt230.00–230.001,4491
Feeder Cattle · Bulls15 lots · lightest first
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 1275385.00/cwt385.00–385.001,0591
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1322389.09/cwt380.00–412.501,2537
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 2375340.00/cwt340.00–340.001,2751
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 3390300.00/cwt300.00–300.001,1701
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 2440300.00/cwt300.00–300.001,3201
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 3460292.50/cwt292.50–292.501,3461
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 2481303.14/cwt297.50–310.001,4587
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 2Fleshy535260.00/cwt260.00–260.001,3911
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 3558245.00/cwt245.00–245.001,3674
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 2570267.50/cwt267.50–267.501,5251
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 2630250.00/cwt250.00–250.001,5751
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 3645245.00/cwt245.00–245.001,5802
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 3655225.00/cwt225.00–225.001,4741
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 2670240.00/cwt240.00–240.001,6081
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 3705225.00/cwt225.00–225.001,5861
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,215141.00/cwt141.00–141.001,7131
Bulls——2,080170.00/cwt170.00–170.003,5361
Slaughter Cattle · Cows5 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%980124.68/cwt119.00–130.001,2223
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,040131.00/cwt125.00–140.001,3625
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,200133.00/cwt133.00–133.001,5961
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,295145.00/cwt145.00–145.001,8781
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,453147.89/cwt146.00–150.002,1492
Replacement Cattle · Bulls1 lot · lightest first
Bulls—Medium and Large 2885190.00/cwt190.00–190.001,6821
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows5 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Small 374080.00/cwt80.00–80.005921
Stock Cows—Small 178590.00/cwt90.00–90.007071
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 3825103.00/cwt103.00–103.008501
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 2990140.00/cwt140.00–140.001,3861
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,235135.00/cwt135.00–135.001,6671
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows1 lot · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 21,0201,300.00/head1,300.00–1,300.001,3001

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.