Sale reports / South Carolina / Darlington Livestock Auction / 2025-12-16

Darlington Livestock Auction

Name: Darlington Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2025-12-16
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-12-16

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Darlington, South Carolina · Tue, Dec 16

● Final68 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1956

← Dec 9Dec 16Jan 6 →

Feeder Cattle receipts

179 head

▼ 48 vs last sale 227▼ 36 vs year ago 215 · −16.7%

Slaughter Cattle receipts

68 head

▲ 44 vs last sale 24▲ 11 vs year ago 57 · +19.3%

Replacement Cattle receipts

28 head

▲ 18 vs last sale 10▲ 12 vs year ago 16 · +75.0%

View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

No comparisons made this week due to limited comparable sales. Moderate offering of average quality cattle with active buyer participation.

Weight class — the figures below change to match

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Bulls · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb bulls averaged $357.19/cwt on 9 head. That ranks 14 of 24 comparable sales and sits +7.17 against this barn's trailing median of $350.02.

Average price

$357.19

9 head · 573 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,046

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$81

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 2

$16.50/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+3.44

vs SC average

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	570	370.02	2,109	2thin
Medium and Large 2	574	353.52	2,028	7thin

One grade step is worth $16.50/cwt here — about $81 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 sale9 hd

357.19

—

SC average5 barns · 63 hd

353.75

+3.44

This barn, trailing median24 sales

350.02

+7.17

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

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.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	Low	1,349	168.64	2,275	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,250	160.25	2,004	22
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,441	154.05	2,220	19
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,062	133.72	1,420	9thin

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.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	870	$1,513	2thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	835	$1,250	1thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	845	$906	2thin
Bulls	N/A	Young (2-4 yrs)	975	$2,023	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	840	$1,500	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	663	$1,444	4thin
Stock Cows	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	805	$1,559	6
Stock Cows	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	998	$1,397	2thin
Stock Cows	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	865	$1,254	9

Every lot

68 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.

