Packers & beef prices

Packers & beef

Latest packer and wholesale prices

Fed steers, 5-area average (live)

$223.68

-0.80Oct 30, 2026

Fed heifers, 5-area average (live)

$224.44

-0.23Oct 30, 2026

Fed steers, 5-area average (dressed)

$349.82

-2.60Oct 30, 2026

Fat cull cows (breakers), Southwest

$245.50

-2.00Oct 30, 2026

Fed cattle and feeder cattle · USDA

What packers pay for finished steers, and what barns near Hansford County pay for feeder steers

500-599 lb 600-699 lb 700-799 lb 800-899 lb

Fed steers, 5-area average, live
$223.68 per cwt · last trade Oct 30, 2026 · 5,638 head

USDA LM_CT100, negotiated cash trade; weeks with no trade have no point
Feeder steers, 500-599 lb, barns within 150 miles (6 barns)
$415.88 per cwt · sale week of Oct 26, 2026 · 6 barns, 925 head

Head-weighted average of the weekly USDA barn reports; barns and weeks with no lots are left out.

Both lines are dollars per hundredweight, but they are different sales: finished steers sold live to packers, and feeder steers sold by weight class at a sale barn. Weekly points, May 4, 2026 to Oct 26, 2026.

Boxed beef, Choice

$364.66 per cwt · Oct 30, 2026

USDA LM_XB403, 600–900 lb carcasses

Cattle on Feed · NASS, monthly

data pending The monthly NASS Cattle on Feed report has not loaded yet.

Packer & wholesale

What packers paid for fed cattle, what they bid for cull cows, and what boxed beef sold for, straight from USDA Livestock Mandatory Reporting. One point per USDA report. Days with no reportable trade are left blank, never filled in. Past trades, not a quote.

Fed cattle (packer purchases)

How to read this

Fed cattle: what packers paid for finished cattle. Live = per 100 lb on the hoof; dressed = per 100 lb of carcass.

Series	Latest	1-week change	Source
Fed steers, 5-area average (live) $/cwt · USDA LM_CT100	$223.68 as of Oct 30, 2026 5,638 hd	-0.80 vs Oct 19, 2026	USDA LM_CT100
Fed heifers, 5-area average (live) $/cwt · USDA LM_CT100	$224.44 as of Oct 30, 2026 2,631 hd	-0.23 vs Oct 19, 2026	USDA LM_CT100
Fed steers, 5-area average (dressed) $/cwt of carcass · USDA LM_CT100	$349.82 as of Oct 30, 2026 2,113 hd	-2.60 vs Oct 19, 2026	USDA LM_CT100

old Fed steers, TX/OK/NM (live) and Fed heifers, TX/OK/NM (live): No local trades reported since Jun 29. Use the 5-area price above. (USDA withholds thin trade for confidentiality.)

Chart range

Source: 5 Area Daily Weighted Average Direct Slaughter Cattle - Negotiated (LM_CT100); TX/OK/NM Daily Direct Slaughter Cattle - Negotiated Purchases - Summary (LM_CT118). USDA AMS via the LMR DataMart, fetched Nov 1, 2026.

Cull cows (packer bids)

Series	Latest	1-week change	Source
Fat cull cows (breakers), Southwest $/cwt dressed · 75% lean, 500 lb+, plant bid · USDA LM_CT138	$245.50 as of Oct 30, 2026	-2.00 vs Oct 23, 2026	USDA LM_CT138
Cull cows (boners), Southwest $/cwt dressed · 85% lean, 500 lb+, plant bid · USDA LM_CT138	$250.00 as of Oct 30, 2026	-15.50 vs Oct 23, 2026	USDA LM_CT138
Thin cull cows (lean), Southwest $/cwt dressed · 90% lean, 500 lb+, plant bid · USDA LM_CT138	$270.50 as of Oct 30, 2026	+6.00 vs Oct 23, 2026	USDA LM_CT138
Cull cows (boners), national $/cwt dressed · 85% lean, 500 lb+, plant bid · USDA LM_CT138	$246.50 as of Oct 30, 2026	-4.00 vs Oct 23, 2026	USDA LM_CT138

Chart range

Source: Direct Slaughter Cow and Bull Report - Plant Delivered Bids (LM_CT138). USDA AMS via the LMR DataMart, fetched Nov 1, 2026.

Boxed beef (wholesale)

Series	Latest	1-week change	Source
Boxed beef, Choice (wholesale) $/cwt · 600–900 lb carcasses · USDA LM_XB403	$364.66 as of Oct 30, 2026	-1.13 vs Oct 23, 2026	USDA LM_XB403
Boxed beef, Select (wholesale) $/cwt · 600–900 lb carcasses · USDA LM_XB403	$351.98 as of Oct 30, 2026	-0.71 vs Oct 23, 2026	USDA LM_XB403
Boxed beef from cull cows (wholesale) $/cwt · 5-day rolling · USDA LM_XB405	$298.37 as of Oct 30, 2026	-9.33 vs Oct 23, 2026	USDA LM_XB405

Chart range

Source: National Daily Boxed Beef Cutout & Boxed Beef Cuts - Negotiated Sales - PM (LM_XB403); National 5-day Rolling Cutter Cow Cutout and Boxed Cow Beef Cuts - PM (LM_XB405). USDA AMS via the LMR DataMart, fetched Nov 1, 2026.

Price insurance for feeder cattle (LRP)

LRP pays you if the market price at the end date is below the coverage price you buy. Offers for Texas on Oct 30, 2026, in $/cwt. "After subsidy" takes off USDA's premium subsidy for that coverage level (55% at 70–79.99% coverage down to 35% at 95–100%; RMA PM-20-064, checked Oct 18, 2026). Beginning and veteran ranchers usually get 10 points more. On a phone, turn it sideways to see the expected ending value.

Cattle Coverage level

Source: USDA RMA daily LRP prices, Oct 30, 2026 (RMA LRP report). Buy through any crop-insurance agent. Fetched Nov 1, 2026.

Feeder cattle prices from local and benchmark sale barns (OKC, Joplin) are on Cattle; grain, hay, fuel and fertilizer on Grain & hay and Fuel & feed.