Class	Weight	Grade / description	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Feeder Cattle · Steers1 lot · lightest first
Steers	450–500	Medium and Large 1	455	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	2,002	1
Feeder Cattle · Heifers20 lots · lightest first
Heifers	200–250	Medium and Large 3	230	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	725	1
Heifers	200–250	Medium and Large 1Fancy	232	478.35/cwt	475.00–480.00	1,110	3
Heifers	250–300	Medium and Large 1Fancy	266	467.68/cwt	445.00–485.00	1,244	4
Heifers	250–300	Medium and Large 2	295	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,092	1
Heifers	300–350	Medium and Large 1Fancy	313	431.22/cwt	427.50–435.00	1,350	2
Heifers	300–350	Medium and Large 2	335	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,273	1
Heifers	350–400	Medium and Large 3	360	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,296	1
Heifers	350–400	Medium and Large 1	377	392.63/cwt	382.50–402.50	1,480	6
Heifers	350–400	Medium and Large 2	390	362.50/cwt	355.00–370.00	1,414	2
Heifers	400–450	Medium and Large 1	413	382.53/cwt	380.00–387.50	1,580	6
Heifers	400–450	Medium and Large 2	419	356.27/cwt	350.00–375.00	1,493	7
Heifers	400–450	Medium and Large 3	430	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,376	2
Heifers	400–450	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	445	330.00/cwt	320.00–340.00	1,469	2
Heifers	450–500	Medium and Large 2	465	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,604	1
Heifers	450–500	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	465	329.85/cwt	300.00–345.00	1,534	3
Heifers	500–550	Medium and Large 1	508	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,702	2
Heifers	550–600	Medium and Large 2	555	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,776	1
Heifers	550–600	Medium and Large 1	590	342.50/cwt	342.50–342.50	2,021	1
Heifers	600–650	Medium and Large 1	615	322.50/cwt	322.50–322.50	1,983	2
Heifers	700–750	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	700	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,610	1
Feeder Cattle · Bulls21 lots · lightest first
Bulls	200–250	Medium and Large 3	215	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	667	1
Bulls	200–250	Medium and Large 1Fancy	222	516.77/cwt	510.00–520.00	1,147	3
Bulls	250–300	Medium and Large 3	250	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	950	1
Bulls	250–300	Medium and Large 1Fancy	273	499.27/cwt	470.00–520.00	1,363	6
Bulls	250–300	Medium and Large 1	285	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	1,226	1
Bulls	300–350	Medium and Large 1	314	457.25/cwt	445.00–460.00	1,436	6
Bulls	300–350	Medium and Large 1Fancy	315	510.00/cwt	510.00–510.00	1,607	1
Bulls	350–400	Medium and Large 2	365	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,460	1
Bulls	350–400	Medium and Large 1	374	450.88/cwt	430.00–465.00	1,686	8
Bulls	400–450	Medium and Large 1	423	445.35/cwt	437.50–452.50	1,884	10
Bulls	400–450	Medium and Large 3	425	360.24/cwt	350.00–370.00	1,531	2
Bulls	400–450	Medium and Large 2	428	387.19/cwt	380.00–395.00	1,657	2
Bulls	450–500	Medium and Large 1	456	427.52/cwt	417.50–437.50	1,949	5
Bulls	450–500	Medium and Large 2	470	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,786	1
Bulls	500–550	Medium and Large 2	545	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,989	1
Bulls	550–600	Medium and Large 1	570	370.02/cwt	367.50–372.50	2,109	2
Bulls	550–600	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	575	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,898	1
Bulls	550–600	Medium and Large 2	579	355.93/cwt	350.00–362.50	2,061	5
Bulls	600–650	Medium and Large 3	620	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,674	1
Bulls	600–650	Medium and Large 1	625	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	2,094	2
Bulls	600–650	Medium and Large 2	630	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,922	1
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls	—	—	1,140	187.12/cwt	177.50–198.00	2,133	3
Bulls	—	—	1,439	160.72/cwt	145.00–176.00	2,313	7
Slaughter Cattle · Cows7 lots · lightest first
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	984	126.02/cwt	116.00–135.00	1,240	5
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,100	188.15/cwt	180.00–197.00	2,070	2
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,160	143.34/cwt	141.00–146.00	1,663	4
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,216	147.68/cwt	142.00–151.00	1,796	7
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,292	162.73/cwt	158.00–171.00	2,102	13
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,428	157.08/cwt	151.00–171.00	2,243	14
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,478	145.57/cwt	143.00–149.00	2,152	5
Replacement Cattle · Bulls1 lot · lightest first
Bulls	—	Small 1	975	2,023.00/head	2,023.00–2,023.00	2,023	1
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs3 lots · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs	—	Small 3	650	1,325.00/head	1,325.00–1,325.00	1,325	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	—	Small 2	700	1,800.00/head	1,800.00–1,800.00	1,800	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	—	Small 2	840	1,500.00/head	1,500.00–1,500.00	1,500	1
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows5 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows	—	Small 3	685	754.00/head	754.00–754.00	754	1
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 2	825	1,600.00/head	1,600.00–1,600.00	1,600	1
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 2	835	1,250.00/head	1,250.00–1,250.00	1,250	1
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 3	915	1,425.00/head	1,425.00–1,425.00	1,425	1
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 2	1,005	1,057.00/head	1,057.00–1,057.00	1,057	1
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows8 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows	—	Small 3	713	1,048.27/head	825.00–1,150.00	1,048	4
Stock Cows	—	Small 2	738	1,469.13/head	1,343.00–1,525.00	1,469	3
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 3	805	1,225.00/head	1,225.00–1,225.00	1,225	1
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 3	843	1,200.08/head	1,196.00–1,204.00	1,200	2
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 2	905	1,861.52/head	1,740.00–1,974.00	1,862	2
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 2	945	236.49/cwt	223.00–265.00	2,235	11
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 2	998	1,396.58/head	1,386.00–1,407.00	1,397	2
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 2	1,083	1,563.78/head	1,508.00–1,650.00	1,564	3

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.

South Carolina feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →

Low Country Livestock Exchange - Darlington, SC

Tue Dec 16, 2025

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Columbia, SC (LS-CO)

Feeder CattleReceipts 179Last week 227Year ago 215

Slaughter CattleReceipts 68Last week 24Year ago 57

Replacement CattleReceipts 28Last week 10Year ago 16

No comparisons made this week due to limited comparable sales. Moderate offering of average quality cattle with active buyer participation.

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cow-Calf Pairs — Small 2$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	1	—	840	1,500.00	1,500.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	1	—	700	1,800.00	1,800.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cow-Calf Pairs — Small 3$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	3	—	650	1,325.00	1,325.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Small 1$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	N/A	1	—	975	2,023.00	2,023.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 2$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	1	—	835	1,250.00	1,250.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	1	—	825	1,600.00	1,600.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	1	—	1,005	1,057.00	1,057.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 3$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	1	—	915	1,425.00	1,425.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Small 3$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	1	—	685	754.00	754.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	3	—	1,083	1,508.00–1,650.00	1,563.78
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	2	—	998	1,386.00–1,407.00	1,396.58
(<2 yrs)	Open	11	—	945	223.00–265.00	236.49
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	2	—	905	1,740.00–1,974.00	1,861.52

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 3$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	—	805	1,225.00	1,225.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	2	—	843	1,196.00–1,204.00	1,200.08

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Small 2$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	3	—	738	1,343.00–1,525.00	1,469.13

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Small 3$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	4	—	713	825.00–1,150.00	1,048.27

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	250–300	285	430.00	430.00
6	300–350	314	445.00–460.00	457.25
8	350–400	374	430.00–465.00	450.88
10	400–450	423	437.50–452.50	445.35
5	450–500	456	417.50–437.50	427.52
2	550–600	570	367.50–372.50	370.02
2	600–650	625	335.00	335.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	350–400	365	400.00	400.00
2	400–450	428	380.00–395.00	387.19
1	450–500	470	380.00	380.00
1	500–550	545	365.00	365.00
5	550–600	579	350.00–362.50	355.93
1	600–650	630	305.00	305.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	200–250	215	310.00	310.00
1	250–300	250	380.00	380.00
2	400–450	425	350.00–370.00	360.24
1	600–650	620	270.00	270.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 2 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
1	550–600	575	330.00	330.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
3	200–250	222	510.00–520.00	516.77
6	250–300	273	470.00–520.00	499.27
1	300–350	315	510.00	510.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
3	200–250	232	475.00–480.00	478.35
4	250–300	266	445.00–485.00	467.68
2	300–350	313	427.50–435.00	431.22

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	200–250	230	315.00	315.00
1	350–400	360	360.00	360.00
2	400–450	430	320.00	320.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 2 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
2	400–450	445	320.00–340.00	330.00
3	450–500	465	300.00–345.00	329.85
1	700–750	700	230.00	230.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	250–300	295	370.00	370.00
1	300–350	335	380.00	380.00
2	350–400	390	355.00–370.00	362.50
7	400–450	419	350.00–375.00	356.27
1	450–500	465	345.00	345.00
1	550–600	555	320.00	320.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
6	350–400	377	382.50–402.50	392.63
6	400–450	413	380.00–387.50	382.53
2	500–550	508	335.00	335.00
1	550–600	590	342.50	342.50
2	600–650	615	322.50	322.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	450–500	455	440.00	440.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	1,439	145.00–176.00	160.72
3	—	1,140	177.50–198.00	187.12

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	1,216	142.00–151.00	147.68
13	—	1,292	158.00–171.00	162.73
2	—	1,100	180.00–197.00	188.15

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	984	116.00–135.00	126.02
4	—	1,160	141.00–146.00	143.34

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
14	—	1,428	151.00–171.00	157.08
5	—	1,478	143.00–149.00	145.57

Head, weight ranges, average weights and price ranges are exactly as USDA AMS filed them — nothing recomputed, nothing rounded — in USDA's own reporting structure. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of that data, not a copy of USDA's document.